A classic rivalry returns to Croke Park this weekend as Leinster champions Kilkenny face off against a rejuvenated Tipperary side in the second All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship semi-final. With 68 titles between them and a legacy of epic battles, Saturday’s showdown is set to deliver another chapter of high drama.

Kilkenny, last crowned champions in 2015, are chasing a return to the final after losing to Limerick last year. Tipperary, All-Ireland winners in 2019, have built momentum through the qualifiers and look like a team peaking at the right time.

Path to the Semi-Final

Kilkenny – P6 W5 L1 (Leinster Champions)

• Kilkenny 3-24 Galway 0-21
• Kilkenny 2-30 Antrim 2-12
• Kilkenny 4-25 Offaly 2-16
• Kilkenny 5-19 Dublin 3-21
• Wexford 2-19 Kilkenny 1-15
• Kilkenny 3-22 Galway 1-20 (Leinster Final)

Tipperary – P6 W4 D1 L1

• Tipperary 2-23 Limerick 2-23
• Cork 4-27 Tipperary 0-24
• Tipperary 4-18 Clare 2-21
• Tipperary 1-30 Waterford 1-21
• Tipperary 3-32 Laois 0-18 (Prelim QF)
• Tipperary 1-28 Galway 2-17 (Quarter-Final)

Top Scorers – Championship 2025

Kilkenny

• TJ Reid – 5-26 (0-22 frees, 0-2 ‘65s’)
• Martin Keoghan – 6-8
• Eoin Cody – 2-18 (1-11 frees)
• Billy Ryan – 2-13
• Adrian Mullen – 3-6

Tipperary

• Jason Forde – 2-38 (0-21 frees, 0-4 s/l, 0-1 ‘65’)
• Darragh McCarthy – 0-31 (0-25 frees, 0-1 ‘65’)
• John McGrath – 4-12
• Andrew Ormond – 2-13
• Jake Morris – 0-18

Championship Head-to-Head – Last Five Meetings

• 2019: Tipperary 3-25 Kilkenny 0-20 (All-Ireland Final)
• 2016: Tipperary 2-29 Kilkenny 2-20 (All-Ireland Final)
• 2014: Kilkenny 2-17 Tipperary 2-14 (Final Replay)
• 2014: Kilkenny 3-22 Tipperary 1-28 (Final – Draw)
• 2013: Kilkenny 0-20 Tipperary 1-14 (Qualifiers)

Recent edge: Tipperary have won 2 of the last 3 championship meetings, including the 2019 final.

Semi-Final Pedigree – Last Five Appearances

Kilkenny

• 2024: Lost to Clare
• 2023: Beat Clare
• 2022: Beat Clare
• 2021: Lost to Cork (AET)
• 2020: Lost to Waterford

Tipperary

• 2019: Beat Wexford
• 2017: Lost to Galway
• 2016: Beat Galway
• 2015: Lost to Galway
• 2014: Beat Cork

Note: Kilkenny are in their 7th successive semi-final. Tipp are back at this stage for the first time since 2019.

Other Notables

• Tipperary beat Kilkenny by 2-25 to 1-19 in the 2025 Allianz League
• Kilkenny finished with 12 players, Tipp with 14
• Kilkenny manager Derek Lyng faced Tipp 4 times as a player, winning 3

Verdict

Kilkenny come in as the more consistent outfit with a Leinster title under their belt, while Tipperary look dangerous and free-scoring since the Munster championship ended. This will come down to discipline and midfield control — and if Tipperary continue their upward trend, they could take a huge scalp.

Prediction: Tipperary to win by 2–4 points in a high-scoring thriller.

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Kerry’s 37 All-Ireland crowns ensures that the Kingdom are rightly feared and respected by footballing purists wherever the game is played. Their status as the kingpins of the game is due to generation after generation of fast, strong and stylish footballers. This legacy has created an aura around Kerry sides in the past, particularly for final opponents. Despite this reputation, Kerry hold no fears for the current Galway squad.

