Five talking points from the weekend GAA club championship action

The postponement of the Cork football quarter-final between Nemo Rangers and Clonakilty provided TG4 with a quandary because the broadcaster was due to screen that clash live from Leeside on Sunday afternoon. So, with cameras already in place to cover the second of the Dublin senior hurling quarter-finals at Parnell Park (Na Fianna v Ballyboden), a decision was made to also broadcast the opening fixture from Donnycarney, Lucan Sarsfields against Whitehall Colmcille.
Lucan, managed by former Kilkenny player Charlie Carter, ran out 0-25 to 2-13 winners over Whitehall to advance to the last four.
Reigning champions Na Fianna were impressive 4-26 to 2-14 winners over Ballyboden in the second game at Parnell Park. The semi-final draw has pitted Lucan against Kilmacud Crokes, while Na Fianna will play neighbours St Vincents.
Ballyhale Shamrocks have been knocked out of the Kilkenny senior hurling championship at the quarter-final stages for the first time since 2004.
The nine-time All-Ireland senior club champions were beaten 0-21 to 1-16 by Thomastown at John Locke Park in Callan on Saturday.
Thomastown, All-Ireland intermediate club final winners last January, led 0-12 to 0-10 at half-time and started the second half strongly to build up a seven-point advantage. Colin Fennelly, who was coming back after a cruciate knee ligament injury, netted a goal to spark a Ballyhale fightback but Thomastown held out to advance to the last four.
Not only is it the first time in two decades Ballyhale have failed to make the semi-finals of the Kilkenny senior hurling championship, but this will be the first time since 2017 they will not be contesting the county final.
John McGrath fired over a dozen points (eight from frees) as Loughmore-Castleiney edged Thurles Sarsfields 0-17 to 2-9 in their Tipperary SHC semi-final at Semple Stadium on Sunday. Loughmore-Castleiney will now meet Toomevara in the county final, after the latter beat Moycarkey Borris 2-19 to 0-20 at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
Loughmore led 0-11 to 2-4 at half-time, with Paddy Creedon netting twice for Thurles in the opening period. However, Sarsfields were unable to take full advantage of the wind at their backs after the break, with Loughmore-Castleiney edging the contest by two points at the final whistle.
On Saturday, Darragh McCarthy hit 2-7 to see 21-time champions Toomevara progress to the county senior hurling final for the first time since 2008, which is also the last occasion they won the Dan Breen Cup. Loughmore-Castleiney claimed the most recent of their four senior hurling titles in 2021.
Wet and windy weather led to the postponement of club championship matches in several counties over the weekend.
Most notably, the status orange warning forced games to be called off in Kilkenny, Wexford and Cork. To their credit, all three counties made their decisions on Saturday.
Both Kilkenny and Wexford announced on Saturday afternoon that all Sunday’s scheduled fixtures — adult and juvenile — would not be going ahead.
The highest-profile Kilkenny fixtures to fall victim to the weather were the senior hurling quarter-finals — O’Loughlin Gaels vs Dicksboro and Erin’s Own vs Mullinavat.
In a bid to ensure their eventual county champions will be capable of competing in the Leinster club championship, Wexford have refixed the postponed senior and intermediate football games for Monday evening.
In the senior championship, Gusserane O’Rahilly’s will face Kilanerin at Wexford Park, while Crossabeg-Ballymurn will play Noamh Éanna in Bellefield, with both games throwing in at 7.30pm.
In the intermediate championship, Rathgarogue-Cushinstown will play St Fintan’s in the Centre of Excellence at Ferns, while St Mogue’s Fethard will meet St Abban’s Adamstown in St Patricks Park, again both games starting at 7.30pm.
Cork announced on Saturday evening that the senior football quarter-finals — Nemo Rangers vs Clonakilty and Mallow vs Muskerry, along with a senior relegation playoff between Éire Óg and Carbery Rangers were all to be postponed. The intermediate quarter-final involving Garbiel Rangers and Mitchelstown was also called off.
All games will now be played next weekend, October 5th-6th.
Antrim GAA didn’t jazz it up, the message on X opened: “It’s nil-nil … after 26 minutes!”
The county senior football semi-final between Cargin and St Brigid’s was a slow burner in Dunsilly, with a clip of the opening score of the match accompanying that tweet as the deadlock was finally broken. It didn’t open the floodgates, mind. St Brigid’s led 0-4 to 0-1 at the break but three-in-a-row chasing Cargin rallied after the restart and progressed to win the game, 1-7 to 0-7.
It’s quite the achievement for any game of Gaelic football to remain scoreless after 26 minutes but chances are Antrim GAA’s message highlighting the fact might have sparked more interest in the last four clash than there ordinarily would have been — they provide an impressive streaming service of their matches.
Cargin will now face Rogers Casements Portglenone in the final. Portglenone, last in a decider in 2009, beat Lámh Dhearg 1-17 to 0-9 at Toome on Saturday. The opening score of that semi-final arrived inside the first five minutes.