It has been a fascinating season on the GAA All-Ireland hurling and football final circuit and there's one more big day to come when Cork and Down clash in the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Final in Croke Park on Sunday (3.30). It will be preceded by the ESB GAA Football All-Ireland Minor Championship Final between Cork and Tyrone at 1.15.
It will be a first ever All-Ireland final meeting between Cork and Down - indeed they have only met once before in the championship back in 1994 when Down won a semi-final by five points.
Cork are seeking their 7th All-Ireland senior title - and their first since 1990 - while Down are seeking their 6th and their first since 1994. Down have the distinction of having won all five finals they reached in 1960-61-68-91-94. Cork have appeared in four finals since winning their last one in 1990 but lost in 1993-99-2007-2009.
Paths to the final Cork Cork 0-15 Kerry 0-15 (Munster semi-final) Kerry 1-15 Cork 1-14 (After extra-time) Replay Cork 1-19 Cavan 0-4 (Qualifier - Round 2) Cork 0-12 Wexford 0-5 (Qualifier - Round 3) Cork 0-16 Limerick 1-11 (Qualifier - Round 4) After extra-time Cork 1-16 Roscommon 0-10 (All-Ireland quarter-final) Cork 1-15 Dublin 1-14 (All-Ireland semi-final) Played 7, Won 5, Drew 1, Lost 1. Average For: 1-14; Average Against: 0-12
Cork Scorers Daniel Goulding.................1-34 (0-24 frees, 0-2 '45s') Donncha O'Connor............1-16 (0-9 frees, 0-1 penalty) Paddy Kelly.........................0-12 (0-6 frees) Ciaran Sheehan....................0-9 Pearse O'Neill......................2-3 Colm O'Neill.......................0-8 (0-1 free) Paul Kerrigan.......................0-6 Paudie Kissane.....................0-3 Aidan Walsh........................0-3 Derek Kavanagh.................0-3 Graham Canty.....................0-2 Alan O'Connor....................0-2 Fintan Goold......................0-2 Michael Shields..................0-1 Noel O'Leary......................0-1 John Hayes........................0-1 (free) John Miskella.....................0-1
Down Down 1-15 Donegal 2-10 (Ulster quarter-final) After extra-time Tyrone 0-14 Down 0-10 (Ulster semi-final) Down 1-14 Longford 1-11 (Qualifier Round 2) Down 1-12 Offaly 1-10 (Qualifier Round 3) Down 3-20 Sligo 0-10 (Qualifier Round 4) Down 1-16 Kerry 1-10 (All-Ireland quarter-final) Down 1-16 Kildare 1-14 (All-Ireland semi-final) Played 7, Won 6, Lost 1. Average For: 1-16; Average Against: 1-11
Scorers Martin Clarke........1-27 (1-0 penalty, 0-14 frees, 0-4 '45') Mark Poland..........1-18 (0-13 frees) Benny Coulter.......2-11 Daniel Hughes.......0-14 Ronan Murtagh......1-7 John Clarke............1-5 Ambrose Rodgers....1-5 (0-1 '45') Paul McComiskey..0-5 (0-1 free) Aidan Carr.............1-0 Peter Fitzpatrick.....0-3 Kevin McKernan....0-3 Conor Maginn.........0-2 Conor Garvey.........0-1 Dan Gordon............0-1 Declan Rooney........0-1
Down in All-Ireland Finals 1960: Down 2-10 Kerry 0-8 1961: Down 3-6 Offaly 2-8 1968: Down 2-12 Kerry 1-13 1991: Down 1-16 Meath 1-14 1994: Down 1-12 Dublin 0-13 Played 5, Won 5.
Previous Championship Meeting Cork and Down have only met on one occasion in championship history. That was in 1994 when Down won by 1-13 to 0-11 prior to beating Dublin in the final. The semi-final teams were: Down: Neil Collins; Michael Magill, Brian Burns, Paul Higgins; Eamon Burns, Barry Breen, DJ Kane; Gregory McCartan, Conor Deegan; Ross Carr, Greg Blaney, James McCartan; Mickey Linden, Aidan Farrell, Gary Mason. Cork: John Kerins; Mark Farr, Mark O'Connor, Niall Cahalane; Brian Corcoran, Stephen O'Brien, Tony Davis; Shea Fahy, Danny Culloty; Stephen Calnan, Larry Tompkins, Don Davis; Colin Corkery, Joe Kavanagh, Paul McGrath.
Top Scorers 2010 Championship Kildare's John Doyle looks certain to top the scoring lists for the 2010 GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championships. He scored 1-49 (52 points), one point ahead of Bernard Brogan (Dublin) on 3-32 (51 points).
The top scorers from Cork and Down, Daniel Goulding and Martin Clarke have a chance to close the gap next Sunday but are 15 and 22 points respectively behind Doyle.
The top ten are as follows: 1. John Doyle (Kildare).............1-49 (52) 2. Bernard Brogan (Dublin).......3-42 (51) 3. Daniel Goulding (Cork).........1-34 (37) 4. Donal Shine (Roscommon)....1-31 (34) 5. Martin Clarke (Down)............1-27 (30) - Colm Cooper (Kerry)...............1-27 (30) 7. Cian Ward (Meath).................2-23 (29) 8. Padraic Joyce (Galway)..........1-25 (28) 9. Joe Sheridan (Meath)..............5-11 (26) 10. Bryan Sheehan (Kerry).........2-19 (25)
GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Roll of Honour Will Cork win their 7th All-Ireland title and join Meath in joint fourth place on the roll of honour or will Down win their 6th title and join Cork in joint fifth place? 36 - Kerry (1903-04-09-13-14-24-26-29-30-31-32-37-39-40-41-46-53-55-59- 62-69-70-75-78-79-80-81-84-85-86-97-2000-2004-2006-2007-2009) 22 - Dublin (1891-92-97-98-99-1901-02-06-07-08-21-22-23-42-58-63-74-76- 77-83-95) 9 - Galway (1925-34-38-56-64-65-66-98-2001) 7 - Meath (1949-54-67-87-88-96-99) 6 - CORK (1890-1911-45-73-89-90) 5 - DOWN (1960-61-68-91-94) 5 - Cavan (1933-35-47-48-52) 5 - Wexford (1893-1915-16-17-18) 4 - Kildare (1905-19-27-28) 4- Tipperary (1889-95-1900-1920) 3 - Louth (1910-12-57) 3 - Mayo (1936-50-51) 3 - Offaly (1971-72-82) 3- Tyrone (2003-2005-2008) 2 - Limerick (1887-1896) 2 - Roscommon (1943-44) 1 - Armagh (2002)
ESB GAA Football All-Ireland Minor Championship Final Will Cork win the ESB GAA Football All-Ireland Minor Championship title for the first time since 2000 or will Tyrone win their fourth in ten years? The answer will emerge in Croke Park next Sunday when they launch the big day with what promises to be a very exciting encounter. Cork have won the title ten times (one less than Kerry who lead the honours table) while Tyrone have seven titles.
Cork previously won the title in 1961-67-68-69-72-74-81-91-93-2000 while Tyrone were successful in 1947-48-73-98-2001-2004-2008.
Paths to the final Cork Cork 1-9 Clare 0-9 Cork 2-12 Tipperary 2-9 Cork 1-8 Kerry 1-7 (Munster final) Cork 3-11 Armagh 0-19 (All-Ireland quarter-final) Cork 3-15 Cork 5-8 (All-Ireland semi-final) Average For: 2-11; Average Against: 1-13