One of the counties most scarred by the sight of the Green and Gold jerseys are Galway’s near neighbors to the north, Mayo. They lost out to the Munster aristocrats in the finals of 1997, 2004 & 2006. The 1997 final in particular makes for a good study in sports psychology. A far-from vintage Kerry side overcame a Mayo team who had lost to Meath after a replay the previous year. Maurice Fitzgerald kicked 0-9 and was by far the most impressive player for either side. Their winning total of 13 points was one of the lowest winning totals in the last forty years. Pre-game favourites Mayo meanwhile repeatedly failed to find the target. Shooting wide after wide as the pressure and expectation of winning an All-Ireland title got the better of them. 

The crop of 2022

This year the Kerry men have finally beaten a Dublin side who have had the edge over them in big games in recent history. After Sean O’Shea’s dramatic semi-final injury-time free, the bookies have installed Jack O’Connor’s side as 1/3 favorites to lift their 38th All-Ireland title. (Technically it will be their 31st Sam as their first seven titles pre-date Sam’s first appearance. The first Sam Maguire trophy was presented to Kildare in 1928 after their win over Cavan. This trophy was then replaced by an identical Sam in 1989. I just thought I’d clear that up for the pedants out there!). 

Kerry Confidence

Despite an almost decade-long dominance from the Dubs, Kerry sides still consider themselves superior to every other county in the land. This confidence comes from their success not just at Senior All-Ireland level, but also from countless victories at all levels of the game. Current superstar, David Clifford’s eye-catching 4-04 in the 2017 minor final win over Derry earmarked the Fossa youngster for greatness. Five minor titles in a row from 2014-18 and a runners-up spot in 2020 has continued on the green and gold production line.  

In recent years, however, that air of invincibility has lost some of its lustre at Senior level. Kerry’s most recent All-Ireland title came in the 2014 win over Donegal. Eight years is practically a famine by the standards of their illustrious past. Defeats to Dublin in the finals of 2015 and 2019 have created doubts in their previously unparalleled levels of self-belief. Particularly the 6-point defeat in the replayed 2019 final. 

In the first half of the drawn match, the dismissal of Jonny Cooper handed a sizeable advantage to Peter Keane’s side. They had come from five points in arrears to edge ahead in the closing stages. A converted free from Dean Rock four minutes into stoppage time gave Jim Gavin’s Dublin a second bite at securing their historic five in a row. It was a game that the Kerry fans felt they left behind them. 0-8 from 17 first-half scoring chances, which included a Paul Geaney penalty saved by Stephen Cluxton, was a poor return by their standards. 

Kerry hold no fears for the current Galway squad

Sunday’s final opponents Galway have none of the big game experience on All-Ireland final day that their opponents have. This is the Tribesmen’s first final since their 2001 victory over Meath. Current manager Padraig Joyce kicked ten points in a comprehensive 0-17 v 0-8 win. Despite the lack of exposure to the pressures that a final appearance can bring, this crop of Galway players are unlikely to be overawed.

Galway football is riding the crest of a wave at the moment. Last Friday week their minors lifted the Tommy Markham cup defeating Mayo in the All-Ireland final in Hyde pk, Roscommon. Earlier this year a NUI Galway side defeated University of Limerick 0-12 to 1-6 in the Sigerson Cup final in Carlow. The aforementioned David Clifford ended up on the losing side despite scoring 1-2. An IT Tralee side with a large Kerry contingent had been beaten in the semi-final in Rathkeale 0-18 v 0-15 a week previously. 

Galway’s Matthew Tierney was part of that victorious side and he also enjoyed success at u20 level in 2020. That Galway side defeated Kerry in the semi-final in the Gaelic grounds in Limerick before beating Dublin in the final. When reminded of his track record against some of the opponents he’ll face on Sunday he said “That’s not down to me, it’s down to the teammates as well. We have a load of leaders out there, ….It’s very enjoyable at the moment, so hopefully we’ll keep the success going”.

