It didn’t matter if you were in Donegal or in Cork, if you were playing or spectating, if it was Saturday or Sunday.
Because wherever you were and whatever you were doing, and this is the beauty of it too, there’s no way you escaped the muck and the rain. Because that’s county final season for you and this is the absolute height of it.
No fewer than 13 county finals took place this Sunday and on the biggest county final weekend of the year, this is your GAA JOE team of the weekend.
1 Gavin Curran (Dingle)
Made some sensational saves against that renowned East Kerry attack.
2 Conor O’Donnell (St Eunans)
Couldn’t have done anymore in defeat in the Donegal SFC final.
3 Cian Walsh (St Finbarrs)
It was a day for defenders and, in shutting down Robbie Cotter, this man quietened Blackrocks’ most dangerous forward.
4 Danny Gardiner (Castletown)
Curbed the influence of Shelamliers’ 8-time All-Ireland winner Eoghan O’Gara with a brilliant defensive display in the Wexford final.
5 Padraig O’Hora (Ballina Stephenites)
Inspired Ballina to their first final since 2007.
6 Paul Murphy (East Kerry)
His winning point was the stuff of legend.
What an incredible finish to the game here – @EastKerryGAA captain Paul Murphy kicks a 50-yard winner with 30 seconds on the clock! ⏰
East Kerry: 1-09
Dingle: 1-08Commiserations @DingleGAA.
East Kerry will now play @Midkerrygaa2 in the @Kerry_Official SFC County Final 🏆 pic.twitter.com/eDkpyFJIKQ— Clubber (@clubber) October 16, 2022
7 Darragh Corcoran (Ballyhale Shamrocks)
The young man was immense in the second half, bursting out with ball after ball as Ballyhale did what they always do.
8 Rory Heffernan (Castletown)
Dominated midfield and kicked 0-3 from play as Castletown stunned 1/4 favourites Shelmaliers in Wexford.
9 Paul Keaney (St Mary’s, Leitrim)
His radar was on, kicking 0-4 in woeful conditions as St Mary’s defeated Mohill in the Leitrim final.
10 Dessie Ward (Ballybay)
Kicked 1-3 in an inspirational display against Scotstown in the Monaghan SFC final
👏👏Massive congratulations to @PearseBrothers ‘s @DessieWard on receiving the @GreenfieldFoods Man of the Match today in the Senior Football Championship FINAL
Dessie is pictured with Gerard Caulfield from @GreenfieldFoods pic.twitter.com/abKaHgWFPt— @monaghangaa (@monaghangaa) October 16, 2022
11 TJ Reid (Ballyhale Shamrocks)
His mantle-piece will soon run out of space for all those man-of-the-match awards. It was vintage TJ on Sunday – and the man only seems to be getting better with age.Tip
12 Shane Walsh (Kilmacud Crokes)
Came back from a first half injury to kick some brilliant, match-winning scores for his new club.
13 Ronan Carroll (Ardee St Mary’s)
Came on at half-time in the Louth SFC final, and changed the game with four points from play.
14 Ben Cunningham (St Finbarrs)
Shot the lights out on a shocking day, as his 0-9 (0-4 from play) inspired the Barrs to their first Cork SHC in 29 years.
The Barrs are back on top 🔵🟡🏆 pic.twitter.com/BW0Osujrdu
— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) October 16, 2022
15 Lorcan McGarrity (Carrickmore)
The teenager just edges his cousins Darragh and Ruairi Canavan out of this team, as he kicked 0-6 in Carrickmore’s win over Clonoe. He’ll be hoping to get the better of them again in the upcoming county final on October 30.
