5 GAA club storylines to look out for this weekend
The TG4 cameras head to Templetuohy on Sunday to take in the Tipperary SHC second round meeting between local neighbours Loughmore-Castleiney and JK Brackens (2.30pm throw-in).
Dual champions Loughmore got off to the most dramatic of starts to their hurling title defence. Having just been beaten for the levelling goal, Aidan McGrath left his net-minding duties to land a last-puck point from 100 metres against Drom & Inch. Recently crowned Hurler of the Month John McGrath scored 2-10 that day before teeing up his cousin for the winner.
Brackens are managed by Shane Keegan, a man familiar to The 42 subscribers and League of Ireland fans. He led the Templemore club to the Mid Tipperary divisional title earlier this month before winning their group-stage opener with the Ormond brothers, Andrew and Jamie, each scoring 0-6 from play.
A win would place either side in a strong position to grab a quarter-final berth.
DublinDublin managers past and present will be interested onlookers as two Northside neighbours battle it out to extend their Dublin SFC hopes. It won’t be in the usual haunt of Parnell Park either as Dessie Farrell’s club Na Fianna and St Vincent’s, home of Ger Brennan, head to the Naul on Saturday (4pm).
Both sides got off to nightmare starts in Group 1. Brian O’Leary netted a hat-trick in Conor McHugh’s absence, but Na Fianna still fell by 17 points to Ballyboden St Enda’s. Meanwhile, Vincent’s lost by 12 to Ballinteer St John’s. Only the top two progress, making victory here essential ahead of the final round.
Vinnies knocked the Glasnevin men out of the group stage in 2023, after Na Fianna had contested the previous year’s county final, and would relish the opportunity to do so again. While both clubs reached the knockout stages last year, Na Fianna got further down the road, eliminated in the semi-finals.
ClareThe competitiveness of the Clare SHC is so fierce that since contesting the 2022 Munster final as back-to-back county champions, Ballyea haven’t made it beyond the group stage.
Tony Kelly continues to sparkle in a closer-to-goal role. Playing at full-forward, Kelly bagged 2-7 from play against Kilmaley, although Ballyea let an 11-point lead slip to lose. He then added 1-5 from play to edge past Scariff. They face a repeat of the 2018 final against Cratloe at Sixmilebridge on Saturday (6.30pm) to determine who progresses to the last eight.
Cratloe made the semi-finals last year, losing by two points to eventual champions Feakle. They possess a long-range threat through Diarmuid Ryan’s shooting, plus some veterans of the 2013 All-Ireland in Conor McGrath, Conor Ryan, and Podge Collins. However, from a promising position, they shipped five goals to Kilmaley and need to patch up that department before meeting an in-form Kelly.
CarlowIt’s county final time in Carlow where Mount Leinster Rangers and St Mullin’s meet in a third consecutive hurling showpiece at Netwatch Cullen Park on Sunday (3.30pm). Between them, this pair have shared the last 16 county titles (nine for MLR, seven for Mullin’s).
Chris Nolan and Marty Kavanagh were the scoring heroes when the Barrowsiders defeated Waterford earlier this year, but they will be on opposite sides here. Nolan scored 1-9 to lead MLR to the 2023 title and landed 2-5 from play in last year’s replayed final, only for Kavanagh’s 1-10 to swing the title for Mullin’s.
In fact, heading into the final minute of the drawn game, MLR looked to have sewn up the trophy when leading by four. However, Kavanagh arrowed over a free before blasting a last-gasp levelling goal.
They met again a month ago in the group stage, with 2-7 for Kavanagh among five Mullin’s goals. Nolan struck 1-11 in defeat.
MayoBreaffy’s odyssey to capture a breakthrough title mirrors their county’s story arc over the past dozen years, in which time they have suffered five final defeats. Two of those came in 2013 and 2015, when Castlebar Mitchels were the dominant force in Mayo. Both years, Mitchels contested the All-Ireland final.
The Castlebar giants came within a point of eventual champions Ballina Stephenites in the quarter-final last year, but their 2025 ambitions were immediately thrown off track with a six-point defeat to Béal an Mhuirthead. With two sides advancing from the four-team group, they can’t afford to lose again.
Breaffy only exited after extra-time in last year’s semi-finals and have annexed a league title since then. Yet, they didn’t quite hold their form when restricted to an opening draw by Aghamore, in which Aidan O’Shea scored 1-3. They have home advantage against the 31-time champions on Friday (7.30pm).
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