Tierney’s mother Marie hails from Castleisland in Kerry. When questioned about the loyalties of his mum Matthew said “I won’t talk to her now for the week”. Coincidentally Marie went to school with David Clifford’s mother Eileen. “I have the phone taken off her, don’t worry!” Matthew joked as he shot down any possibilities of a Kerry mole within the camp.

Relevance of past battles

When questioned on whether previous underage success bore any relevance to facing some of the same faces at Croke Park on Sunday Matthew said “I suppose you get a bit of confidence every time you win. But, it’s a different competition and a different Kerry side”. John Concannon a selector with this year’s team then interjected, “The belief that these young lads have from winning the Sigerson, from winning the under 20 All-Ireland, even the lads in 2017 that beat Kerry with a lot of the current team on it. These lads growing up now have a belief that they are winners”. Concannon went on to add “They fear no one, which is great and that’s one thing I’ve learned from them since we came in”. 

John Concannon was first involved alongside current manager Padraig Joyce and fellow selector John Divilly at under 20 level in 2019. Five of the current side played for them at that grade. Concannon is impressed by the attitude he sees within the current squad. “Every county is the same to them, they go out with the belief they can win”. He added, “We’re going to believe we can win on Sunday and they are going to go in with that attitude”.   

Galway’s captain on Sunday is Moycullen’s Sean Kelly. Alongside Tierney, he was also part of this year’s victorious Sigerson Cup team. He also spoke of the belief instilled in this group of players. “Padraig spoke to us and we believe we should be fighting for All-Irelands. Thankfully, this year now we’ve kicked on an extra step and we are in one”.  He was involved in the 2017 u21 semi-final win over Kerry (the final year at that age grade before it changed to u20 in 2018). “We got over the line that day, a lot of those young lads have come through” (to the senior squad). On the prospect of facing Kerry Kelly said “It’s not something we’re scared of, you can’t be scared of someone else. We’re looking forward to it. We know it’s going to be a tough battle”.

Shock on the cards?

Galway will go into Sunday’s final as outsiders.  As mentioned earlier Kerry are strong favourites with the bookies offering the westerners at 10/3. It’s a similar price to what was being offered for Andy Farrell’s Irish side ahead of the third test in Wellington last weekend. I see similar value based on this growing and maturing Galway side. 

They have shown that they can win games in different ways and have grown as the championship has progressed. Obviously, the instant classic quarter-final penalty shoot-out win over Armagh grabbed the most column inches. It also put the team in the national spotlight. The win over Mayo in Castlebar gave the squad the belief that they could compete with the best. The Connacht final win over Roscommon gave them the silverware to back that up. The Derry semi-final saw them grind out a convincing victory after a very poor start. 

The swagger is back in Galway football and red-hot favourites Kerry will hold no fears for Padraig Joyce’s side. Kerry may be the All-Blacks of Gaelic football. But just as the All-Blacks invincible aura was shattered in Chicago, Kerry hold no fears for the current Galway squad. The Tribesmen believe that the time has come to bridge a gap of 21 years. Padraig Joyce’s men are primed to lift the Sam Maguire this Sunday. 

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Mayo GAA released a statement on Monday that hit out at the personal attacks that have aimed at players and management involved in their All-Ireland final defeat to Tyrone.

The county board deemed these attacks “unnecessary and unacceptable to all those involved with Mayo GAA.”

McCarthy doubles down on the stance Mayo have taken towards the comments aimed at figures that can be seen online.

“Words matter, what one says matters, what one puts in the public domain matters,” said McCarthy.

“This was a point I made at Congress in February 2021 in the context of, what Bob Costas calls, a corrosive assault on civility. That corrosive assault has been perpetuated recently by members of the ‘critics collective’ and by many people who term themselves supporters in their reaction to the All-Ireland football final.

