Club Championships 2025/2026

manofwisdom

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124138433#Comment_124138433

Odds was probably based on the Kerry team playing a more open brand of football like they did against the Kildare champions and nearly got them beat.

Glenullin last two games in the Ulster wasn't the signs of this very defensive team as they are labelled now

1-17 to 2-13 v Carrickmacross (Monaghan)

3-15 to 0-19 v Cuchalainn (Cavan)

In the semi final they scored 5 goals against the Roscommon champions and could easily have conceded 3 or 4 goals themselves.

breezy1985

I hadn't noticed until the Irish Times pointed it out but there is a chance of all 3 football titles going to Kerry and all 3 hurling going to Munster.

theoneeyedman

Why are lads blaming an Gealtacht for Glenullin sitting in a low block and staying in that formation until the game was lost? I'm no gealtacht or Kerry fan, but that's crazy talk! I actually watched the Semifinal, and they did the same, the difference was that Strokestown hadn't the wit, patience or football nous to wait for the opening and pick off their scores. Instead, they tried to play straight and direct and Glenullin picked them off, countered well and scored 5 goals and something....

Finals are for winning, if Glenullin wanted to play they could have pushed out a bit and engaged. Instead, they froze in the headlights, were frozen by fear and were beaten heavily. That's on them, how they played, and not on the Kerry men.

If you want entertainment, go to the pictures

Looptheloop30

2 for sale for the weekend, 15 each ono

jimbob955

I know I am very very late to the party.

But the Kerry senior, intermediate, junior status gives Kerry such an advantage. In every other county in Ireland An G would be senior and Ballymac Intermediate.

I am talking as a long suffering Cork football fan (is there any other kind!?), but it just reaffirms things. Kerry have total domination at schools, underage county, club and senior in the province and almost on the island. Cute Kerry hoors!

It must be the most successful time ever for Kerry - AI champs, and a trio of club success! Fair dues!

Always_Running

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124141913#Comment_124141913

Wasn't all the new rules brought in to guarantee us a more entertaining game?

There is two sides to every coin and the rope a dope game Gealtacht used yesterday which they didn't use in previous games is not as simple as pushing out a bit. The worse part about winning in that manner is that teams will copy Gealtacht way in the coming months at inter county level and after that the FRC will have no option but to restrict hand passing.

On another note I watched Strokestown in the Connnacht final against Kilmeena, they were very accurate with their shooting and defended well they were the opposite in the semi final against Glenullin and defensively not helped to be without former inter county defender Sean Mullooly.

blowitupref

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124142432#Comment_124142432

Don't have domination on the island at schools or underage.

Five of the last 6 Hogan cup finals was won by Ulster schools and the other won by Naas.

U17 County AIl Irelands won

2025 Tyrone

2024 Derry

2023 Derry

2022 Galway

2021 Meath

2020 Derry

It's 2008 since Kerry won a U20/21 All-Ireland title.

theoneeyedman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124142745#Comment_124142745

There are no guarantee of entertaining games, but overall the game is much better set up than before.

If we're to call in the FRC for every game that doesn't get over 8.5 in the GAA Imdb rating then the committee will be busy!

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124142745#Comment_124142745

No teams will not copying Gaeltacht's tactics unless they are playing actual.setnup like Glenullin. Glenullin wanted Gaeltacht to run at them and get turned over.

Sone club coaches are still fixated on the blanket defence. At intercounty Donegal and Armagh tried to set up that way. Kerry exposed it because they had multiple scorers especially 2 point player options. You cannot expect clubs at intermediate to have the same.option so Gaeltacht had to modify there game. They HAMMERED Glenullin literally ya it was not a 20 point win but it would have been if Glenullin cane out of there shell as they had no coaching of marking man. Scotstoun had exactly tge same issue but Bridet's had a bit more nous to break them down.

Is tge answer at club level.to move the arc into 33 meters to give clubs wanting to play football a better chance at two pointers or is it to play 4 or 5 up.

TThe Important thing was the negative team lost.

blowitupref

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124142986#Comment_124142986

Most teams are programmed to sit back and not engage and after watching Gaeltacht tactics on Sunday that proved successful you'll see many more copycats of long sustained periods of possession play.  FRC has already adjusted the hooter for the year ahead to prevent the boring passages of play with teams playing down the clock if the copycats happen I'll expect the FRC will look at restrictions on hand passes or a shot clock introduced.

Always_Running

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124142986#Comment_124142986

You are kidding yourself if you think copycats won't happen. Coaches eyes will light up after watching a team win All-Ireland final playing that way.

Of course such tactics aren't new. For example and as was already mentioned on this thread Dublin v Roscommon in Croke Park in 2023 a match that Dublin All-Ireland champions to be was expected to win comfortably. Yet it ended in a draw and were damn lucky not to lose but how did that happen?

The rossies got themselves into a lead and used the same Gaeltacht tactics as last Sunday and for the majority of those long passages of possession play Dublin did not engage much like Glenullin on Sunday.

The big difference is few called Roscommon clever after the match instead they were highly criticised by the national media for their anti football and negative play, Dublin who weren't engaging didn't get criticised at all.

