"It was unbelievable standing up there and seeing everyone. I'd say everybody from Ballincollig was down below on the field."

Goalkeeper David Lordan had the honour of lifting the Cork SFC silverware as Ballincollig captain.

"I've a knack of probably getting involved with good teams, more than me.  But I'm absolutely thrilled for the lads there today. Nobody gave us much of a chance but I thought that if we were there until 8 o'clock, we still would have beaten them."

Ger 'Sparrow' O'Loughlin masterminded Kilmallock's surprise Limerick SHC final success over holders Na Piarsaigh.

"We will enjoy this victory and then next week we will knuckle down for a Connacht championship hopefully. For a lot of us that is our first back-to-back titles. We struggled in the past to retain the title."

Corofin's Michael Lundy - who scored two goals against St Michael's - has already turned his attention to the Connacht Club SFC.

"Jamie is quality, an exceptional talent. He's a quality finisher. He took his chances - I think he only had three shots on goal and he kicked two goals and a point, so that's quite good."

Crossmaglen joint-manager John McEntee sung Jamie Clarke's praises following their comfortable victory over Armagh Harps.

"There was no Slaughtneil men jumping to celebrate the goal. To give the goal, to make a big call like that, was scandalous. To lose a Championship in this way is heart-breaking."

Ballinderry manager Fabian Muldoon was adamant that Slaugthneill's injury-time winning goal in the Derry SFC final didn't cross the line.

"I knew it was a goal from the second I hit it."

Slaughtneil goalscoring hero Gerard Bradley had a different version of accounts.

"There was nothing about five-in-a-row in the lead-up to the game. It was all about 2014. We're delighted to do it. It's a huge achievement but any day we win the Fahey Cup is absolutely brilliant."

St Brigid's made it five Roscommon SFC titles in-a-row yesterday and manager Benny O'Brien was, understandably, delighted.

"For the Ballintubber club, the year isn't successful if they don't win a county title. They won three and lost one of the last five, so that is what they expect."

Ballintubber dethroned Castlebar Mitchels in Mayo and their win came as no surprise to their manager, and former Mitchels player, Peter Ford.

"Before the final I had my mind kind of made up anyway, win, lose or draw. I suppose it made it a wee more difficult when we lost the final but I just felt the time is right."

Jim McGuinness had his mind made up about quitting Donegal prior to the All-Ireland SFC final defeat to Kerry.

"It's going to be a big ask, but the boys, as I said to them there, have to regroup, take a bit of pride in themselves and come back very strong."

Irish hurling-shinty manager Michael Walsh acknowledged his side face an uphill battle as they trail Scotland by nine points going into next Saturday's second test in Newry.

Tweet

Most Read Stories