“The criticism emanating from these people has been overly harsh, unfair and in some cases downright cowardly. It has gone well beyond fair analysis of team performance. Critical evaluation of match performance is fine and expected, but overly harsh scrutiny of amateur players is unjustifiable. It is inexcusable when it moves beyond the realm of what happens on the field.”

The GAA President added that he was surprised by the level of discord directed at players that some critics claim to support.

“It beggars belief that people who consider themselves supporters of a team would castigate members of that team, the management and the County Committee in a crude and, in some cases, personal fashion. Nobody sets out to play badly, nobody sets out to lose an All-Ireland, but it happens. Supporters, who are members of GAA clubs, who attend club games, and who know the commitment and sacrifice the players make, understand this. Unfortunately, it is a point that seems to have escaped far too many people in the last week.

“Stop unwarranted critiques of GAA members. Stop this corrosive assault on civility. Perspective is needed when commenting on games and sport in general – not least when players are amateurs. None of us know the long-lasting impact of this type of harsh criticism on amateur players and we need to be mindful of the positive mental health of others.”

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This year’s competition is an invitational event that will see recent competitors return to Annaverna Mountain in what promises to be a highly competitive field. Also, it marks 60 years of All-Ireland Poc Fada competition.

There will be celebrations in honour of the very first Poc Fada which saw six Under 16 boys compete on Annaverna Mountain. The four surviving players and their family members have been invited to the event this year.

The competition will also remember two great Poc Fada loyalists, former champion Oliver Gough (1964) and Lester Ryan who championed the competition at every level and was responsible for so many others driving this unique event.

The unique Gaelic Games contest promises to be a great day of sport. Speaking at the launch Larry McCarthy said:

“I am delighted to see the return of this unique sporting event which embodies the broad cultural and historical significance of our unique game of hurling.

We are honouring that designation by holding an event which sustains and secures a heritage dating back to Cu Chulainn.”

Fourth place finish for Limerick and Pallasgreen hurler Colin Ryan in All Ireland Poc Fada final on Cooley Mountains today. Just four shots behind winner. Great to see so many of his Limerick inter-county colleagues in Louth to support #LLSport #hurling #GAA pic.twitter.com/9MMmMqaYlM

— Jerome O'Connell (@JeromeSport) August 3, 2019

Speaking about this year’s Finals Uachtarán an Cumann Camógaíochta Hilda Breslin said:

“It’s fantastic to see the All-Ireland Poc Fada Finals return this year in what is always an exciting day in the Camogie calendar. I am particularly enthused to see such a star-studded field taking part on what should be a fantastic occasion at the Annaverna Mountain.”

Defending senior hurling champion Cillian Kiely puts his crown on the line against a high calibre field that includes his brother Cathal and players of the calibre of Kilkenny’s Eoin Murphy.

The Kiely’s finished in 1st and 2nd place in 2019 with Cillian finishing with one less poc than his younger sibling, Cathal.

On the Camogie side, champion Caitriona Daly from Galway defends her title against a field that includes recent All-Ireland Intermediate medal winner from Antrim Roisin McCormack.

Abbey Donnelly, from Meath continues a family tradition by following in the footsteps of her father, and grandfather who was a joint winner in 1962. All-Ireland Senior winning goalkeeper Sarah Healy from Galway and Lyndsey Condell from Carlow will also compete.

Unfortunately, due to Covid 19 restrictions that have been in place in the months leading up to the event, there will be no Under 16 competitions this year.

The M. Donnelly GAA All-Ireland Poc Fada Final proceedings will get under way at 12 noon on Annaverna Mountain, in the Cooley Range, Ravensdale, Co. Louth on Saturday, September 25th.

