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GAA

26th Oct 2023

Predicting the 12 biggest club games across the country this weekend

Niall McIntyre

There are 12 senior county finals taking place this Sunday.

Top billing from a hurling perspective goes to the deciders in Limerick, Tipperary, Dublin, Galway and Kilkenny while, from a football stand-point, the Mayo and Tyrone finals are the real eye-catchers.

Three of those hurling county finals will be broadcast live on television across the weekend, with the Limerick hurling showpiece leading us off on TG4 on Saturday. Aaron Gillane, Diarmaid Byrnes and Cian Lynch will be hoping to swing that one for Patrickswell, though Na Piarsaigh are a formidable outfit that will be very hard to take down.

Next up is the Dublin hurling decider, where Na Fianna are hoping to banish the demons of losing the last two finals.

The Mobhi Road club have never won the title and if they’re do so, they’ll have to do it without their star player Donal Burke, who misses out through injury. AJ Murphy and Colin Currie have carried the load in Burke’s absence up front, however and will be hoping to take Ballyboden down on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Tipperary hurling final is also televised, live on TG4 on Sunday, and this one is almost impossible to call. Thurles Sarsfields have a better punch off the bench though and while that may shade it for them, this clever Kiladangan team can never be discounted.

All eyes will be on Aidan O’Shea’s Breaffy from a Gaelic football side of things, as they take on Ballina in the hope of winning a first ever Mayo SFC crown. The Stephenites are favourites but Breaffy are in-form, having taken Castlebar Mitchels out in the semi-finals.

In Tyrone, an exciting Errigal Ciaran side should have too much for Trillick, with the Canavans hoping to inspire their club to back-to-back successes, something that hasn’t been done in the Red Hand county since Carrickmore won in 2004 and 2005.

Saturday

Bon Secours Hospital Limerick Senior Hurling Final 

  • Na Piarsaigh v Patrickswell, TUS Gaelic Grounds, 5.15

Verdict: Na Piarsaigh

Sunday

Connacht Gold Mayo Senior Football Championship Final 

  • Ballina Stephenites V Breaffy, Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, Castlebar, 4:15 

Verdict: Breaffy 

JJ Kavanagh & Sons Waterford Senior Football Championship Final

  • The Nire V Rathgormack, Fraher Field, 3:30 

Verdict: The Nire 

Go Ahead Dublin Senior 1 Hurling Championship Final 

  • Na Fianna V Ballyboden St Enda’s, Parnell Park, 4:25 

Verdict: Na Fianna

FBD Insurance – County Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship Final Replay 

  • Kiladangan V Thurles Sarsfields, FBD Semple Stadium, 3:00 

Verdict: Thurles Sarsfields

St. Canice’s Credit Union Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship Final 

  • Shamrocks Ballyhale V O’Loughlin Gaels, UPMC Nowlan Park, 2:00

Verdict: Ballyhale Shamrocks

McAleer & Rushe London Senior Football Championship Final

  • Tir Chonaill Gaels V Fulham Irish, McGovern Park, 2.00

Verdict: Tir Chonaill Gaels

Connolly’s of Moy Tyrone Senior Football Championship Final

  • Trillick St. Macartan’s V Errigal Ciaran, O’Neill’s Healy Park, 3.30

Verdict: Errigal Ciaran 

Brooks Galway Senior Hurling Championship Final 

  • Turloughmore V St Thomas, Pearse Stadium, 2:00 

Verdict: St Thomas

Bon Secours Hospital Cork Premier Senior Football Final 

  • Castlehaven v Nemo Rangers, Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 3:00 

Verdict: Castlehaven

O’Neills Derry Senior Football Championship Final 

  • Glen V O’Donovan Rossa GAC, Celtic Park, 3:30 

Verdict: Glen


Glen lost last year’s All-Ireland final against Kilmacud Crokes

Boom & Platform Hire Wicklow Senior Football Championship Final Replay

  • Blessington v Rathnew, Echelon Park , Aughrim, 2:30

Verdict: Blessington

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