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At a glance: Sunday's GAA club finals

Updated / Friday, 30 Nov 2018 17:23
Conor Dooley of Ballyboden St Enda's with Colin Fennelly of Ballyhale Shamrocks
Conor Dooley of Ballyboden St Enda's with Colin Fennelly of Ballyhale Shamrocks

FIXTURES

SATURDAY 1 DECEMBER

Ulster club IFC final
Mullahoran (Cavan) v Naomh Éanna (Antrim), Athletic Grounds, 5pm

Leinster club IHC final
Graigue-Ballycallan (Kilkenny) v Portlaoise (Laois), Nowlan Park, 1.45pm

Leinster club JHC final
Dunnamaggin (Kilkenny) v Na Fianna (Meath), Nowlan Park, 12pm

SUNDAY 2 DECEMBER

Ulster club SFC final
Gaoth Dobhair (Donegal) v Scotstown (Monaghan), Healy Park, 2pm

Leinster club SHC final
Ballyboden St Enda's (Dublin) v Ballyhale Shamrocks (Kilkenny), Netwatch Cullen Park, 2pm

Munster club JFC final
Beaufort (Kerry) v Dromtarriffe (Cork), Mallow, 3.30pm

Munster club JHC final
Ballinameela (Waterford) v Cloughduv (Cork), Mallow, 1pm

ONLINE 
Live blog on RTÉ.ie and the RTÉ News Now App from 1.30pm on Sunday.

TV
Gaoth Dobhair v Scotstown live on TG4 from 1.30pm. Deferred coverage of Ballyboden St Enda's v Ballyhale Shamrocks from 3.35pm on TG4. 

RADIO
Live updates on both senior finals on Sunday Sport, RTÉ Radio 1 from 2pm

WEATHER
Mostly cloudy on Sunday. Showery rain during the morning with dry periods. More persistent rain will develop during the afternoon, with heavy falls in parts of the west and north. Highs of 8 to 12 degrees Celsius, highest in the south in mostly moderate southwest breezes fresh and gusty near the south and southwest coasts. For more go to met.ie 

FOOTBALL

Gaoth Dobhair may be the most successful club in Donegal, but they yet have to taste glory at provincial level. With Odhrán MacNiallais, Eamon and Neil McGee, Kevin Cassidy and Dáire Ó Baoill to the fore, there is no doubting that their passage to the Ulster final is well merited.

A first-half hat-trick from Ó Baoill propelled the Donegal champions to a deserved victory over Crossmaglen in the semi-final. Before that, they accounted for Cargin in the quarters. 

Crossmaglen goalkeeper Jamie McEvoy and James Morgan with Naoise O'Baoill of Gaoth Dobhair

Monaghan kingpins Scotstown have been Ulster winners four times, their last success coming in 1989. They were runners up in 2015. 

After securing a 19th Farney title at the end of September, Scotstown then accounted for Derrygonnelly Harps, Burren and Coleraine to make it this far. The victory over the latter was a nerve-jangling affair, with a trademark free kick from goalkeeper Rory Beggan ultimately seeing them through by the bare minimum.

Only one club from Donegal has brought home the Seamus McFerran Cup and that was St Joseph's in 1975.

Gaoth Dobhair boss Mervyn O'Donnell, not surprisingly is describing this year's showdown as "the biggest game" his troops have ever played.

Speaking in the Donegal News, he said: "It has to be the biggest game.

 "It's not something that you think might come about at some stage. It really is the stuff of dreams.

"We have had some great teams down through the years, but I suppose after going 12 years without winning a championship, this just didn't seem possible.

"But it's brilliant now to be preparing for an Ulster final. We just hope we can bring the cup back to Gaoth Dobhair."   

Speaking in the Belfast Telegraph, Scotstown manager Kieran Donnelly paid tribute to goalkeeper Rory Beggan:

"I think with Rory at this stage his talent is there for everyone to see," he revealed.

"I was delighted for him to get his All-Star. There was no doubt that he was the best goalkeeper this year. For me, he was the standout best goalkeeper in Ireland so I was delighted he was recognised for that.

"He works extremely hard - like any good player at a good level it is because he does that bit extra.

"He has added that dimension to his game. It is something we utilise and it brings more to our game. He can be hard to mark and it has worked for us no doubt in big games."

HURLING

Eight-time champions Ballyhale Shamrocks go in search of another Leinster title when they take on a Ballyboden St Enda's side still seeking a maiden win the competition.

Henry Shefflin is now at the helm in Ballyhale and witnessed his troops claim county honours at the end of October with victory over Bennettsbridge.

Colin Fennelly on his way to scoring his second goal in the semi-final

And despite a slow start in the Leinster semi-final against Wexford's Naomh Éanna, the Kilkenny champs, courtesy of 4-04 from Colin Fennelly, eventually eased home with 16 points to spare.   

Ballyboden's trek to the Netwatch Park Cullen Park decider has seen pushed to the pin of their collar on more than one occasion. Kilmacud Crokes took them to a replay in the Dublin final, while Westmeath's Clonkiill and Coolderry of Offaly certainly tested their resolve in the provincial series.

It took two periods of extra time for Joe Fortune's men to get past the latter in an absorbing semi-final a fortnight ago. 

Looking ahead to Boden's first appearance in a final since 2007, where they lost to Birr, Conal Keaney was bullish about their chances when he spoke to RTÉ Sport. 

"It's a Kilkenny team and everybody is talking about how good they are.

"Cuala were the All-Ireland champions for the last two years and came out of Leinster relatively comfortably, so we'll take some confidence from that. I don't think we're as good as Cuala were but we are there now representing every club in Dublin and we are going to give it one hell of a shot.

"To say that Ballyhale have superstars is correct, but we also have superstars and have young lads coming through that want to make their mark.

"We are not going to sit back and be in awe of them.

"We have come out the right side of some tight games so far and that will stand to us."

Another veteran, Bob Aylward, aged 40, is part of the Ballyhale camp and is relishing a chance to land a first Leinster crown since 2014.

He told the Kilkenny People: "We are all looking forward to the Leinster final. A final, any final, is something to get excited about.  

"This has been a good year so far; a great year. A new generation of player is carrying on the tradition of the Shamrocks. We have great young lads coming in."  

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