#OnThisDay in 1999

Davy Fitzgerald won the M Donnelly All-Ireland Poc Fada title. pic.twitter.com/f7YYLS0LIj

— sportsfile (@sportsfile) August 7, 2020

Hurling Playing Order:

1. Paddy McKillian (Tyrone)

2. Colin Ryan (Limerick)

3. Gareth Johnson (Down)

4. Sean Nugent (Galway)

5. Darren Geoghegan (Louth)

6. Callum Quirke (Wexford)

7. Eoin Murphy (Kilkenny)

8. Tadhg Haran (Galway)

9. Ronan Taaffe (Clare)

10. Sponsors Guest TBC

11. Cathal Kiely (Offaly)

12. Cillian Kiely (Offaly)

Camogie Playing Order:

1. Aideen Lyons (Galway)

2. Roisin McCormack (Antrim)

3. Lyndsey Condell (Carlow)

4. Martina McMahon (Limerick)

5. Abbye Donnelly (Meath)

6. Áine Slattery (Tipperary)

7. Aoife Murray (Cork)

8. Sarah Healy (Galway)

9. Molly Lynch (Cork)

10. Caitriona Daly (Galway)

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Both sides are looking to end long droughts and bring home the Sam Maguire to their county – Tyrone have not won since 2008 while Mayo have not won in 70 years.

Mayo were All-Ireland finalists last year and conceded an early goal – something not unfamiliar to them at this stage of the competition.

James Horan’s side recovered from the early setback but the power of Dublin proved too much.

However, this year, things are different – after a poor first half in the All-Ireland semi-final against their rivals, Mayo rallied and put in an exceptional performance to end Dublin’s reign over Gaelic football and progress to the final.

Tyrone also came up against a long-standing rival in Kerry – the last time the two sides had met saw the Munster champions run out 6-15 to 1-14 winners over Brian Dooher and Feargal Logan’s side.

Tyrone have been a different animal in the championship though, winning the Anglo-Celt Cup and looking hungry for more, even after a Covid outbreak within the camp.

It is Tyrone’s first appearance in an All-Ireland final since 2018, where they also fell foul to the well-oiled machine from the capital.

Yet, both sides have banished old rivals and set up an exciting showdown at Croke Park – excitement is something the predictability of Gaelic football had lacked in recent years.

This final is unpredictable and that’s what makes it such an interesting match-up – two teams who have unique traits but also some that are very similar will battle it out for the biggest achievement in Gaelic football.

And we sit and watch it unfold.

Lineups

Mayo: Hennelly; O’Hora, Keegan, Plunkett; Durcan, Coen, Mullin; Ruane, Loftus; O’Connor, O’Shea (C), Walsh; McLoughlin, Conroy, O’Donoghue.

Tyrone: Morgan; McKernan, McNamee, Hampsey; Burns, Harte, K McGeary; Kennedy, Kilpatrick; Meyler, O’Neill, Sludden; McCurry, Donnelly, McKenna.

Subs: Quinn, Bradley, Canavan, Donaghy, Kelly, McCann, McDonnell, HP McGeary, McShane, J Munroe, Shields/C Munroe.

Odds

Mayo 10/11

Draw 7/1

Tyrone 11/8

TV Coverage

The game will be available to watch on RTÉ 2 and Sky Sports Arena. Coverage begins at 3:30 pm on RTÉ with Sky starting their coverage at 4 pm.

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According to reports, the draw will take place by officials in Croke Park via the season ticket database from Mayo GAA.

It will also be extended to any and all adult members from clubs in Mayo and the standard season ticket holders from the 2020 season, with season ticket holders from Mayo reach approximately 3,000.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, the set number of tickets made available to Mayo people will be around 500 tickets, with Mayo GAA admitting on the struggle via a statement;

“it would be impossible to allocate all members a ticket as it would further reduce the current club allocations by another 55% on top of the reductions enforced by reduced capacity.”

“Mayo GAA do recognise and appreciate the scale of support within the Season Ticket Group. While the current public health situation has made it very difficult to accommodate all fans wishing to attend the All Ireland Final, we are making every effort to spread the base of support to all who have supported Mayo in huge numbers over the years.”

There have been rumours that Croke Park will allow up to an increase from 40,000 people to a 75% full capacity for the All-Ireland SFC final between Mayo and Tyrone, but only to those who have been full vaccinated.

