SUNDAY 19 JANUARY
Na Fianna (Dublin) v Sarsfields (Cork), Croke Park, 1.30pm
Cuala (Dublin) v Errigal Ciaran (Tyrone), Croke Park, 3.40pm
ONLINE
Live blogs of both games on RTÉ.ie and the RTÉ News app.
TV
Live coverage on TG4 from 1pm.
RADIO
Live commentary and updates on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1, with coverage of the first half of the hurling final beginning on Radio 1 Extra at 1.25pm.
WEATHER
There is some uncertainty in the timing but outbreaks of rain will continue to slowly move eastwards, clearing from the western half of the country by the evening with sunny spells and some showers following. Highest temperatures of 8 to 12 degrees in mostly light to moderate southerly winds. For more, visit met.ie.
The ultimate redemption arc?
It's almost three months to the day since Sarsfields collapsed in the face of a wind-assisted Imokilly and surrendered their Cork title as their opponents tagged on point after point after point – 10 in a row at one stage.
The Imokilly players celebrated wildly with the Sean Óg Murphy Cup as the Sarsfields players trudged off, questions circling in their heads after a comprehensive 1-23 to 0-17 defeat.
Those wet jerseys probably never felt heavier when walking back into the changing room and we can only assume that little was spoken as they dried off. It would have taken a brave soul to puncture that silence with "maybe we’ll win the All-Ireland".
But yet, here we are - just 60 minutes separating the Rebel club from the Tommy Moore Cup for the first time.
Circumstances played their part, of course, with Imokilly prevented from competing in the provincial stage as they are an east Cork divisional unit, but take nothing away from Johnny Crowley’s side who have shown plenty of grit and no shortage of class.
What they have always had is the ability to score and before the Cork final, where they were held to 0-17, they had hit 1-31, 1-23, 1-25 and 0-22.
They carried that into Munster to end Cork’s eight-year losing streak in the competition before blasting 3-20 to shock All-Ireland favourites Ballygunner for their first provincial crown.
Jack O’Connor has been the sparkle in attack with 1-28 from play while the dead-ball accuracy from Daniel Hogan, who has 59 points to his name this season, has proven invaluable. With four goals to his name, Shane O’Regan has been responsible for over half their goals.
For all that prowess, their All-Ireland hopes remain alive not because of a score but because of a miss.
Slaughtneil’s Mark McGuigan was the unfortunate party, firing over the bar when a goal looked certain at the end of their thrilling All-Ireland semi-final. Ninety-nine times out of 100 McGuigan blasts to the net and it’s the Derry side who progress.
What a story so far, but will it have the storybook conclusion for the Cork outfit?
Ó Ceallacháin shows double-jobbing can work
There’s a theory out there that once a club manager accepts a county job before the end of the season, his club team will suffer.
There’s a number of examples with another one added this year as All-Ireland champions Glen suffering a shock Derry final loss to Newbridge a few weeks after Malachy O’Rourke accepted the Tyrone gig. Robbie Brennan’s Kilmacud Crokes also didn’t make it out of Dublin after he took on the Meath job.
These are elite coaches who would have had every base covered before publicly accepting a second role, but sometimes the cards fall where they fall.
Step forward Na Fianna manager Niall Ó Ceallacháin to pour cold water on the theory.
He was ratified as Dublin’s new manager on 10 September last year, less than three weeks before the start of the county’s knockout stages. Since then they have racked up seven wins in a row.
Ó Ceallacháin unsurprisingly has shifted the credit to the support teams for both sides, and the excellence of his players.
And they have been excellent.
RTÉ viewers had a real treat as Ciaran Stacey poked home at the death to settle a thrilling Dublin final against Kilmacud in Na Fianna's favour, and they have really blossomed since then.
Dónal Burke put in a stunning showing in the Leinster final against Kilcormac Killoughey as they made amends for last year’s final defeat while they showed real character in edging Galway’s Loughrea in the All-Ireland semi-final.
Having won the game for Na Fianna in the Dublin final, Stacey had a huge say in the victory down in Thurles.
It was his probing run that drew five defenders to him four minutes into additional time, allowing him to find AJ Murphy in space who had the simplest of finishes some minutes after batting over a glorious goal chance.
Keeping Loughrea to 0-16 was respectable enough, but it would not have escaped Ó Ceallacháin’s eye that the Connacht side had far too much space to pick off scores, particularly in the first half on the big pitch in Tipperary. Croke Park equally provides plenty of room, so they must tighten up if they are to taste All-Ireland glory for the first time with their footballers losing in the final 25 years ago.
