Amidst the trials of the football championship, a resilient spirit was evident on Saturday in Cork, as supporters from Donegal flooded into the city to cheer for their team following an unprecedentedly extended voyage for a championship game. A moderate amount of 7,251 attendees may not create new benchmarks, but nestled within the intimate realm of Páirc Uí Rinn, it seemed grand and full of ambience.
The audience was treated to an exhilarating match that demonstrated Cork’s abilities to perform exceptionally at the All-Ireland group stages. They’ve emerged victorious from four out of five matches, with a loss against Kerry at home last year leaving traces of remorse and a hint of misfortune, a feeling not typically associated with the games against their rivals.
The locals favoured the smaller venue, Páirc Uí Rinn, over the more expansive surroundings of Páirc Uí Chaoimh. After a third sequential defeat post a victory against Dublin in the league decider, Derry’s season is on tenterhooks.
John Cleary’s squad rose to the occasion, as their nervous early stage movements morphed into incisive counterattacks, which Donegal found hard to tackle, leading to the loss of their championship’s first three goals.
As local broadcasters emphasised, the match was solely aired live on the radio, without any television or GAAGo coverage. Despite the stakes being not as high as the previous year’s Leinster hurling finale, the surprise performance by the home team held increased implication for those present as the match wasn’t televised.
In the 2024 Football championship, there are still 19 games to be played and theoretically, the title still hangs in the balance. Despite having suffered three losses, six out of the 16 teams are still in contention, equally as the unbeaten teams. Nothing compares to witnessing the action live. In the words of Seán Moran, “Nothing beats being there.”
Since the league final, Derry has participated in three matches and suffered losses in all, ending up with a negative points difference of 23. Despite the losses, they remain in the championship. Similarly, Monaghan have been unable to secure a victory since January but they still hold a spot in the championship. From April onwards, the combined performance record for Roscommon, Meath, Clare, Westmeath, and Cavan shows 18 games played with only three victories and 15 losses, but all these teams are holding on to their positions in the championship.
Astoundingly, for some of these teams, advancing to the preliminary quarter-final doesn’t even require a win in their next match; a draw is enough for Westmeath, Roscommon and Monaghan to move forward. This competition format is akin to the ‘Hotel California’ situation where many teams are falling behind but none are dropping out entirely.
Despite the excitement on the final Sunday last year which, to some extent, defended the format, it seems to be losing its thrill factor. There is only a slight difference in the achievement of coming second or third. Only one home team was successful in their preliminary quarter-final last year. There’s a chance that the Dublin v. Mayo or Galway v. Armagh matches may spark some excitement, but when qualification is a certainty, the intensity wanes.
With only a year left in the current structure, it seems evident that a re-evaluation of the format might be beneficial for subsequent tournaments.
Concerning Offaly’s under-20 hurling final on Saturday, O’Loughlin Gaels was swarming with people a few hours prior to the kick-off. The club, located a short distance from Nowlan Park, had an unprecedented influx of supporters. Their excessive property was densely packed, with cars crammed into neat rows and a couple of hundred kids practising their skills on the main pitch decked out in Offaly gear. With the remaining spots rapidly filling up by mid-afternoon, a sense of tardiness was felt by those arriving for the 7.15pm start.
The Offaly hurlers have been captivating audiences across different generational groups for the last three seasons, becoming a source of delight within the hurling sphere. They’ve been attracting an impressive crowd, rivalling Cork’s and Limerick’s championship games, despite the significant difference in population sizes. With a population of around 80,000 in comparison to Cork’s nearly 600,000 and Limerick’s over 200,000, a great proportion of the Offaly populace assembled at Nowlan Park recently. On a per capita basis, the turnout surpassed the speculated 100,000 Borussia Dortmund fans who congregated in London for the Champions League final.
However, rallying the Offaly enthusiasts to support the senior team at next week’s Joe McDonagh final is the impending challenge. Following the under-20 hurlers’ All-Ireland final game against Cork last year attracting a substantial crowd but only a small contingent witnessing the senior team squaring off against Carlow at Croke Park, Offaly can’t risk this renewed wave of fandom fizzling out.
Derry’s defence at their home ground, Celtic Park, has been a disappointment this season. Back-to-back defeats add pressure to their championship record, with three losses in their last four matches held at the venue. On a wider note, the weekend’s All-Ireland senior football championship group games saw more wins for visiting teams than home sides. Victories were secured by Armagh, Galway, Kerry, Dublin, and Mayo. In contrast, only Tyrone and Cork pleasantly surprised their local fans with wins. Monaghan and Louth ended in a tie at Clones. Luckily, the upcoming decisive final round of games shall take place at neutral venues.
Waterford indeed experienced a bitter moment. Despite their second championship triumph against Longford over the weekend in 2024, they were denied the opportunity to progress to the knockout stages of the Tailteann Cup. It has been quite some time since they savoured twin wins in a season – way back in 1911 when they outplayed Clare and Kerry, earning a place in the Munster finals. Sadly, this season appears to have reached an untimely conclusion.
Multiple factors played a role in their exit. From its inception, the Tailteann Cup had ensured New York’s place in the preliminary quarter-finals, eschewing the group stage to save teams from excessive travel. This arrangement, while commendable, comes at the cost of the third-placed team with the poorest points difference.
This would typically be acceptable, if it weren’t for the unusual circumstances of this year, with Kildare ending up in the Tailteann. Their exceptional performance against Waterford resulted in an overwhelming 5-15 to 0-6 victory. This left Paul Shankey’s team with a devastating points difference, making it the largest winning margin since the Tailteann Cup’s commencement in 2022.
Despite Waterford’s impressive scoreline against Longford of 4-12 to 1-16 on Saturday, their season has abruptly come to a close. It’s a tough reality for them to face. Malachy Clerkin.