The Draws for the three Gaelic Games Championships over the weekend painted a vivid picture of how the inter county gaelic games season will play quit over the coming weeks.
After a dramatic weekend of action at Croke Park Dublin and Kerry avoided each other in the Semi Finals because of the fact that Derry and Monaghan had already met in the Group stage and therefore could not play each other again until a potential final.
After two dominant and at times sublime performances Kerry and Dublin will now face Derry and Monaghan respectively with many fans anticipating a repeat of some of the classic match ups in our lifetime.
David Cliffords pass to set up Kerry’s second goal on Saturday is being hailed as one of the best ever to be executed at the stadium and Dublin’s second half demolition of Mayo, leading to a 12 point winning margin was the best they have put up all season and sees them now as joint favourites with Kerry to lift Sam Maguire on the last Sunday of July.
Monaghan’s entry to the Semi-Final was secured in dramatic fashion with a penalty shoot out that took twenty spot kicks to resolve.
Unlike in Football where after the first five penalties are taken without a resolution, the sudden death takers are drawn from those yet to take a kick, the Gaelic Football rules stipulate that it is the same players that have to step up again.
Gary Mohan for Monaghan and Callum Comiskey for Armagh had both seen their first penalties saved but while Mohan stepped up again and slotted his second penalty home, the cruellest of fate’s blows was reserved for Comiskey who did nothing wrong again but still saw Rory Beggan in the Monaghan goal dive to his left and push the ball away.
Monaghan were back nin an All Ireland Semi Final for the first time since 2018 and dreaming of a first Final since 1930, Armagh were homeward bound to lick a deeper wound than any since their first and only All Ireland title won back in 2002.
On the Women’s side an upset win for Donegal over Meath in the final round of Group Games set up an unexpected Quarter Final line up.
Between them Meath, Dublin and Cork have won each of the last 18 TG4 All Ireland titles but all three will be on the road for their respective Quarter Finals in this year’s Championship having finished second in their respective groups.
Champions Meath will now travel to the Lidl National League winning Kerry, with the winners facing the winner of Galway against Mayo in the Semi-Final.
On the other side of the draw, Dublin will face the long journey to play Donegal with the prize for the winner of that being a meeting with the winner of Armagh against Cork.
Cork are also at the heart of the drama in the Glen Dimplex Camogie All Ireland Quarter Finals taking place next weekend as part of Double Headers with the All Ireland Hurling Semi-Finals at Croke Park.
They will face Kilkenny on Saturday in an eagerly anticipated repeat of last year’s Final.
This weekend was the final day of this year’s Championship season in which games were played on GAAGo exclusively and we understand that there were a record number of game passes bought for the Kerry against Tyrone Quarter Final on Saturday afternoon.
The heat and fury among some commentators who want everything for free, and who ironically are also most likely calling for financial penalties on RTÉ over their current travails, will no doubt find something else to exercise their anger muscles before returning to the business of stopping the tide of sports broadcasting again in the future.
