It’s the last club weekend of the year.
And the inter-county season is back already.
We talk about players never really getting a break but this weekend offers cast-iron proof that one GAA season runs straight into the next.
There are more arguments against the O’Byrne Cups and all the other pre-season competitions than there are for, but they’re going ahead again and that’s not going to change now.
Because from Longford to Laois, from Carlow to Offaly, there are county games taking place in what will be windy and water covered GAA grounds all over the country.
Do we really need them? Definitely not.
What adds some interest to them this time around, however, is seeing how the new rules regarding the hand-pass, the sin bin, the advanced mark and so on fare.
This will be their first competitive weekend in operation.
Trial rules in place for this weekends O Byrne Cup game with Wicklow pic.twitter.com/MsSp5fKC1k
— Longford GAA (@OfficialLDGAA) December 3, 2018
But that doesn’t make them the main event this weekend.
The winter of 2018 has been ruled by club GAA and this weekend has just another brilliant offering of fixtures. From three Leinster finals to three All-Ireland ladies football finals, we’re in for a treat.
Here are the weekend’s fixtures.
Saturday
Inter county games
O’Byrne Cup (Football)
Longford v Wicklow, Newtownforbes, 7.00.
Louth v Wexford, Darver, 5.00
Laois v Meath, O’Moore Park, 6.00.
Kehoe Cup (Hurling)
Longford v DCU-St Patricks, Killoe, 5.00
Club games
Leinster intermediate football final
Shamrocks (Offaly) v Two Mile House (Kildare), O’Connor Park, 1.30.
Leinster junior football final
Dundalk Young Irelands (Louth) v St Brigids (Offaly), Drogheda, 1.30pm
All-Ireland Ladies Senior final
Foxrock-Cabinteely (Dublin) v Mourneabbey (Cork), Parnell Park, 5.15pm – TG4
All-Ireland Ladies Intermediate Club Final
Clontarf (Dublin) v Emmet Óg (Monaghan), Parnell Park, 7.30pm – TG4
Sunday
Inter-county games
O’Byrne Cup
Carlow v Westmeath, Netwatch Cullen Park, 2.00.
Walsh Cup
Offaly v Laois, Birr, 2.00.
Kehoe Cup
Westmeath v Wicklow, TEG Cusack Park, 2.00.
Kildare v Meath, Newbridge, 2.00.
Club
Leinster senior football final
Kilmacud Crokes (Dublin) v Mullinalaghta (Longford), O’Connor Park, 1.30pm – TG4 (live coverage)
All-Ireland junior club quarter final
Red Hughs (Donegal) v Dunedin Connollys (Britain), Letterkenny, 1pm
All-Ireland Ladies Junior Final
Glanmire (Cork) v Tourlestrane (Sligo), Duggan Park, 2.30pm – LIVE Stream LGFA Facebook Page
