ONLY ONCE IN the last five years has a Leinster club SHC final not involved either Cuala or Kilcormac/Killoughey.
The Dublin and Offaly champions have made it to three provincial deciders each since 2012, winning one title apiece with another one at stake on Sunday week.
Oulart-the-Ballagh have been to five of the last seven provincial deciders but they’ve won just once on the big stage. Either Cuala or Kilcormac/Killoughey will move to the top of this decade’s roll of honour with victory on 3 December in O’Moore Park, Portlaoise.
In the 2000s, Henry Shefflin’s Ballyhale Shamrocks put together three Leinster titles (06, 08 and 09), while Brian Whelahan and Birr were the dominant force in the 90s, winning four provincial crowns (91, 94, 97, 99) in that decade.
At this stage the defending All-Ireland champions will be warm favourites heading into the clash against Kilcormac/Killoughey. They were forced to dig out late wins over St Brigid’s, St Vincent’s and Kilmacud Crokes in Dublin, before they cut loose against Dicksboro and, most recently, St Martin’s.
Oisin Keniry / INPHO
Oisin Keniry / INPHO / INPHO
As ever, Con O’Callaghan remains unmarkable and is the biggest threat Kilcormac/Killoughey manager Stephen Byrne has to plan for.
In five of his first six possessions against the Wexford champions at Parnell Park yesterday, O’Callaghan turned and powered straight for goal. The Young Footballer of the Year and All-Star had a direct hand in 3-3 and had another couple of shots on goal saved.
“Con O’Callaghan is a special player,” said St Martin’s manager Michael Codd after the game.
“He’s Young Footballer of the Year and I saw him here two weeks ago (against Dicksboro). Today again, he scored 1-3. He’s unbelievable – he looks fast beside fast fellas.
“When someone is like that, they’re special. I thought our lads fought bravely against him in the first half but good players are patient and they wait for their chance. His chances came and we were struggling to hold him.”
The trouble for Kilcormac/Killoughey is they have some serious suspension and injury worries looming ahead of the Leinster final.
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Full-forward Peter Healion, who played at centre-back up until this season, faces a race against time to make it back from a footy injury he picked up in the first-half on Sunday.
After his withdrawal, his foot swelled up so badly he couldn’t even fit his shoe on, but it’s unclear at this stage whether he suffered a broken bone or ligament damage.
Bryan Keane / INPHO
Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO
More importantly, 21-year-old Offaly defender Cillian Kiely is the ideal candidate to mark O’Callaghan, but he’s almost certain to miss the decider after receiving a straight red against Mount Leinster Rangers yesterday.
Kiely is physical, a good athlete and played at full-back right through the underage ranks with club and county.
In Kiely’s absence, Kilcormac/Killoughey may turn to wing-back Enda Grogan to pick up the dangerman in the full-back line.
Bryan Keane / INPHO
Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO
Bryan Keane / INPHO
Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO
That’ll mean a rejig in defence, with full-back Ger Healion – twin brother of Peter – likely facing a switch to the half-back line.
Of course, in David Treacy, Colm Cronin, Jake Malone and Nicky Kenny, Cuala have plenty of other forwards that need watching, but O’Callaghan’s goal-threat makes stopping him paramount to chances of victory.
St Martin’s were guilty of leaving too much space in front of him on Sunday. Once he gets the ball in his paw, it’s nigh on impossible to stop him by fair means.
“They took the game to us and they had a right go at us and you have to admire them for that,” said Cuala boss Mattie Kenny of St Martin’s after the game.
“In that first quarter they were on top for periods of that which, for myself, was a small bit worrying.”
While St Martin’s went at Cuala, they left too many holes at the back for O’Callaghan to exploit and Kilcormac/Killoughey will need to be wise to Cuala’s tactic of isolating him on his own up front.
Oisin Keniry / INPHO
Oisin Keniry / INPHO / INPHO
But the Offaly champions are no mugs. They’re an experienced unit sprinkled with inter-county talent. A total of nine players have been called up to Kevin Martin’s Offaly squad for the 2018 campaign, including experienced dup Dan Currams and Conor Mahon who opted out last season.
Kilcormac/Killoughey have a tall, physical team who are better suited to old-school hurling rather than a more modern running game. Peter Healion said as much ahead of the quarter-final against Mount Leinster Rangers, when he was speaking about St Rynagh’s who took out Kilcormac/Killoughey in both 2015 and 2016 with their style of play.
“(St Rynagh’s) had it perfected where it was the kind of style we didn’t like playing against,” he said last week. “They were doing this running movement whereas we like it when the ball is launched and we’ve some big lads underneath it.”
Cuala are smart enough not to play into Kilcormac/Killoughey’s hands, particularly with Kenny in charge. The Galway native is notorious for his in-depth video analysis of their upcoming opponents and Cuala generally enjoy running the ball from deep, with Darragh O’Connell, Colum Sheanon and Malone all able ball-carriers in the middle third.
With as many as 12 of their starters against MLR standing at over 6 foot tall, the 2013 All-Ireland finalists may look to test Cuala aerially at the other end of the field.
Cuala will hope to see Mark Schutte make a return from an ankle injury for the Leinster final. The former Dublin hurler who was a member of Jim Gavin’s football panel in 2017, is nursing a persistent ankle problem, but Cuala are hopeful he’ll play some part on Sunday week.
“The specialist looked at him there during the week so they just advised him to leave the (protective) boot on for another week,” said Kenny. “It’s an ankle injury he’s had since August.
“We tried to manage our way through but it’s just not going away. I’d prefer to have him out playing, obviously, but the specialist said to leave him in that boot for another week, see how it goes.”
