Upon the final siren, the hurling players from Cork stood in fatigued quietness, having removed their helmets and shirts, their hurling sticks idle. The harsh reality of the GAA’s updated timetable is that for some hurling squads, the summer season may conclude in the spring. This possibility is now looming for Cork, following their second loss in a little over a week.
Clare had previously been at a similar crossroads, following their dramatic failure in Ennis the preceding week. However, in a thrilling duel between these two struggling teams, Clare emerged victorious by two points, at 3-26 against Cork’s 3-24. The second half of the game witnessed the scoring of six goals and twenty-four points. Keeping the playing field out of public view is likely to contribute to creating legendary stories.
The Cork captain, Sean O’Donoghue’s expulsion on two yellow card counts, 17 minutes into the second half, could be deemed pivotal to the game’s outcome, although momentum had shifted before this. At the time, Cork faced the wind and were struggling to maintain their dwindling seven-point advantage.
Following David Fitzgerald’s third goal for Clare, six minutes before the normal timeframe’s conclusion, the teams were divided by six points. Cork made a valiant effort, scoring two late goals, but yet again, surrendered an insurmountable total. In Cork’s previous five championship contests, they’ve averaged 32 points – a combination of goals and points. In this match it seemed like they were attempting to empty a boat filling with water, using a sieve.
Losing is never shameful, but the mistakes we made against Limerick were truly disappointing, acknowledged Clare’s manager, Brian Lohan. It was a challenging week for us, but our response was gratifying. We showed the same resilience last year after a first-round loss. This team certainly possesses determination.
In another Munster championship encounter, Limerick crushed Tipperary, 2-27 to 0-18, marking their most significant victory over their arch-adversaries since 1947. A scoring spree around half-time established the All-Ireland champions’ superiority. However, the celebration was somewhat marred by a severe injury to Peter Casey, which occurred during Limerick’s second goal.
At Pearse Stadium, a fierce competition unfolded with Limerick’s potential title contenders, resulting in an exhilarating draw – a score of 2-23 to 0-29. This exciting match didn’t, however, bring any threats to the reigning champions of All-Ireland. In a critical turn of events, Galway managed to secure two points during stoppage time, tying the match. Conspicuously missing from the Kilkenny team were four key players, inclusive of their two top-scoring forwards and their All-Star goalie. Their shooting accuracy for the day was noted at around 70% due to cost-saving tactics.
Reflecting on their performance, Henry Shefflin, Galway’s manager, remarked, “Our game had its highs and lows.” He lauded their ability to snatch a draw at the last moment, which he deemed vital.
In another captivating match, Ulster, renowned for its impassioned provincial football culture, witnessed Donegal’s stunning victory over Tyrone in overtime, with a score of 0-18 to 0-16. This marked Tyrone’s second exposure to extra-time within a period of eight days, and they were eventually worn out.
Despite leading by three points at half-time, a highly-charged game saw the teams tie nine times. The scene-stealing moment was provided by Donegal’s full-back, Brendan Cole, who kept their hopes alive with a crucial stoppage time point. Paddy McBrearty, a late substitute, secured Donegal’s triumphant progress to their first Ulster final in a decade with his second point. Armagh will pose as their next challenge in two weeks’ time.
Jim McGuinness, the manager of Donegal, acknowledged Tyrone’s effective strategy but praised his team’s ability to regroup and find answers. McGuinness added, “This thrilling journey to clinching the Ulster Championship epitomises the competitive spirit of our players.” Expressing his delight at reaching the final, he furthermore stated, “Reaching this peak is an indescribable feeling for the enthusiasts in this region.”
For the first time since 1958, Louth has made it to the Leinster finals in Croke Park two years in a row, securing their place after defeating Kildare with a score of 0-17 to 0-13. This defeat led to Kildare’s entrance into the Tailteann Cup. Despite having a disappointing league season, resulting in a demotion from Division Two, reaching the provincial final and retaining a place in the Sam Maguire Cup was Kildare’s only way to stay in. However, Kildare was unable to get ahead of Louth after the 22 minute mark.
On the other hand, in the second semi-final match, Dublin scored a considerable hurling victory against Offaly with a final score of 3-22 to 0-11.
As for the Sam Maguire Cup, the top two seed spots are occupied by teams from Armagh, Clare, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Louth, and Mayo. The third seed is held by Derry, Monaghan, Roscommon, and Tyrone, while Cavan, Cork, Meath and Westmeath hold the fourth seed.
In the Tailteann Cup, Seed 1 includes teams from Down, Fermanagh, Kildare, and Sligo. Antrim, Offaly, Laois, and Leitrim hold Seed 2, followed by Limerick, Longford, Wexford, and Wicklow in Seed 3. Lastly, Seed 4 is held by Carlow, London, Tipperary, and Waterford.
The group stage draws of both cups will be released at 3pm on Tuesday, and you can catch them live on gaa.ie or the GAA’s social media platforms.