Cup glory at the Aviva Stadium after a big Ireland win there on Friday night; a return to the Premier Division; extraordinary drama in the Ulster Club Championship; and landmark victories in Ladies Gaelic Football and Women’s Rugby all feature in our Sport for Business Champions of the Weekend, brought to you this week in partnership with
Derry City – FAI Cup Winners
Derry City are FAI Cup champions for a seventh time after defeating Waterford 1-0 in Sunday’s final at the Aviva Stadium.
Darragh Burns delivered the decisive moment midway through the second half, driving at the Waterford defence before finding the corner from the edge of the penalty area.
The victory brought silverware and European football to the Candystripes after a challenging league campaign and was celebrated in front of an attendance of 36,093 at Lansdowne Road.
Ireland Rugby – Keenan Hat-Trick Inspires Victory Over Argentina
Ireland delivered one of their most impressive performances of the year on Friday night, defeating Argentina 42-12 at the Aviva Stadium to get their November Nations Championship campaign off to a winning start.
Hugo Keenan was the star of the show, marking his return to international action with a superb hat-trick of tries, while Dan Sheehan, Sam Prendergast and Rónan Kelleher also crossed the line as Andy Farrell’s side ran in six tries.
UCD – Back in the Premier Division
UCD also had a major weekend, securing promotion back to the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division with a 2-1 play-off win over Drogheda United at Tallaght Stadium.
Goals from Ciaran Behan and Louis Dignam completed the job for William O’Connor’s side and consigned Drogheda to the First Division.
It represents the reward for navigating the play-offs and earning another opportunity to compete at the top level of League of Ireland football in 2027.
Kilkerrin-Clonberne – Nine in a Row
The extraordinary story of Kilkerrin-Clonberne continued with a record ninth successive Connacht Senior Ladies Football Championship.
The reigning All-Ireland champions defeated Knockmore of Mayo by 1-15 to 1-7 in Tuam, with captain Louise Ward scoring an early goal and Olivia Divilly contributing seven points.
Perhaps even more remarkable is the fact that Kilkerrin-Clonberne have now gone 60 games unbeaten, further establishing this group among the great club teams in Irish sport.
Crossmaglen Rangers – Comeback Kings
One of the weekend’s standout performances came from Crossmaglen Rangers, who produced a remarkable comeback to defeat Gowna in their Ulster Senior Club Football Championship quarter-final, live on RTÉ2.
The Armagh champions trailed by 11 points before battling their way back into the contest at Kingspan Breffni.
Then came the decisive intervention, with Rian O’Neill landing a two-pointer in the 63rd minute to secure a dramatic 1-22 to 2-18 victory and another chapter in Crossmaglen’s remarkable Ulster story.
Edendork – Ulster Adventure Continues
First-time Tyrone champions Edendork St Malachy’s are continuing to enjoy their historic season after edging St Brigid’s of Antrim 1-15 to 2-11 in Dungannon.
Teenager John McLernon scored 1-3, while Darren McCurry contributed five points from play as Edendork built enough of an advantage to withstand a spirited late fightback.
They will now face Crossmaglen in an Ulster semi-final, extending a season that has already seen the club lift its first Tyrone senior championship.
Scotstown – Champions Survive an Epic
Defending Ulster champions Scotstown also remain in the race after one of the weekend’s most dramatic contests.
The Monaghan champions needed extra time before defeating Magherafelt 2-21 to 2-20 at Clones.
Goalkeeper Rory Beggan made several important saves, while Tommy Mallen found the net during the decisive stages of extra time. Magherafelt came again late on, but Scotstown survived to keep their bid to retain the provincial crown alive.
Blackrock College – Statement Win in Women’s Rugby
Blackrock College produced the weekend’s best performance in the Energia All-Ireland League, defeating Old Belvedere 59-12 at Ollie Campbell Park.
Blackrock crossed for nine tries, with Kate Farrell McCabe scoring a hat-trick, and moved to the top of the Division 1A standings after four rounds.
It was an emphatic Dublin derby victory and another reminder of the growing depth and quality of the domestic women’s rugby competition.
St Martin’s – Leinster Camogie Final Bound
St Martin’s of Wexford delivered an emphatic performance to book their place in the Leinster Senior Club Camogie Championship final.
They defeated Offaly champions Shinrone 3-24 to 0-7 in Saturday’s semi-final, producing one of the biggest winning margins of the weekend across the provincial club championships.
The result puts St Martin’s one victory away from provincial honours on a weekend in which club sport once again provided some of the strongest stories.
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