GAA Roundup

By Dermot Kavanagh

Leinster Club SHC Final
Birr 1-11
Ballyboden St Endas 0-13

Offaly's Champions had to draw on all their guile and experience to withstand a tremendous effort by Ballyboden before they could get their hands on the trophy for the 7th time.

A driving gale at Tullamore ensured that the team that secured the first advantage would have to build up a reasonable halftime lead if they were to survive.

Curiously Ballyboden, having won the toss, then elected to play facing the gale and given that they went in at halftime being led by 1-9 to 0-3 one wondered at the wisdom of their choice of ends.

However three points in the first five minutes of the second half gave them confidence and momentum such an that by the 51st minute they had reduced the margin to a solitary point. 

By this stage Birr had not scored in the half at all, and such was the superiority of Ballyboden that Birr's cause looked decidedly lost.

Somehow, however Birr found a way to reignite their scoring touch in those last agonising minutes.

They scored two unanswered points to build up a three point lead but they were not yet over the line. Ballyboden came back for two points to cut the margin as injury time was being played. 

It was Ballyboden who launched the final attack of the game and one was to say that what looked like a certain 65 metre was denied then when a Birr defender clearly deflected the ball over the end line. The puck out was immediately followed by the final whistle. 

This was an enthralling game played in dreadful arctic conditions.  When Birr were dominating they looked almost unbeatable.

That is what makes Ballyboden's resurgence all the more credit-worthy. They never allowed the large halftime deficit to unnerve them.

That they nearly pulled it off is to their credit 16 years after winning his first Leinster club medal, the evergreen Brian Whealan was again to the fore where he displayed all his old stick work magic, including setting up Birr's first half goal. Birr now meet Antrim's Dunloy in the semi-final.

Munster Club SHC Final
Loughmore-Castlehiney 1-6
Tulla 0-7

This game, between two clubs making their debuts in the provincial decider almost went out of control in the early minutes. 

A free for all erupted and when peace was eventually restored two Tulla players were yellow carded.

Loughmore took first advantage of the strong wind that blew from end to end.  However that decision looked somewhat questionable as after 15 minutes of play the scoreboard remained blank.  In fact the first score of the half came in the 16th minute when Tulla opened their account with a point. 

Sensing that the game was about to slip away from them, Loughmore settled and began to play the open fast hurling that have bought them this far.

In the 19th minute came the crucial score of the game when following some uncertainty in the Tulla defence, Loughmore's Evan Sweeney swept through for the games only goal. 

The score seemed to ignite both teams as for the next 10 minutes points were exchanged amidst some bruising but crisp hurling.

Tulla finished the half the stronger and must have felt more then happy to enter the break only a point in arrears (1-3 to 0-5).

To Tulla's disappointment the conditions actually deteriorated in the second half.  The players were clearly unable to keep warm and thus Tulla were not able to turn the gale to their advantage. 

That only five points were scored in that half clearly demonstrates the difficulties that the players encountered in trying to master the conditions. 

Nonetheless Tulla did manage to actually draw level and then take the lead by the 38th minute. 

Sadly for them that was their last score.  Having taken all that Tulla and the elements could throw at them Loughmore then somehow managed to score three brilliant points to edge in front, a position from which they would not be moved as they secured their first provincial title.

O Cinneide bows out a winner

Following An Ghaeltachts 1-3 to 0-5 win over Kerins O Rahillys in the Kerry senior football league final on Sunday, former Kerry great, Dara O Cinneide has announced his retirement from club football.

O Cinneide who first played for his club over 16 years ago has won every honour in the game except possibly the one that he craved most, an All Ireland club medal, having lost his only opportunity to do so when An Ghaeltacht were beaten in the 2004 final by Galway's Caltra.

Threatened Players Strike Averted

The spectre of a nationwide strike next year by the GPA has been averted. The grants for players issue which has being rumbling on for almost 5 years now, and which had become a divisive issue between the GPA and the GAA, was settled on Wednesday when a formula for the payment of the grants was agreed by all parties involved in the affair.  The key points of the settlement are as follows;

• €3.5 million has been made available by the government for the scheme.
• Players will receive between roughly €1400 and €2600 (the finer details have yet to be worked out)
• The funding for the proposed awards will be made available by The Irish Sports Council through Croke Park to county boards on a squad basis of 30 players.

The implementation of the scheme does not affect the GAA's policy on amateurism.

TV Deal to Include TV3

The GAA has concluded a deal with the Independent TV station, TV3 to transmit coverage of some of next years championship games. Thus the association's monopoly-like relationship with RTE which has endured for over 30 years is now clearly at an end.

Investigation into Leinster Club Game Fracas

The Leinster Council is to carry out an investigation in the free-for-all which marred the closing stages of last Sunday's second replay between Moorefield and Dromard.

It is expected that lengthy suspensions of the perpetrators will be handed down. Galvin to lead Kerry in 2008

Paul Galvin was officially installed as Kerry captain for the 2008 championship.  Galvin's club. The divisional team from North Kerry was this year's County champion, thereby paving the way for him to be nominated as captain of the county team.  The versatile Finuge player also helped Lixnaw to this year's Kerry senior hurling title.

No resolution to Cork's internal troubles

Not only has there been no resolution to the impasse between the County board and the hurling and football panels, the position has actually deteriorated.  It appears that unless the issue is settled, many of the county's most prominent players will simply slip into retirement