1. Can Austin Stacks bridge a 38-year gap?
AUSTIN STACKS BOAST a 100 per cent record in All-Ireland club football championship semi-finals – but they’ve only contested one before, back in 1977. On that occasion, they went on to finish the job in the final.
With 14 men, Stacks won an incident-packed Munster club football decider, as goals from Shane O’Callaghan, David Mannix and Pa McCarthy accounted for The Nire. But Stacks face a far different proposition in the form of Derry and Ulster champions Slaughtneil. And in a wider context, the bookies don’t believe that Stacks will go all the way, pricing them up as 9/1 outsiders of the four teams in the All-Ireland club series.
Thankfully from a Stacks point of view, Shane Carroll is eligible to play, despite being sent off against The Nire. Two yellow cards for Carroll means that he’s good to go and Stacks will need all of their big guns, including All Star Kieran Donaghy, firing on all cylinders to make it through. Laune Rangers in 1996 were the last Kerry team to win an All-Ireland senior club football title and Stacks will have to produce form we haven’t seen from them yet to bridge that gap.
But what they might be lacking in overall quality is offset by a real unity and sense of purpose. And if they can avoid the kind of poor starts that have beset their campaign to date, they can reach the final.
2. Corofin back in the big time.
Beaten All-Ireland semi-finalists in 2009 and 2010, Corofin boast some relatively recent pedigree in the All-Ireland club championship. Captained by Ray Silke, they lifted the Andy Merrigan Cup in 1998, with Silke also lifting the Sam Maguire trophy later in the year on Galway’s behalf.
Corofin are six-time Connacht champions and they proved their worth in the 2014 provincial final, comfortably accounting for a Ballintubber side featuring Mayo stars Cillian O’Connor and Alan Dillon. Having lost last year’s Connacht semi-final against eventual All-Ireland finalists Castlebar Mitchels, Corofin have bounced back with a bang to reach the last four of the All-Ireland series.
Former Galway captain Kieran Fitzgerald, Gary Sice and prolific forward Ian Burke, a 2013 All-Ireland U21 medallist, are key stars to look out for. At 5/4, they are joint favourites to go all the way and climb the steps of the Hogan Stand on March 17. Weekend opponents St Vincent’s are also 5/4 shots.
3. Can St Vincent’s make it back-to-back finals?
Three-time winners St Vincent’s are bidding to become the first team since Crossmaglen Rangers in 2011/12 to win successive All-Ireland titles. The Dublin and Leinster representatives took care of business against Offaly outfit Rhode before Christmas and they can call upon current and former Dublin stars Ger Brennan, Eamon Fennell, Diarmuid Connolly, Tomás ‘Mossy’ Quinn, Ruairi Trainor and Shane Carthy.
Connolly was superb in last year’s final against Castlebar Mitchels, with his virtuoso individual display gaining widespread acclaim. And Connolly’s wonder goal against St Sylvester’s in the Dublin championship last September quickly became a YouTube sensation.
Having steamed through Dublin and Leinster, Vinny’s now face their toughest test to date against Corofin. But the men from the capital have been down this road before and experience at this stage of the competition is a vital weapon in their armoury.
4. Will Slaughtneil’s maiden voyage end up on the rocks?
Derry champions Slaughtneil made history at the end of November, defeating Tyrone outfit Omagh St Enda’s to claim a very first Ulster title. An injury-time point from Christopher Bradley capped a remarkable comeback for the Oak Leaf County’s finest, who came from four down to clinch an epic win.
Cormac O’Doherty, scorer of 1-2 in the Ulster final, is another player of rich quality that St Vincent’s will attempt to keep tabs on. Slaughtneil also boast county player Chrissie McKaigue in their ranks and he made a big call before the provincial showpiece, opting to link up with the Ireland International Rules squad in Australia before returning home for the Athletic Grounds decider.
Slaughtneil, 11/2 for the All-Ireland title, are hoping to follow in the footsteps of Derry clubs Bellaghy, Lavey and Ballinderry, who have tasted Paddy’s Day glory. Ulster clubs also boast an impressive record in the competition, with 12 victories in total. And Slaughtneil will believe that facing Austin Stacks is the favourable side of the draw.
5. The men in black.
Padraig Hughes will take charge of the glamour St Vincent’s-Corofin tie and the Crossmaglen native is armed with vast experience. Hughes took charge of the 2006 (replay) and 2011 All-Ireland minor finals, as well as the 2009 Ulster senior final. Linesman for last year’s All-Ireland senior final between Kerry and Donegal, Hughes was the man in the middle two years ago when St Brigid’s and Ballymun Kickhams contested the All-Ireland club final.
Meanwhile, Meath’s David Gough has been handed the Austin Stacks-Slaughtneil fixture. Gough commands huge respect in his native county, having won a Hogan Cup medal with St Pat’s of Navan in 2001. Gough also won a Trench Cup medal and a Division 2 League title with St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra during his playing career.
Gough’s star is very much on the rise within refereeing circles and he recently took charge of the O’Byrne Cup final between Dublin and Kildare, while also handling the 2013 All-Ireland U21 final.
Gough has also worked at Croke Park behind the scenes on big-match day for outdoor advertising company CBS. They beam images from the big screens at Croke Park and Gough has been responsible for monitoring the live feed and ensuring that contentious incidents are not replayed within the stadium.
