Club Championships 2025/2026

Even the goal in the first half was from a kickout that they lost, I would see Dingle put a big squeeze on - could be a great final though.

Pearses have been the big hurdle for them in Ros in recent years

I’m delighted you are. Hopefully you never darken the door of the club. Ridiculous comment with no foundation whatsoever.

Hand was in and out of the Roscommon senior team in 2025. His big problem is inconsistency. On his day he is completely unplayable (just ask poor Sean Kelly in Connacht club final few weeks ago who probably still hasn't recovered from being turned into a human pretzel) or the way he absolutely destroyed the Cork defence in the league down in Cork but then he will have run of games where he is completely anonymous.

Not sure what has happened to Carroll's kickouts last 12 months. His first year on senior panel he was terrific but that side of his game has regressed significantly for whatever reason.

Bridgets will only be too aware that it was goalkeeper kickout error that cost them the 2024 All Ireland final, a match they had in the bag it seemed like.

I see the double edged sword. Arguments against it skews the competition. Particularly when a top intercounty player moves to an already strong senior 1 side they can transform them like Shane Walsh did in Crokes.

And takes up the place on a Dublin born player. Let’s not forget that Shane Walsh nearly dragged Kilmacud through on his own in the Dublin championship this year. In a tremendous performance on the losing side against Na Fianna.

https://www.dublingaa.ie/news/na-fianna-narrowly-defeat-kilmacud-crokes-and-secure-position-in-finals

And a few years ago there is no way that Kilmacud would have won a senior AI only for Shane Walsh.

The other side of the argument is economically Dublin is the hub in Ireland. People from outside Dublin move there for Education/ Jobs.

Non-Dubs have a long history of setting up clubs where there were none before It grows the game and keeps the GAA-alive. Makes it stronger.

Also Dublin clubs are providing a service to non Dubs top quality training better quality competition in Dublin. If Shane Walsh was not playing for Kilmacud I wouldn’t have been able to witness his quality performance and individual goal v Na Fianna this year as a neutral. And it improves the standard of competition.

Personally, I think there should be a draft system where top intercounty non Dubs can’t just gravitate to an already top senior 1 side of their choice. Let them go to senior 2 dublin club sides first, or even intermediate first for a while - test their commitment.

And rules should be brought in where the number of current intercounty senior/recent former intercounty senior - non Dubs should be capped per team to 2 etc.

Taken to extremes a sudden large influx of non committed high profile “blow in’s” can destroy a club. Ripping out it’s soul. Parnells (now Pobal Parnell) was an example of this.

To the extent Cluxton preferred to move to the Parnells second team at one stage because he wanted to play in a team with the lads he grew up with. Eventually all the imports went home and Parnells got nowhere with or without them. It is a cautionary tale. Which also included gross financial mismanagement. But that is another story.

That’s gas straight away once I saw Caltra written. I remembered that game. The Gaeltacht lads looked like giants compared to most of the Caltra side. But Micheal Meehan ran rings around them.

Their Divisional teams are disbarred not the clubs. 2 Seperate championships

Is your point the Kerry format is one of the prime reasons why Kerry teams have won just one senior club All-Ireland in the last 30 years?

Brigids are favs with the bookies but it's only 8/11.

50/50 game for me. Could be a cracker. As above I'd be alot more worried about the hurling final being a damp squib if Ballygunner get motoring early in the game

What a load of cow dung

Hope loughrea and Brigid's do the business. Never underestimate Loughrea

Just heard both Fitzgerald and Mahony definitely won't start and Dessie carrying a knock also……any news on Loughrea's appeal of the last minute red card from the Semi….?

2 adult 1 juvenile available for junior and intermediate club hurling and football finals. Half price at 10er a pop, juvenile free. Drop me a PM if interested. Might suit somebody. Can sell as singles

Noel and Declan even more so.

It's unlikely a more rural club with smaller resources than Caltra have ever won a Senior club All Ireland. That was the first and only time they won the Galway championship, (may have been their only ever final appearance), and have been yo-yoing between Senior, Intermediate and even Junior since. Won the Intermediate last year and are back in Senior ranks for the first time in a good decade now.

Turgid stuff, why aren't the Derry crowd putting pressure on them?

Who ever is coaching that Derry crowd would want to be dragged out of Croke Park at half time and never let near a GAA pitch again. One of the stupidest ways of playing an All Ireland final I have ever seen