The draw is expected to be finished by Wednesday, September 1, with a time still unconfirmed for who will receive a ticket, for those who have been lucky enough to successfully secure a ticket, will be communicated by email.

For more News and Stories on all things GAA, click here.

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The 2021 All-Ireland SFC final will be the fourth time the Cavan native has been the main man officiating on All-Ireland football final day.

It will be a full 10 years on after his first All-Ireland senior final, where he was the referee in the 2011 final between Kerry and Dublin, where Dublin won their first title since 1995.

He has also refereed the 2013 (Dublin v Mayo) and 2017 (Dublin v Mayo) finals. With his fourth match also involving 2021 finalists Mayo.

If Mayo are to lose this final, it will be the third time when Joe McQuillan has been the ref, were they lose an All-Ireland Final at Croke Park.

McQuillan has been involved in the infamous ”spitgate” incident in the 2013 Allianz Football League game between Tyrone and Donegal saw Karl Lacey spat on my a Tyrone fan.

NEWS: @CavanCoBoardGaa native and @KillShamrocks clubman, Joe McQuillan, will referee the #GAA All-Ireland SFC Final between @MayoGAA and @TyroneGAALive. #GAABelong

— The GAA (@officialgaa) September 1, 2021

Joe McQuillan set to Referee All-Ireland Final

Joe has also refereed the All-Ireland Under 21 final in 2006, All Ireland Senior Club final 2008, three Leinster Finals, one Munster Final and two Ulster Finals.

In this year’s Football Championship, Joe has refereed the Munster Football Championship match between Limerick and Waterford and Connacht Semi-Final between Roscommon and Galway, and Ulster Semi-Final between Donegal and Tyrone.

His umpires on the day will be Ciaran Brady, and T.P Gray (Kill Shamrocks), Jimmy Galligan (Killygarry), Mickey Lee (Drumalee).

Meath’s David Gough will be the standby referee. The other linesman is Brendan Cawley (Kildare), and the Sideline Official will be Ciaran Branagan (An Dún).

For more News and Stories on all things GAA, click here.

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As is well-documented, Dublin have prevailed on each of these occasions as they racked up an unprecedented five-in-a-row. Yet, Mayo are undoubtedly the team who have come closest to stopping the sky blue juggernaut. Now, in a year where nothing has gone to script, can the spirited westerners finally find a way to end their 69-year drought?

Old Dogs, New Kicks

Many of the Mayo players became well-known in the last decade as they were ever-present at the business end of the Championship. Furthermore, the likes of Lee Keegan, Colm Boyle, Keith Higgins, Cillian O’Connor, David Clarke and Aidan O’Shea have multiple All-Stars. All six of those are still key players for James Horan but one accolade that has remained elusive is the Sam Maguire.

Those veterans, along with Chris Barrett, Tom Parsons, Kevin McLoughlin, have found a new lease of life in 2020. The injection of youth provided by Oisin Mullin, Eoghan McLoughlin, Ryan O’Donoghue, Tommy Conroy, Mark Moran, and Bryan Walsh has meant that competition is as tough as ever just to make the Mayo team. To illustrate, Tom Parsons made his first appearance off the bench against Tipperary in the semi-final. Likewise, Keith Higgins has made only one appearance off the bench thus far while Colm Boyle has remained in reserve throughout.

While much of the focus has been on the polar ends of Mayo’s squad dynamic, it is the men who are coming of age in the middle-third who have gone greatly unheralded. Stephen Coen, Paddy Durcan, Matthew Ruane, Conor Loftus, and Diarmuid O’Connor have been Horan’s reliable go-to men and have formed a formidable unit to bolster the defence and springboard the attack.

Durcan aside, those players were key members of the 2017 U-21 team who famously won an All-Ireland. As a result, their familiarity with each other has allowed them to play to each other’s strengths. This core have chosen the right time to reach their peak as much of the game on Saturday will be decided in midfield.

