It’s hard enough trying to win a county final and not have someone of your own flesh and blood prevent you from doing so.
But that’s the bizarre situation that will take place in both the Kilkenny senior hurling and Mayo senior football club finals on Sunday.
Out west the focus might be on the O’Sheas looking to help Breaffy overcome former All-Ireland club finalists Castlebar Mitchells and win their first ever county title.
But at least Seamus and Aidan are all on the same team, which is not the case for Tommy O’Reilly and his brother Eoghan Reilly who’ll be lining out on opposite sides this Sunday.
Eoghan is playing with Castlebar, who are in the same parish as Breaffy, while Tommy will line out for their opposition.
The different surname is explained by a birth cert error, and to add even more spice to the occasion is the fact that both men’s father, Tom, is now a Breaffy selector.
The sides met in 2013 with Castlebar getting the upper hand in the county final on that occasion. But the phrase of getting to know the opposition is taken to new extremes in the O’Reilly household this weekend.
'Divided' Brothers Tommy and Eoghan O'Reilly play on opposite teams @BreaffyGAA & @MitchelsGaa today @LiveGAAResults pic.twitter.com/GtofDGCEtv
— Inpho Photography (@Inphosports) October 27, 2013
In Kilkenny and it’s a similar situation for Brian Hogan and his brother Keith, as O’Loughlin Gaels take on Clara on Sunday in Nowlan Park in the county senior decider.
They have clashed several times over the last number of years, with Keith playing for Clara as he grew up in the area as the family had moved when he was young to outside of the Kilkenny city.
However by the time that family had moved Brian was already hurling with the club based right beside Nowlan Park and so stayed playing in the city.
The game will be made all the more intense as both men could end up marking each other with the elder Hogan at centre back for O’Loughlin Gaels and Keith often stationed at centre-forward for the 2013 champions.
That situation took place last year as the Hogan;’s squared up against each other in a county quarter-final which prompted this brilliant tweet from Keith after Clara’s win.
Some people get to meet their sporting hero. Unfortunately I had to mark mine. Strange day, but still best buddies!! pic.twitter.com/xhNvaxjbyT
— Keith Hogan (@YogieHogieBear) October 18, 2014
Will brothers Keith Hogan @ClaraGAA and Brian Hogan @oloughlingaels be in direct opposition on Sunday? @StCanicesCU pic.twitter.com/laHah1fzS6
— Kilkenny GAA (@KilkennyCLG) October 23, 2015
