Big weekend on the AIB club front
February 08, 2010Four counties, Tyrone, Limerick, Antrim and Kilkenny will be represented in the junior and intermediate finals in Croke Park on Saturday evening while Tyrone, Mayo and Kerry (two clubs) will be represented in the intermediate football deciders on Sunday afternoon.
The full weekend line-up is as follows:
Saturday
AIB GAA Hurling Junior and Intermediate Club Championship Finals:
Junior Hurling: Naomh Colum Cille (Tyrone) v Blackrock (Limerick), Croke Park 6.00
Intermediate Hurling: St.Gall's (Antrim) v St. Lachtain's (Kilkenny), Croke Park, 7.45
Sunday
AIB GAA Football Junior and Intermediate Club Championship Finals:
Junior Football: Kiltimagh (Mayo) v Castlegregory (Kerry), Croke Park, 2.00
Intermediate Finals: Cookstown (Tyrone) v Spa (Kerry), Croke Park, 3.45
AIB GAA Hurling Senior Club Championship Semi Finals:
Dunloy (Antrim) v Portumna (Galway), Parnell Park, 2.30
Ballyhale Shamrocks (Kilkenny) v Newtownshandrum (Cork), Thurles, 2.30
Ballyhale v Newtownshandrum
They meet for the first time in the history of the AIB GAA club championships but they certainly have had plenty big time experiences in the last decade with both winning their provincial titles twice. Both also won one All-Ireland title in that period while Newtownshandrum reached a second final but lost to Portumna (Galway) who also beat Ballyhale in last year's semi-final.
The Portumna-Ballyhale clash was an epic affair with a Joe Canning-led Portumna going on a goal-fest which helped steer them to a 5-11 to 1-16 win. However, Ballyhale retained the Kilkenny title last autumn and then set off on a three-game winning run to also retain the Leinster crown.
They have a star-studded side, led by Kilkenny stars, Henry Shefflin, James 'Cha' Fitzpatrick, Michael Fennelly, TJ and Eoin Reid.
Newtownshandrum won a third Munster title last autumn and led by the O'Connor brothers, Ben and Jerry (their two top scorers), Pat Mulcahy and Cathal Naughton, the Corkmen are determined to reach another All-Ireland final. They won their two previous semi-finals in 2004 and 2006 while Ballyhale's only defeat in six semi-final attempts was against Portumna last year.
Paths to the semi-final:
Ballyhale Shamrocks 2-20 Oulart the Ballagh 1-21 (Wexford) (after extra-time)
Ballyhale Shamrocks 4-18 Ballyboden St.Enda's (Dublin) 0-18
Ballyhale Shamrocks 1-16 Tullamore (Offaly) 1-8 (Leinster final)
Average For: 2-19; Average Against: 1-15
Ballyhale Scorers
H Shefflin…..........1-19 (0-10 frees, 0-3 ('65s)
TJ Reid…..............3-8 (0-3 frees)
E Reid…................1-9
C Fennelly….........1-3
P Reid…................1-3
D Hoyne…............0-5
M Fennelly…........0-3
J Fitzpatrick….....0-2
B Costelloe…........0-1
M Aylward…........0-1
***
Newtownshandrum
Newtownshandrum 0-19 Thurles Sarsfields (Tipperary) 1-15
Newtownshandrum 1-17 Adare (Limerick) 1-14
Newtownshandrum 2-11 Ballygunner (Waterford) 2-9
Average For: 1-16 Average Against: 1-14
Newtownshandrum's Scorers
B O'Connor…....0-23 (0-14 frees, 0-3 '65's), 0-2 line ball)
J O'Connor….... 0-7
J Bowles…......... 2-0
J Coughlan…......1-2
C Naughton….....0-5
R Clifford…........0-5
PJ Copse….........0-3
M Bowles…........0-2
Previous All-Ireland semi-final appearances:
Ballyhale Shamrocks
1979 - Ballyhale 4-10 St.Gabriel's (London) 1-7
1981 - Ballyhale 2-11 Ballycastle McQuillans (Antrim) 0-12
1984 - Ballyhale 3-14 Ballycastle McQuillans (Antrim) 2-10
1990 - Ballyhale 2-8 Sarsfields (Galway) 0-12
2007 - Ballyhale 2-20 Toomevara (Tipperary) 3-14
2009 - Portumna (Galway) 5-11 Ballyhale Shamrocks 1-16
Played 6, Won 5, Lost 1.
Newtownshandrum
2004 - Newtownshandrum 0-14 O'Loughlin Gaels (Kilkenny) 1-8
2006 - Newtownshandrum 0-14 Ballygalget 1-10 (Antrim)
Portumna v Dunloy
Portumna are bidding for a third successive All-Ireland crown this year - a feat never previously achieved - but they face a mighty test in the semi-final against the club that beat them in the 2004 semi-final. Portumna, who were appearing the semi-final for the first time, were hot favourites to reach the final but lost by 2-13 to 2-10 in a great contest in Clones.
Dunloy also beat another Galway club, Athenry in the 1995 semi-final. Dunloy will be playing in their 11th semi-final (including one replay) and have a record of four wins, five defeats and one draw from their previous ten.
Portumna have won three and lost one of their four semi-finals.
