2 weeks Ago
For the second year in-a-row, it will be Corofin v Maigh Cuilinn in the Galway senior county final and the 12th consecutive season that either one of the clubs will feature in the showpiece event. That includes a Galway seven-in-a-row for Corofin, who are also five-time All-Ireland winners. Moycullen won the 2020 and 2022 editions of the county championship, but the head-to-head record between the finalists favours Corofin.
They dethroned Maigh Cuilinn by two points last year and also stormed to a 1-9 to 0-3 victory when the sides met in the 1977 final. A key difference in this year’s showdown is the availability of Galway captain Seán Kelly. The versatile defender missed last year’s final having struggled with injuries throughout most of the 2023 season.
Corofin were without Jason Leonard that day, but he has also made a welcomed return. Ian Burke is Corofin’s main absentee, as he has transferred to the Fulham Irish club in London. After ending a 31-year wait for a senior county title, Naas are now on the verge of completing four-in-a-row success this weekend.
The final will be staged at Kildare’s GAA headquarters, Conleth Park, after the Newbridge venue was closed last year for redevelopment work. Athy came close to halting Naas’s winning run in last weekend’s semi-final as they dragged the champions to extra-time. The challengers were just one point down at the break, but it was the holders who soared to a 10-point win as they outscored Athy by 2-4 to 0-1 with Kildare forward Darragh Kirwan helping himself to 1-6.
Kildare’s Paddy McDermott is a selection doubt for Naas after he was withdrawn from that game with an injury from an off the ball incident which resulted in a red card for James Eaton. Celbridge will provide familiar opposition after falling two points short in last year’s final. They also needed an extra-time effort against Sarsfields to reach the final thanks to a crucial goal from Killian Browne.
His brother Aaron also finished the tie with seven points. It’s a potential four Derry senior championships on the bounce this weekend for Glen, and a first Derry SFC final in 33 years for Seán O’Leary’s Newbridge. The All-Ireland champions will surely be the favorites, but their Newbridge opponents come into this final with two championship victories over last year’s county finalists Magherafelt.
A penalty from Derry player Conor Doherty proved crucial when Newbridge defeated Magherafelt in September to progress to the knockout stages. The semi-final clash two weeks ago was another tight affair. This time it was Shane McGrogan who supplied the late vital goal, palming the ball into the net.
Their victory was all the more impressive as they did so without their injured county star Pádraig McGrogan. Newbridge were back-to-back champions in 1988 and 1989, and will be aiming to revisit those glory years today. The reigning champions have certainly been tested on their road back to the final.
An Ethan Doherty goal inspired a narrow quarter-final win over Lavey while Jody McDermott raised a green flag in the semi-final to give Malachy O’Rourke’s side a 1-9 to 0-9 win against 2020 champions Slaughtneil..