Canavans help end Tyrone’s wait to be asked to the ball
Look at football over the last 20 years and Tyrone have been stuck right in the middle of it.
County at all levels, Hogan Cups for schools and a real front-runner on the club intermediate and junior scene.
But there is one very notable exception, and that is the All-Ireland Club SFC.
Not only are Errigal Ciaran aiming to become the first Tyrone side to lift the Andy Merrigan Cup but they are also the first Red Hand side to reach the final. Indeed, Errigal are the only Tyrone team to have won Ulster too having now done it on three occasions.
Enda McGinley and Stevie Quinn’s side have battled their way here, showing an incredible ability to win tight games that was the trademark of a team they enjoyed a few Titanic Ulster clashes with down through the years, Crossmaglen (their meeting in 2002 took three games with Errigal coming from eight points down in the first and nine in the second before sealing the deal).
This season has been equally impressive on the battling front.
Tyrone’s five championship games brought a replay, two one-point wins and two three-point wins. Ulster provided another one-point win and a two-point win while the All-Ireland semi-final winning margin against Dr Crokes was three points after extra-time.
The one exception was the Ulster clash with Antrim’s Cargin where McGinley took no mercy on his in-laws in a 0-17 to 0-09 win.
There have been some stellar performances across the pitch from the likes of Ciaran Quinn, Ben McDonnell and Joe Oguz but all neutral eyes will be on a set of brothers – Ruairi and Darragh Canavan.
The Sons of God are certainly fulfilling the prophecy.
The pair’s performance against Dr Crokes was almost telepathic and they already look like players who will light up Croke Park for many years to come.
Dr Crokes’ decision to operate without much cover did seem generous, and they can’t expect such gifts from Cuala – but stopping them is easier said than done.
A word of warning for the Leinster side though, Kilcoo managed to mostly shut them down in the Ulster final with Darragh scoring a point and Ruairi drawing a blank – but Errigal still won the game.
Cuala’s DART service reaches its final destination
It's the nature of club final day that history beckons for most teams, and it's no different for Cuala, with the Dublin super club looking to become only the second team after Cork's legendary St Finbarr's to do the All-Ireland hurling and football double.
The big ball has taken something of a backseat during the glory days of the south Dublin club, whose Dalkey base is surrounded by the significant hinterland of Shankill, Killiney, Glenageary and Dun Laoghaire.
Harnessing that huge potential playing pool and wresting some talented athletes away from other traditional pursuits such as rugby and soccer fuelled back-to-back hurling titles in 2017 and 2018.
A football team boasting such talents as nine-time All-Ireland winner Michael Fitzsimons, the O'Callaghan brothers and Dublin midfielder Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne finally broke through the blue glass ceiling in 2024, beating neighbours and rivals Kilmacud Crokes to claim a first Dublin SFC title, cheered on by a literal trainload of red and white clad fans who travelled on a specially commissioned DART from Dalkey.
Austin O'Malley's outfit have not looked back since, steaming down the line towards Sunday's showdown with Errigal Ciaran. While at inter-county level, the challenge faced by Dubs in Leinster has been less than stressful in the last decade and a half, the club game is different and Cuala have fought past Naas, Tullamore and an impressive Ardee side to add a provincial crown - the first club to manage the football and hurling double.
Late winning scores had been a regular feature for Cuala, but they enjoyed - on paper - a more comfortable outing last weekend against Sligo's Coolera-Strandhill, winning out by 0-14 to 0-09.
However the victors had to withstand a second-half rally from the Connacht men, with star forward Con O'Callaghan kicking five points in total, including a vital brace that halted the Coolera fight back.
The three-time All-Star is Cuala's talisman, their lodestar, even if he is not always required to carry the scoring burden (brother Niall and Luke Keating can be just as prolific). However O'Callaghan's physical presence, his positional nous and his elite skill level make him the conduit for most everything that Cuala do in attack.
If they are to get the better of Errigal Ciarán you imagine Con O'Callaghan will be to the fore and should he climb the steps of the Hogan Stand he will join a rarified group of All-Ireland football and hurling winners - men like Jimmy Barry-Murphy, John Allen, Donal O'Grady and eight more Barrs dual stars, and Alan Kerins, who won a football title with Salthill-Knocknacarra before adding the hurling equivalent with Clarinbridge.
You could say O'Callaghan is on the verge of GAA immortality, but with six All-Ireland titles, nine Leinster SFCs, three All-Stars, two club hurling titles and a sackful Allianz League, county and college winners medals, it's fair to say the O'Callaghan Express has already reached that particular destination.