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124142986#Comment_124142986

Exactly, teams have long since copped on if a team doesn’t want to engage at all easiest way to beat them is with patience and keeping the ball. Working scores. An opponent like that are terrified to attack.

It was reminiscent of what Dublin did to Tyrone in the 2017 AI SF. Tyrone embarrassed themselves that day had one tactic and that was it.
Glenullin must have thought the An Gaeltacht lads were eejits if they were going to fall for their setup. And teams get even more space now with the new rules. It was gombeen stuff.

It made me laugh when Glenullin manager O’Kane said “We left our worst performance until last, and we will only get better”. So basically he blamed his players and not the way he set his team up. Clown.

The_Kew_Tour

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124142432#Comment_124142432

And its not stopping soon. They have a host of talent coming through.

Cork won't win a All Ireland for min 15 years and I fear it could be much much longer.

The_Kew_Tour

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124142752#Comment_124142752

Derry or Galway won't win a All Ireland in next 5-10 years.

Derry are banker not to win one.

Tyrone probably will.

dxhound2005

In the football Club Championship, Kerry are way ahead of the rest in the Junior and Intermediate. Those competitions started at the beginning of this century. The Senior has been going since 1970, and Cork were the kingpins in the early years. They are still top of the list with 11 titles, but none since 2003.

In Leinster Dublin clubs have always dominated, but more recently it has become a procession. 13 out of the last 16 titles. But at least there is healthy competition between the Superclubs within Dublin.

thesultan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124142752#Comment_124142752

Kerry played a slow and ponderous brand of football prior to the rule changes . Surely to get the ball in fast is the best option

Charles Babbage

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124138377#Comment_124138377

an Armagh team won the Intermediate two years ago.

The_Kew_Tour

No question football has improved.

The one place though they have not improved is in Croke Park. Can only think of one very good game there since new rules and that was only 35 minutes also

blowitupref

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124144028#Comment_124144028

Prediction on senior All-Irelands won? Galway did reach 2 of the last 4 All-Ireland finals losing narrowly, should they adjust to the new rules better than they did in 2025 they won't be far away.

Derry reaching consecutive semi-finals a few years ago that was probably their ceiling. Tyrone depends on how many of their underage All-Ireland winners go on to be established Seniors.

Jim McGuinness will put in another big effort with Donegal and once he's finished with them they'll likely won't get past the last 8 again.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124145633#Comment_124145633

Granted they are a lot less ponderous now but the two counties than played the ball through the hands the most in 2025 was themselves and Donegal.

Meath meanwhile kicked the ball the most and very odd year for them from not gaining promotion to Div 1 when in a promising position. To beating Dublin in Leinster and then losing the final to Louth.

Topping their group by beating Kerry and taking out Galway in the last 8 only to get a heavy beating off Donegal. Be interesting to see can they be more consistent this year.

ShamoBuc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124145684#Comment_124145684

And?

Take a look at the role of Hounour for the past 20 years at Junior and Intermediate club level and get back to me.

If every County only had 8 or 9 Senior teams and similarily less at Intermediate levels I am certain that list of winning clubs would look completely different. This is a conversation that pops up every year. It's all been said before.

PTH2009

So what pubs will be open before 12/12.30 Sunday coming

Full train up for the Deise which is great too see. Should be in Hueston by 11.30

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124147583#Comment_124147583

The Oval in Abbey street

Asdfgh2020

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124145732#Comment_124145732

thought this thread was about club championship not inter county games/team 😡😡

blowitupref

Gaelic statsman with the stats for the senior final on Sunday.

Krazy gang

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124151195#Comment_124151195

Bridgids have a very good spread of point scorers in particular. Definitely no over reliance on any player. Expect this to be a cracking game

PTH2009

'Cullen Killeen has been cleared to play in Sunday's All-Ireland Club SHC final against Ballygunner.

After a DRA hearing, Loughrea successfully overturned the midfielder's late red card against Slaughtneil in last month's semi-final.'

Tbh the right call, would of been so hard on the lad to miss his clubs biggest day out

Nugget89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124154585#Comment_124154585

Any insight into why it was overturned? I didn't see any vidoes of the incident come out that would have proven innocence.

robbiezero

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124154585#Comment_124154585

Ya they need to do away with red cards in semi finals, so as players wont miss the big day.

Nugget89

Found this statement on the DRA site.

http://www.sportsdra.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2026.01.16-Website-Statement-1.pdf

The card seems to have been overturned on a technicality from my limited understanding.

theoneeyedman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124154847#Comment_124154847

You're right, free hit on anyone once their team reaches the final, seems a well thought plan alright (not saying this is the case in this instance though).

Ludicrous decision, appealed it twice and lost, eventually m'learned friends found some ambiguity and there is no real time to appeal the third appeal.

While I did have some sympathy for the lad involved, frankly unless there was serious evidence the ref made the wrong call, the suspension should have stood. GAA and hurling especially, don't really like rules though, the 'ara the poor lad' and 'he's not that type of player' attitude often win out, even if someone is broken in two with a hurl.