Munster club SFC final
An Daingean (Kerry) v Castlehaven (Cork), TUS Gaelic Grounds, 2pm
Ulster club SFC final
Glen (Derry) v Scotstown (Monaghan), Box-IT Athletic Grounds, 4pm
TV
Both of Sunday's provincial club finals from Limerick and Armagh will be broadcast live on TG4, with the Dingle-Castlehaven decider throwing in at 2pm.
RADIO
Commentary and updates on RTÉ Radio 1's Sunday Sport
WEATHER
On Sunday, rain will clear northeastwards during the morning to leave a day of sunny spells and showers. Some of the showers heavy and prolonged, especially in the west. Becoming windy with fresh to strong southwest winds developing through the day. For more, see met.ie.
Can Scotstown get over the Ulster final hump?
The modern aristocrats of Monaghan football have four Ulster titles in their back catalogue but the most recent of those was back in 1989, before club games of that stature held any interest for television directors.
After a lean 20-year period, Scotstown wrested back control of the local club scene in the Beggan era - racking up eight titles in 11 years since 2013 - but Ulster has been a source of frustration.
After falling short in extra-time against the still pre-eminent Crossmaglen in 2015, their time seemed to have arrived in 2018.
However, on a damp night in Omagh, they were edged out - once again in extra-time - in sickening fashion against Gaoth Dobhair, the latter being inspired by the cussed veteran Kevin Cassidy, who was swarmed by adoring supporters in the aftermath.
Having briefly surrendered their Monaghan crown to Ballybay in 2022, the club withstood plenty of dirty looks, and a failed appeal, in the off-season following the transfer of star corner-forward Jack McCarron from junior outift, Currin.
The transfer was waved through on parentage grounds, McCarron's father Ray, an All-Star back in 1986, a part of the dominant Scotstown side of the 1970s and 80s.
While Currin lodged their doomed appeal of the transfer, Scotstown were jubilant, assistant manager Diarmuid Scullion trolling the haters by telling the BBC that the player had "come home, in a way."
In addition, the club picked up their third ever All-Star last month, with marauding wing-back Conor McCarthy collecting his gong in the RDS last month. He has been an ever-present in the 2023 run.
It was one of their most beloved grandees that proved the hero in the quarter-final win over Kilcoo, Rory Beggan striding forward to land a typically monstrous free in the dying seconds to edge out the Down champions by a point.
They found it hard going in the semis, but eventually saw off surprise packages Trillick - one of the few Tyrone clubs to raise a gallop in Ulster recently - by one point in extra-time.
Last year's All-Ireland finalists have battled their way back to another Ulster decider, albeit in rather stodgy fashion.
Glen racked up their third Derry title on the trot with an ultimately lop-sided win over Magherafelt, despite an uneven first half display.
In the province, they won a humdrum quarter-final against Antrim side Cargin before just about surviving against Naomh Conaill in the semis, squeezing home by a point thanks to Emmet Bradley's late, late score.
The spectre of the (long promised) rematch with Kilmacud awaits in the last-four.
The decider is a repeat of the 2021 quarter-final between the pair, a blowout in Glen's favour, the Derry champions cantering home by nine.
Will An Daingean make it two-in-a-row for oppressed Kerry clubs?
The Kerry club scene hogged an inordinate amount of attention over the winter, with the county's infamously small band of senior clubs tiring of the divisional boot on their neck.
The trigger for the outcry this time was the relegation of reigning Munster champions Kerins O'Rahilly's, who fell through the Kerry trapdoor [easily done] following a narrow defeat to Na Gaeil in the relegation play-off. They join fellow Tralee A-listers Austin Stacks - 2021 Kerry champions no less - in the intermediate ranks.
Victorious Na Gaeil manager Paul Fitzmaurice bemoaned O'Rahilly's plight, while launching a furious blast at the status quo in Kerry, in particular at the protected status of the divisional entities, who are safe from relegation regardless of their interest levels or general condition. The O'Rahilly's club followed suit themselves, issuing a statement and a clarion call for change which garnered national attention.
And so, for the second year in a row, we were treated to an all-divisional Kerry county decider, with the very intimidating East Kerry beating Mid Kerry to pick up their fourth title in five years. [Any hope that East Kerry's 2024 class might be notably weaker - save for a general re-organisation - was subsequently dashed when the Cliffords' Fossa side were pipped in the intermediate final].
It all means that for the second season in succession, the Munster club champions may well emerge from the smaller-scale and less glamorous Kerry club championship - run off in September and excluding the district teams.
For the second time, that was won by An Daingean, who pipped Seanie O'Shea's Kenmare by a point in the final, and who undoubtedly proved themselves to be the strongest club team in Kerry in 2023.
Unlike O'Rahilly's last year, who performed dreadfully in the county championship group phase before triumphing in Munster, An Daingean reached the semis where they very nearly beat the apparently invincible East Kerry.
They survived a sluggish first half against Clonmel Commercials in the Munster semi, eventually powering home 0-13 to 0-10, all 13 scores coming from play.
Like many smallish clubs, they are highly dependent on a cluster of talented families - a flu bug among the Geaney or O'Sullivan clans would leave them struggling to field, with both surnames appearing four times apiece in the starting line-up.
Against Clonmel, the majority of scores came from Geaneys, who account for most of the forward line. Dylan registered 0-05 in Thurles, with Paul clipping over 0-02. Alongside other brother Mikey, they comprise the full-forward, with Conor Geaney at centre-forward.
The O'Sullivan's predominate in defence, with regular All-Star Tom joined by Tom Leo in the full-back line, with Barry at wing-back. The other brother Darragh is at midfield.
Their opponents Castlehaven had a similarly dicey Munster opener, surviving extra-time to win by four against Cratloe.
County star Brian Hurley was critical throughout, landing 0-07, four from play, in a generally low-scoring encounter. Tied 0-09 apiece at full-time, substitute Robbie Minehane found the net early in extra-time and it was relatively plain sailing from there.
The semi against Waterford's Rathgormack was a more routine affair, rattling off 0-07 without reply in the second quarter en route to a nine-point win. Again, the Hurleys carried the scoring load, accounting for 1-11 altogether, Brian with 1-06 and Michael with 0-05.
The west Cork outfit had dethroned Nemo Rangers to take their sixth county title and a first since the back-to-back triumphs in 2012 and 2013.
On Sunday, they seek their fourth Munster crown, having won three titles back in the Tompkins/Cahalane glory days in 1989, 1994, 1997.
Incidentally, the last of those was won unaccompanied by a Cork title, having lost the county final to Beara (another divisional entity...)
The prize on Sunday, aside from the Munster crown, is a semi-final outing in Croker against Connacht champions St Brigid's on 6 January.
