Only The Toughest get to Croke Park.
And this Saturday and Sunday, eight sides will look to make history for their club’s parishes, family, and friends as they compete for All-Ireland Junior and Intermediate hurling and football glory.
Ahead of the various finals, we’ve picked eight players to look for across the weekend.
All-Ireland intermediate club football final
Hollymount-Carramore (Mayo) v St Mary’s Cahersiveen (Kerry), 4.45pm
Darren Coen: Hollymount-Carramore
Maurice Fitzgerald may be on the opposition sideline, but he’ll surely have told his players to be well aware of the talents of Darren Coen ahead of Saturday’s showdown in Croke Park.
Even the Kerry maestro could not but be impressed by Coen’s outrageous effort for his club in their semi-final win over Loughlinisland by 0-15 to 0-10 from the corner flag.
You're going to want to see this amazing sideline point from @Holly_CarraGaa's @DarrenCoen1. #TheToughesthttps://t.co/0HxxIUJbqZ
— AIB_GAA (@AIB_GAA) January 25, 2016
@Holly_CarraGaa @DarrenCoen1 Even better when you see it from Darren's angle! #TheToughest pic.twitter.com/w8zJ7YW0Hn
— AIB_GAA (@AIB_GAA) January 27, 2016
Coen grabbed eight points in total that afternoon, and along with his cousin Stephen, is a key player for the Mayo side. The full-forward is likely to be pumped with lots of high ball in the early stages, and it will be a massive test of the St Mary’s full-back line to see if they can withstand his physical presence, as well as his accuracy from placed balls. A worthy mention must also go to Kevin Feerick who is lethal from play and frees.
Sean Cournane: St Mary’s
St Mary’s may have Bryan Sheehan at midfield, but it is the team captain Sean Cournane who often provides the killer blow. Cournane’s workrate as well as clinical eye for goal will make him a very sticky customer for the Hollymount-Cararmore backline.
His goal was the difference in the Kerry county final against Spa, and he was part of the team that won the junior crown in 2011, so Croke Park won’t faze him.
The supply of ball by Sheehan and his midfield counterpart is likely to be excellent, and if Cournane gets a chance he will strike. 1-4 in the facile semi-final win over Ratoath as well as an assist for the club’s second goal should be enough warning to the Connacht champions.
All-Ireland Junior Club football final: Ardnaree Sarsfields (Mayo) v Templenoe (Kerry), 3.00pm
Conor Naylor: Ardnaree Sars
The Mayo champions may have a reputation for racking up big scores, which should produce a wonderful final on Saturday night, but in the semi final win over Rockcorry, defence was key. And central to keeping the Monaghan side to just 0-6 was the always impressive corner-back Conor Naylor.
His brother holds the edge of the square normally, and in a sometimes fractious game against the Ulster champions, both men held their heads while others were losing theirs.
Pacey and strong, Naylor is likely to be given a man marking duty on Cillian Spillane. Ardnaree’s chances of success success may come down to the Naylor’s shackling of the Munster champion’s razor like attack.
Brian Crowley: Templenoe
It would be easy to look at the list of the Spillanes and pick out another name, but there is simply no way the Kerry champions would be at this stage without wing-forward Crowley. He and Stephen O’Sullivan were the key players that managed to finally find a way through the blanket defence operated by Meath outfit Curraha in the All-Ireland semi-final.
Crowley won the penalty that broke open the Leinster champions defence and dusted himself off to slot it home. Having missed the Munster final through injury his energy on a heavy pitch in Kilmallock was crucial in the 1-9 to 0-5 win.
Pacey, with an excellent eye for a point, the 2012 Kerry minor will need to be closely marked. Shane Timlin may pick him up if the Mayo side are looking to try and cut him out at source.
This tweet however may need to be explained further.
Can Brian Crowley be now known as Steel Balls ( no gold in Templenoe) or when he goes for priesthood – he can be called the penalty king –
— Mortimer Murphy (@MortimerMurphy1) August 13, 2014
All-Ireland intermediate Club hurling Championship: Abbeyknockmoy (Galway) v Bennettsbridge (Kilkenny), 3.45pm
Fionan Garvey: Abbeyknockmoy
Everyone knows how important the two Flaherty brothers are to Abbeyknockmoy. Brian may have been named the man-of-the-match for the semi final win over Creggan Kickhams, but Fionan Garvey’s haul of 0-5 proved to be absolutely key.
Garvey’s accuracy, when the pressure was its height, was impressive for a teenager, as the Galway side fought back from being three points down at the start of the second half to win by seven and keep Creggan scoreless for over 20 minutes.
The corner forward is an incredibly hard worker and in the space of Croke Park, on a better sod, he should thrive.
@AIB_GAA @SportsJOEdotie @Abbey_Hurling #weregoingtocroker #allireland the abbey boys on the way home. pic.twitter.com/SeIU2XlWhw
— Damien Rooney (@damienrooney28) January 24, 2016
Nicky Cleere: Bennettsbridge
We expect Sunday’s game to be an awful lot more than just a battle of free takers, but it’s almost impossible to see past the laser like accuracy of Nicky Cleere for the All-Ireland junior champions of just 12 months ago.
The Leinster champions punished every ill-timed challenge by Wolfe Tones in their semi-final, and Cleere is rightly seen as one of the best strikers of a deal ball in the south-east.
0-7 from his hurl alone was almost half of his side’s total tally of 0-15, and with players like Liam Blanchfield and Hugh O’Neill also in the attacking mix, the Galway side will need to hold their discipline.
All-Ireland Junior Hurling Club final: Eoghan Rua (Derry) v Glenmore (Kilkenny), 2.00pm
Ciaran Gaile: Eoghan Rua
Hurling All Star Team 2015 Full Forwards Brendan Rogers, Paddy McGill, Ciaran Gaile – congratulations! #GLALLSTARS pic.twitter.com/F5eiOeWSzp
— Gaelic Life (@Gaelic_Life) January 15, 2016
There was a chance the pressure would prove too much for the Derry side in the All-Ireland semi final. Level at half-time at 0-4 with the Galway side Sylane, the Ulster champions faced a test of nerve and leadership.
And it was their powerful half-forward line, led by Sean Leo McGoldrick and Ciaran Gaile, that got their side over the line.
The wing-forward ended the game with 0-6 to his name, and his foraging for ball, as well as runs from the centre of the field, kept the Galway champions pinned back for the entire second half.
His club’s top scorer most days, a trip to Croke Park will not phase him.
@cgaile Here you are going for that point from open play & turning your man! We loved it! @EoghanRua See you Sunday! pic.twitter.com/I3yazKQrlu
— Jacqueline Gaile (@JacquelineGaile) January 31, 2016
Eoin Murphy: Glenmore
With no Ger Aylward due to a serious knee injury, the focus is likely to fall on his inter-county colleague even more so.
The forward-turned-goalkeeper-turned-forward again has been impressive all season, and as one of the few players to know Croke Park so well, he should expect to be a marked man.
Murphy has been in red-hot form for the club so far at local and provincial level, but failed to get on the score-sheet in the win over Dungourney.
That might be a worry other days, but not in an All-Ireland semi-final when Murphy stood up as a leader, worked harder than ever from wing-forward, and created several opportunities for his colleagues which they duly took.
Knowing Croke Park as he does, expect him to fire at least a few shots for the posts on Sunday afternoon.
Leinster club JHC final ft, Glenmore 0-23, Lusmagh 0-13. All Ireland semi next weekend. Eoin Murphy 0-8. Lusmagh one score from play.
— John Knox (@johnknoxkk) January 16, 2016
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