Lessons Learned

Mayo have lost to Dublin in the Championship in 2015 (semi-final-replay), ’16 (final-replay), ’17 (final), ’19 (semi-final). The two finals between these teams remain the some of the most exciting games in recent memory. In 2016, Mayo kept Dublin at bay for half an hour. However, two bizarre own goals meant they were still left needing a comeback. On that day, Cillian O’Connor held his nerve to kick an equaliser from 45 yards out in the 76th minute. The same man could come back to haunt Dublin on Saturday. O’Connor broke a Championship record by scoring 4-09 last time out against Tipperary. The Ballintubber man is no stranger to the Dublin defenders and will know that Mayo likely need to find the net at least once if they are put past demons to rest.

In 2017, Dublin vs Mayo was decided by just a point again. Many Mayo people felt that was another one that got away from them. In the 47th minute of that game, John Small saw red for a second bookable offence and Mayo had a free in a scoreable position to level the game. Then, Donal Vaughan levelled the playing field by getting himself sent off for reacting. Equally as important, Mayo lost their free which would have been a vital score they could have kicked on from.

Most recently, Mayo fell to Dublin in last year’s semi-final thanks to a Con O’Callaghan clinic in goal-scoring. One two occasions, he stepped inside Lee Keegan and slid the ball past David Clarke. As a result, Mayo went from being two points up at half-time to eight down by the 47th minute.

There will still be positives for Horan to take from that game though as Mayo put Dublin under serious pressure in the first-half. Once again, a fast start will be crucial.

If you want to support the team this week you can do so by donating to the team training fund. All donations no matter how big or small will go towards preparing the team ahead of Dec 19th.

https://t.co/fDsnp6hiHR #TheJourney #mayogaa pic.twitter.com/v4LbyVnrUc

— Mayo GAA (@MayoGAA) December 15, 2020

The Greatest Team of All Time?

In their four outings this year Dublin have outscored their opponents by a combined 69 points. So, they are winning each game by an average of 17.25 points. However, what is just as impressive is their solidity at the back. Stephen Cluxton is yet to concede in this year’s Championship.

Put these attributes together and it’s a formidable formula that no team has found a way to break down since Donegal in the 2014 semi-final. In fact, the Dublin outfit has only gone from strength to strength since the first of their five-in-a-row. Only 10 of the players who featured against Mayo in 2015 will be in the Dublin squad on Saturday, a testament to the embarrassment of riches available to Jim Gavin and now Dessie Farrell.

Back in the 2017 final, a young Con O’Callaghan burst onto the scene by scoring Dublin’s only goal after just 90 seconds. Since then he has been one of the most prolific full-forwards in the country but Farrell has decided to capitalise on his versatility this year. O’Callaghan has been deployed further out the field this year, linking the midfield to the forward line. Meanwhile, Ciarán Kilkenny has adopted a position closer to goal which has been of great success thus far. Whether Farrell sticks with this tactic on Saturday or flips it again to keep Horan guessing remains to be seen. Either way, how Mayo decide to match up against O’Callaghan and Kilkenny could be pivotal in the game’s outcome.

Predicted Match-Ups

Michael Fitzsimons vs Aidan O’Shea

Davy Byrne vs Cillian O’Connor

Eoin Murchan vs Tommy Conroy

Diarmuid O’Connor vs Brian Fenton

Matthew Ruane vs James McCarthy

Paddy Durcan vs Con O’Callaghan

Lee Keegan vs Ciarán Kilkenny

Chris Barrett vs Dean Rock

Oisin Mullin vs Paddy Small

Paths to the Final

Dublin: 0-22 vs 0-11 Westmeath, 2-23 vs 0-7 Laois, 3-21 vs 0-9 Meath, 0-12 vs 1-24 Cavan.

Mayo: 2-15 vs 0-10 Leitrim, 1-16 vs 0-13 Roscommon, 0-14 vs 0-13 Galway, 5-20 vs 3-13 Tipperary.

The game is on RTÉ and Sky Sports Mix on Saturday.