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Suspension of county defender a major blow as Offaly champions plot for Con O'Callaghan
ONLY ONCE IN the last five years has a Leinster club SHC final not involved either Cuala or Kilcormac/Killoughey.
The Dublin and Offaly champions have made it to three provincial deciders each since 2012, winning one title apiece with another one at stake on Sunday week.
Oulart-the-Ballagh have been to five of the last seven provincial deciders but they’ve won just once on the big stage. Either Cuala or Kilcormac/Killoughey will move to the top of this decade’s roll of honour with victory on 3 December in O’Moore Park, Portlaoise.
In the 2000s, Henry Shefflin’s Ballyhale Shamrocks put together three Leinster titles (06, 08 and 09), while Brian Whelahan and Birr were the dominant force in the 90s, winning four provincial crowns (91, 94, 97, 99) in that decade.
At this stage the defending All-Ireland champions will be warm favourites heading into the clash against Kilcormac/Killoughey. They were forced to dig out late wins over St Brigid’s, St Vincent’s and Kilmacud Crokes in Dublin, before they cut loose against Dicksboro and, most recently, St Martin’s.
As ever, Con O’Callaghan remains unmarkable and is the biggest threat Kilcormac/Killoughey manager Stephen Byrne has to plan for.
In five of his first six possessions against the Wexford champions at Parnell Park yesterday, O’Callaghan turned and powered straight for goal. The Young Footballer of the Year and All-Star had a direct hand in 3-3 and had another couple of shots on goal saved.
“Con O’Callaghan is a special player,” said St Martin’s manager Michael Codd after the game.
“He’s Young Footballer of the Year and I saw him here two weeks ago (against Dicksboro). Today again, he scored 1-3. He’s unbelievable – he looks fast beside fast fellas.
The trouble for Kilcormac/Killoughey is they have some serious suspension and injury worries looming ahead of the Leinster final.
Full-forward Peter Healion, who played at centre-back up until this season, faces a race against time to make it back from a footy injury he picked up in the first-half on Sunday.
After his withdrawal, his foot swelled up so badly he couldn’t even fit his shoe on, but it’s unclear at this stage whether he suffered a broken bone or ligament damage.
More importantly, 21-year-old Offaly defender Cillian Kiely is the ideal candidate to mark O’Callaghan, but he’s almost certain to miss the decider after receiving a straight red against Mount Leinster Rangers yesterday.
Kiely is physical, a good athlete and played at full-back right through the underage ranks with club and county.
In Kiely’s absence, Kilcormac/Killoughey may turn to wing-back Enda Grogan to pick up the dangerman in the full-back line.
That’ll mean a rejig in defence, with full-back Ger Healion – twin brother of Peter – likely facing a switch to the half-back line.
Of course, in David Treacy, Colm Cronin, Jake Malone and Nicky Kenny, Cuala have plenty of other forwards that need watching, but O’Callaghan’s goal-threat makes stopping him paramount to chances of victory.
St Martin’s were guilty of leaving too much space in front of him on Sunday. Once he gets the ball in his paw, it’s nigh on impossible to stop him by fair means.
“They took the game to us and they had a right go at us and you have to admire them for that,” said Cuala boss Mattie Kenny of St Martin’s after the game.
“In that first quarter they were on top for periods of that which, for myself, was a small bit worrying.”
While St Martin’s went at Cuala, they left too many holes at the back for O’Callaghan to exploit and Kilcormac/Killoughey will need to be wise to Cuala’s tactic of isolating him on his own up front.
But the Offaly champions are no mugs. They’re an experienced unit sprinkled with inter-county talent. A total of nine players have been called up to Kevin Martin’s Offaly squad for the 2018 campaign, including experienced dup Dan Currams and Conor Mahon who opted out last season.
Kilcormac/Killoughey have a tall, physical team who are better suited to old-school hurling rather than a more modern running game. Peter Healion said as much ahead of the quarter-final against Mount Leinster Rangers, when he was speaking about St Rynagh’s who took out Kilcormac/Killoughey in both 2015 and 2016 with their style of play.
“(St Rynagh’s) had it perfected where it was the kind of style we didn’t like playing against,” he said last week. “They were doing this running movement whereas we like it when the ball is launched and we’ve some big lads underneath it.”
Cuala are smart enough not to play into Kilcormac/Killoughey’s hands, particularly with Kenny in charge. The Galway native is notorious for his in-depth video analysis of their upcoming opponents and Cuala generally enjoy running the ball from deep, with Darragh O’Connell, Colum Sheanon and Malone all able ball-carriers in the middle third.
With as many as 12 of their starters against MLR standing at over 6 foot tall, the 2013 All-Ireland finalists may look to test Cuala aerially at the other end of the field.
Cuala will hope to see Mark Schutte make a return from an ankle injury for the Leinster final. The former Dublin hurler who was a member of Jim Gavin’s football panel in 2017, is nursing a persistent ankle problem, but Cuala are hopeful he’ll play some part on Sunday week.
“The specialist looked at him there during the week so they just advised him to leave the (protective) boot on for another week,” said Kenny. “It’s an ankle injury he’s had since August.
“We tried to manage our way through but it’s just not going away. I’d prefer to have him out playing, obviously, but the specialist said to leave him in that boot for another week, see how it goes.”
The42 has just published its first book, Behind The Lines, a collection of some of the year’s best sports stories. Pick up your copy in Eason’s, or order it here today (€10):
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Con O’Callaghan Cuala cuala runnings GAA kilcormac/killoughey