The Real All-Ireland Football Final

24th Sep 2014

This weekend Cork ladies footballers play Dublin in the All-Ireland final in Croke Park and will have a chance to complete not just a second four-in-a-row in the space of nine years (and the first one is actually a five-in-a-row but at this stage it's almost a technicality) but to complete a much coveted Cork double with our camogie heroes, captained by the fantastic Anna Geary, who bagged their title two weeks ago.

All hail Anna

What would make this double so special is that our footballers have a chance of beating our greatest rivals for pretty much everything Dublin - while in the camogie it was our traditional ash-and-sliotar rivals Kilkenny who were put to the sword in a crushing victory by the Rebelettes. Beating those two in the same year for the double would be super daycint.

Last weekend in the men’s final we had the ugly spectacle of Kerry deciding to call Donegal’s bluff. They mirrored the Nordie lads style by also deciding not to leave their own half. The result was a manky mess of cynical fouling, face-palming wides and lads roaring into the faces of officials. Fair play to our neighbours Kerry for out-manking Donegal, no better boys.
 

Beating the Dubs in an All-Ireland final again would be magic

This weekend you’ll see a far better game with skills levels arguably better than much of the men’s game which for much of the summer looked like a combination of game of pass-the-parcel and wrestling in a phone box. The ladies game is more free flowing and open and much easier on the eye – and we’re not just saying that because we’re in love with all of them.

With such overriding dominance in both codes it might surprise you that Cork are not at the top of the roll of honour in either code. ‘What the hell?!’, you say. But the news is good: the Rebelettes are reeling in the leaders like a pride of lionesses chasing down a bunch hapless gazelles.
 

Eamo managed the men in the eighties and is now going for his ninth title in ten years wiht the ladies team. An incredible Corkman.

In the camogie Dublin have won 26 All-Ireland titles. Since beating Kilkenny two weeks ago Cork are now on 25 and Dublin haven’t even been in a final since 1986. Kilkenny, in third, are way back on 13 so the chances are that Cork will officially become the home of camogie in the next few years.

In the football it’s our neighbours the Kingdom that are on top with 11 titles. We’re just three behind and if all goes well on Sunday that gap will be down to just two and Kerry haven’t been next nor near a title since 1993 (about same time that there was talk that some Kerry players who looked suspiciously like well known men’s footballers with wigs on would be gender tested) so the Cork girls look set to soar into the lead well before the end of this decade especially if the great Eamon Ryan stays at the helm.

Cork should prepare to celebrate that day when it comes. It has never happened in the men’s game that one county lead the roll of honour in both codes.
 

Orlagh Farmer celebrates last year's win

Being technically outside of the GAA umbrella ladies football has taken a lot of the nudge-and-wink officiating out of the game. The use of a countdown clock has even been lauded by Cork senior hurling coach and double-winning legend Jimmy Barry-Murphy as something that should be incorporated into the men’s games that are rife with blow-it-up-for-a-replay referees who will be looked upon kindly by Croke Park for boosting revenue.

 Although JBM is too much of a gentleman to say it last year’s hurling final was taken from Cork by such scandalous actions – allowing Clare to draw the game.

The final will be shown on Sunday at 4pm on TG4 if you’re not traveling up to Dublin. Watch it after being seeing Cork beat Sligo at Turner’s Cross this Friday night (be dog wide that the kick off is at 7.05pm and not the usual 7.45pm) and possibly go top of the Airtricity league.