Dublin destruct, Kilkenny still have Tipp’s number, Aishling Moloney is class.
With every passing action packed weekend hammering home the point that the League is the best competition of all, these last few have been absolutely enthralling.
From the Fitzgibbon Cup in Waterford IT to the League in Croker, this one just past was another clinker.
1 Robbie Hennelly (Mayo)
Were it not for the Breaffy club man, Mayo could have been absolutely scandalised on Saturday night. Made a number of class saves, most notably from Paul Mannion.
2 Jack Browne (Clare)
Showed for every single Donal Tuohy puck-out and must have taken every second one of them. His delivery to the Clare forwards is class and he directly set up at least two scores.
Was sent onto Conor McDonald for the second half and didn’t give him a sniff.
3 Conor Delaney (Kilkenny)
It’s not too often Seamie Callanan is kept quiet in Semple Stadium but there wasn’t a mig out of him on Sunday with the Erin’s Own Castlecomer man on top.
4 Niall O’Leary (UCC)
Rounded off a fine display in the corner with a sumptuous second half point for the College.
5 Chris Crummey (Dublin)
Hit two trademark boomers from play and dominated the Waterford half forward line.
6 Tim O’Mahoney (Cork)
Cork have long been searching for a centre half back and the Newtownshandrum man looks the part so far. Caught a number of puckouts, thrown his body on the line, held the centre well. It’s hard to ask for much more.
7 Tom O’Sullivan (Kerry)
O’Sullivan has played this whole league campaign like a man with a point to prove. The Kingdom half back line is an extremely tough line to break into, especially when Gavin White comes back but this man is making himself impossible to drop. Ghosted forward for the winner but he was consistent all day long.
8 Niall Murray (Cavan)
Was superb for the Breffni in their emphatic win over Roscommon on Sunday. Kicked 0-2 and was named man-of-the-match.
9 Conor Browne (UCC)
Absolutely thundered into the Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup final in the second half with a goal and a point to remember. Led by example for the College all day long.
Conor Browne of @VillageGAA is unstoppable 🚃🚃 pic.twitter.com/rQzdkj0djK
— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) February 23, 2019
10 Diarmuid Ryan (Clare)
The Cratloe 19-year-old is playing with the peerless fearlessness of youth. And few teams are able to stop him. Scored five from play and terrorised Wexford all day long.
Anthony Daly is just asking the question on everybody in Clare’s lips.
How good could Diarmuid Ryan be 🤔
— Anthony Daly (@DaloAnto) February 24, 2019
Young buck Diarmuid Ryan showing them how it's done. The 19-year-old from @CratloeGAAClub hit five from play in Clare's 2-22 to 1-22 win over Wexford today 👌 pic.twitter.com/kygxj8FG0j
— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) February 24, 2019
11 Aishling Moloney (Tipperary ladies)
The classy Cahir star is one of the most graceful footballers in the country and she was on it on Saturday evening in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
She ended her evening with 2-9, scored one of the finest fisted goals Gaelic football has ever seen and shot her county to a famous win over Cork.
Is this the greatest fisted goal in the history of Gaelic football?
12 Peter Harte (Tyrone)
There are few better sights than ‘The Ginger Messi’ in full flight and on Saturday night in Omagh, the Errigal Ciaran club man was flying it.
He racked up 1-6 in a delightful display of forward play.
He just makes it look so easy.
Brilliant Peter Harte Goal for Tyrone pic.twitter.com/D8aouJ8lAb
— The GAA (@officialgaa) February 23, 2019
13 Ciaran Brennan (St Kieran’s College)
The Bennetsbridge youngster’s bottomless talents are well known in Kilkenny at this stage. He’s been a mainstay of the St Kieran’s College team for the last few years, scoring the crucial goal in their All-Ireland final win over Pres Athenry in Semple Stadium last March.
On Sunday, he was man of the match in St Kieran’s 1-17 to 2-7 Leinster schools final win over Coláiste Eoin. The pacy corner forward was the main man, scoring 1-4 (1-3 from play) as the famed Kilkenny hurling nursery sealed their 56th provincial win.
Brennan, also a talented soccer player who’s represented the Republic of Ireland on numerous occasions at underage level, looks like he has some future ahead of him in the black and amber.
Leinster Colleges Senior Hurling Champions for a record 56th time. Very proud of our students – Huge congratulations to them, their mentors and their families who all played such important roles in this great achievement. Here are some photos from today: https://t.co/zILt7iCU2v pic.twitter.com/i1WTuKj0Ef
— St Kieran's College (@KieransCollege) February 24, 2019
14 Cormac Costello (Dublin)
Keith Higgins will still be having nightmares about the Whitehall Colmcille club man’s pace and trickery. He’s been Dublin’s best forward in the league so far and if he keeps this rampant form up, it won’t be long before he nails his place on this Dublin team.
Cormac Costello leaves Keith Higgins for dead… eventually
And you know the rest pic.twitter.com/TRSUpAK3KS
— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) February 23, 2019
15 Mark Kehoe (UCC)
The Kilsheelan Kilcash had the performance of the dreams on the biggest stage of all for UCC. He started it off with the goal of a lifetime that almost everybody has seen at this stage and he followed it up with four sumptuous points from play.
Dummies the first 👻
Over the head of the second 😱
Buries the third 👊
Sidesteps the fourth ↔️Mark Kehoe with one of the finest goals you'll ever see in this wonderful sport we call hurling 🤤🤤🤤@ElectricIreland #FirstClassRivals pic.twitter.com/U2J9NAfVMG
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) February 23, 2019
It doesn’t get much better than that.
