It's a huge weekend for the footballers of Maigh Cuilinn, Dunmore MacHales and Clifden (pictured) as they all bid to reach an All-Ireland Club Championship Final for the first time ever. All three clubs won their maiden provincial titles before Christmas and this weekend they face the Ulster Junior, Intermediate and Senior champions for a place in the All-Ireland Final in Croke Park.
First up on Saturday, Clifden take on Stewartstown Harps of Tyrone in the All-Ireland Junior Semi-Final at 1pm in Hyde Park, Roscommon. The game will be broadcast on Galway Bay FM, with Tommy Devane and Gerry Gannon on commentary duty, while Roscommon GAA (as the host county) will stream the match via their website. In the past, Galway clubs Clonbur and Ballinasloe have won All-Ireland titles by beating Ulster opposition, so the omens are good for the Naomh Feichin lads.
Galway teams record v Ulster opposition in the All Ireland Junior Club Football Championship:
2012 Final - Clonbur 1-8 Derrytresk (Tyrone) 1-7
2013 Semi-Final – Ballinasloe 2-7 An Port Mor (Armagh) 0-10
Played 2, Won 2
Also on Saturday, Dunmore MacHales are in action against Tyrone opposition when they take on Galbally Pearses in St Loman's Mullingar at 1.30pm in the All-Ireland Intermediate Club Football Semi-Final. Supporters were quick to realise the game would not be played in the main county gound Cusack Park in the middle of the town, but rather the well-appointed club ground on the Delvin road, near the Hospital.
Dunmore were very impressive in beating St Dominics from Roscommon in the Connacht Final, having defeated a highly fancied Ballyhaunis in the provincial semi-final. Galbally Pearses were made to wait until Christmas week before they overcame Corduff from Monaghan in the Ulster Final, but they come highly rated, having scored 7-12 against the Derry champions Glenullin the provincial quarter-finals. Managed by former Derry boss Paddy Crozier and his right-hand man, double Tyrone All-Ireland winner Joe McMahon, Galbally will go into Saturday's game as warm favourites against the MacHales, and they have history on their side too, as the only Galway team to beat Ulster opposition in the All-Ireland Intermediate Championship was Oughterard in 2019, when they blitzed Monaghan side Magheracloone in the All-Ireland final in Croke Park.
Galway teams record v Ulster opposition in the All Ireland Intermediate Club Football Championship:
2006 Final - Iniskeen (Monaghan) 2-10 Caherlistrane 1-11
2010 Semi-Final - Cookstown (Tyrone) 2-11 Leitir Mór 1-10
2011 Final – Lisnaskea (Fermanagh) 1-16 St James 0-15 AET
2019 Semi-Final – Naomh Eanna (Antrim) 3-9 An Spideal 0-11
2020 Final – Oughterard 2-16 Magheracloone (Monaghan) 0-12
Played 5, Won 1, Lost 4
There is huge anticipation ahead of the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship semi-finals in Croke Park on Sunday, as maiden provincial winners Maigh Cuilinn and Watty Grahams from Glen in Derry face off at 3.30pm in Croke Park. Galway fans may well travel early to catch a glimpse of Shane Walsh in action with Kilmacud Crokes against Kerins O'Rahillys from Kerry in the opening semi-final at 1.30pm, but while many feel the opening game is a foregone conclusion with the Dubliners as low as 1/10 favourites, the second game is anyone's guess. If the Moycullen lads do qualify for an All-Ireland Senior Club Final, they will join a list that includes St Grellans Ballinasloe (1980), Salthill Knocknacarra (1991 and 2006), Caltra (2004) and Corofin (1998, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020).
Galway teams record v Ulster opposition in the All Ireland Senior Club Football Championship:
1971 Semi-Final – Bryansford (Down) w/o Fr Griffins
1977 Semi-Final – Ballerin (Derry) 5-9 Killererin 1-4
1991 Final – Lavey (Derry) 2-9 Salthill 0-10
1995 Semi-Final – Bellaghy (Derry) 0-13 Tuam Stars 1-6
1998 Semi-Final – Corofin 0-11 Dungiven (Derry) 0-9
2004 Semi-Final – Caltra 2-9 The Loop (Derry) 0-9
2006 Final – Salthill Knocknacarra 0-7 St Galls (Antrim) 0-6
2010 Semi-Final – St Galls (Antrim) 1-15 Corofin 1-11 AET
2015 Final – Corofin 1-14 Slaughtneil (Derry) 0-7
2019 Semi-Final – Corofin 2-13 Gaoth Dobhair (Donegal) 1-12
2020 Final – Corofin 1-12 Kilcoo (Down) 0-7 AET
Played 11, Won 6, Lost 5