Paddy Power have Dublin at a short 2/9 to complete six-in-a-row. Otherwise, Mayo are 9/2 and a draw is 11/1.

Prediction: Dublin. Mayo possesses the tools to threaten Dublin and there is no doubt that they will have some success. However, they will need to find the net and keep Clarke protected at the other end. Despite their demolition of Tipperary, there were gaps in the Mayo defense highlighted which Dublin will have been sure to make note of. If this is to be another Dublin vs Mayo classic then all of Mayo’s big guns have to bring their A-game. But, even if it goes down to the wire, Dublin’s bench has that extra bit of experience and X-factor that Mayo is shy of.

All-Ireland SFC Final: Dublin vs Mayo, Saturday, 19th December, 17:00 (Croke Park).

The countdown is on

T- 5⃣ Days until the All-Ireland Final #UpTheDubs pic.twitter.com/bw7FInATmT

— Dublin GAA (@DubGAAOfficial) December 14, 2020

https://3.249.64.60/gaa/kilkenny-are-2020-camogie-champions-after-beating-galway/

https://3.249.64.60/gaa/kilkenny-are-2020-camogie-champions-after-beating-galway/

https://twitter.com/DubGAAOfficial/status/1338529185292226560

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The Déise men opened their campaign against Cork and recorded a four-point win to set up a Munster final against Limerick. Four points was again the difference between the teams but this time Waterford came out on the losing side. However, Liam Cahill’s side left that game with the knowledge that they could compete with the best. They brought a ferocious intensity and went toe-to-toe with Limerick’s physicality in midfield.

In the 51st minute of that game Waterford were ahead. Then, Limerick’s strength in depth proved to be crucial. Kiely introduced reinforcements and his big guns on the pitch raised their game accordingly. Kieran Bennett was assigned to Cian Lynch for that game and Callum Lyons stuck to Gearóid Hegarty like glue. Still, these two Limerick leaders hit four points between them. It will be interesting to see how Cahill deploys his man-markers this time around. He will likely stick with what proved successful in the Munster final. However, there is no room for error with the stakes so high.

Following their Munster final defeat, Waterford beat Clare to set up a semi-final against Kilkenny. That game against the Cats resulted on one of the most entertaining games of Hurling to grace the Championship in what was already an action-packed year. As a result, Waterford carry the momentum into this final.

Special Limerick Team

In contrast, Limerick’s journey to the final yielded less drama and close-calls. Entering the Championship as favourites, their performances have justified this title. After conquering Munster, John Kiely’s troops beat Galway in the semi-final with three points to spare. The showing was a great example of how Limerick have the necessary tools to overcome whatever challenge is thrown at them.

In that semi-final, Limerick quickly fell five-points behind the Galwegians. Despite managing to come back without any sense of desperation, Kiely will be keen to ensure his side hit the ground running in the final.

Limerick’s physicality and intensity in the middle-third has been the source of much of their praise this year. However, their efficiency in front of goal has been their most valuable attribute.

As much as Liam Cahill will be focusing on the midfield battle, he must set-up his team to try and neutralise an incredibly economical Limerick attack. After failing to live up to expectations last year, Limerick are aiming to claim their second Liam McCarthy in three years.

Meanwhile, Waterford haven’t had an All-Ireland win since 1959. But, the loss of 2017 will be fresh in many minds and they’ll be keen end their drought.

Limerick vs Waterford is on RTÉ and Sky Sports Mix.

Limerick are 2/5 favourites with Paddy Power. On the other hand, Waterford are 5/2 and a draw is 10/1.

Prediction: Limerick.

All-Ireland SHC Final: Limerick vs Waterford, Sunday, December 13th, 15:30 (Croke Park). 

Get ready for the #GAA Hurling Finals! Take a look at where you can watch them this Sunday below! #BestSeatInTheHouse pic.twitter.com/r8ryClB9vE

— The GAA (@officialgaa) December 10, 2020

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