Previous semi-final appearances:
Dunloy
1991: Glenmore (Kilkenny) 1-18 Dunloy 1-10
1995: Dunloy 2-10 Athenry (Galway) 1-11
1996: Dunloy 2-13 Glenmore (Kilkenny) 0-7
1998: Sarsfields (Galway) 3-14 Dunloy 4-11
1998: Sarsfields 1-15 Dunloy 1-11 (Replay)
2001: Athenry (Galway) 3-20 Dunloy 1-10
2002: Birr 2-12 Dunloy 1-11
2003: Dunloy 1-14 Mount Sion (Waterford) 1-13
2004: Dunloy 2-13 Portumna (Galway) 2-10
2008: Birr 0-17 (Offaly) Dunloy 0-9
Played 8, Won 4, Drew 1, Lost 5
Portumna
2004 - Dunloy (Antrim) 2-13 Portumna 2-10
2006 - Portumna 2-17 James Stephens (Kilkenny) 0-11
2008 - Portumna 2-13 Loughmore-Castleiney (Tipperary) 2-8
2009 - Portumna 5-11 Ballyhale Shamrocks (Kilkenny) 1-16
Intermediate Hurling Final
St.Lachtain's, with inter-county star, Michael Kavanagh as a key man, attempt to bring more glory to Kilkenny when they take on St.Gall's of Antrim in the final. Both St.Lachtain's and St.Gall's each won four games to reach the final.
Paths to the semi-finals:
St.Lachtain's 2-12 Askamore (Wexford) 0-15
St.Lachtain's 3-11 Carnew Emmets (Wicklow) 2-5
St.Lachtain's 1-18 Mount Leinster Rangers (Carlow) 0-7 (Leinster final)
St.Lachtain's (Kilkenny) 1-14 South Liberties (Limerick) 0-14 (All-Ireland semi-final)
***
St.Gall's 6-16 Lisbellaw (Fermanagh) 1-6
St.Gall's 5-14 Eoghan Ruadh (Tyrone) 1-6
St.Gall's 5-11 Middletown (Armagh) 0-12 (Ulster final)
St.Gall's (Antrim) 0-12 Tynagh Abbey-Duniry (Galway) 0-10 (All-Ireland semi-final)
Intermediate Football Final
There have been some very exciting battles between Kerry and Tyrone inter-county teams in Croke Park over the last decade and now the rivalry moves to the club scene when Cookstown take on Spa in the All-Ireland intermediate final.
Cookstown won four games to reach the final while Spa had three wins in their successful campaign.
Paths to the final:
Cookstown 2-9 Ballymartin (Down) 0-8
Cookstown 1-11 Monaghan Harps (Monaghan) 1-9
Cookstown 0-9 Lavey (Cavan) 1-4 (Ulster final)
Cookstown 2-11 Naomh Anna, Leitir Mor (Galway) 1-10 (All-Ireland semi-final)
***
Spa 2-15 Carrick Swans (Tipperary) 1-6
Spa 2-11 Cratloe (Clare) 0-10 (Munster final)
Spa 2-11 Maynooth (Kildare) 2-9 (All-Ireland semi-final)
AIB GAA Football Junior Club Championship Final
It's Mayo v Kerry in the AIB GAA All-Ireland junior football final as Kiltimagh and Castlegregory battle it out for the big prize. Kiltimagh beat Ballinameen and An Spideal to win the Connacht final before clinching a place in the final with a comfortable win over Emyvale (Monaghan) in the semi-final.
Castlegregory beat Clooney Quin (Clare), Glanworth (Cork) and Mountcollins (Limerick) to win the Munster title and then saw off Longwood (Meath) in the All-Ireland semi-final.
Paths to the final:
Kiltimagh 2-14 Ballinameen (Roscommon) 0-3
Kiltimagh 0-11 An Spideal (Galway) 0-10 (Connacht final)
Kiltimagh 1-10 Emyvale (Monaghan) 1-5 (All-Ireland semi-final)
***
Castlegregory 1-16 Clooney Quin (Clare) 0-4
Castlegregory 1-10 Glanworth (Cork) 1-6
Castlegregory 1-20 Mountcollins (Limerick) 0-4 (Munster final)
Castlegregory 1-16 Longwood (Meath) 0-8 (All-Ireland semi-final)
AIB GAA Hurling Junior Club Championship Final
It's Limerick v Tyrone in the AIB All-Ireland junior hurling final when Blackrock takes on Naomh Colum Cille. Blackrock beat Aherlow (Tipperary), Fermoy (Cork) and Black & Whites (Kilkenny) to reach the final while Naomh Colum Cille recorded four wins against Na Magha (Derry), Lisnaskea (Fermanagh), St. Mary's (Antrim) and Calry St.Joseph's (Sligo).
Paths to the final:
Blackrock 0-11 Aherlow (Tipperary) 0-9
Blackrock 1-12 Fermoy (Cork) 0-14 (Munster final)
Blackrock 1-18 Black & Whites (Kilkenny) 1-11 (All-Ireland semi-final)
***
Naomh Colum Cille 2-12 Na Magha (Derry) 2-5
Naomh Colum Cille 4-12 Lisnaskea (Fermanagh) 1-4
Naomh Colum Cille 4-10 St. Mary's Rasharkin (Antrim) 2-14
Naomh Colum Cille 2-7 Calry St.Joseph's (Sligo) 0-10 (All-Ireland semi-final) Tweet
