As the countdown to Sunday's All-Ireland final continues, Ian O'Riordanlooks at the other stories making the headlines.
Unique sculpture captures GAA's magnificent spirit
A UNIQUE sculpture of one of the most iconic images in GAA history has been unveiled at the GAA Museum in Croke Park ahead of Sunday’s All-Ireland football final.
The image depicts a scene from the Kerry versus Dublin All-Ireland final of 1979, capturing a moment in the game between Kerry giants Seán Walsh and Páidí Ó Sé and Dublin legends Brian Mullins and Tommy Drumm. The image was chosen to reflect the magnificent spirit of Gaelic football and has now been preserved by leading sculptor Paddy Campbell in a limited edition bronze sculpture.
In this 1979 final, Dublin equalled history by contesting a sixth successive All-Ireland football final, four of those finals were against Kerry. This year also celebrates the 30th anniversary of this memorable Kerry versus Dublin clash in which Kerry won 3-13 to 1-8.
It was Brendan Hackett, the newly appointed Westmeath football manager and former CEO of the Athletics Ireland, who commissioned Campbell to produce the piece which will be on display in the GAA Museum in Croke Park all this week.
The sculpture, which is one of an edition of 11, is one metre high and 1.5 metres long. After the final, the sculpture will be available for view at Gormley’s Gallery in Dublin city centre.
Hackett has always been something of an art connoisseur, and has an extensive personal collection of paintings, and Campbell is an entrepreneur turned artist and his works are receiving widespread attention at home and abroad. His most recent commission was to sculpt the bronze portrait of the President, Mary McAleese, for the Office of Public Works and he is engaged in a large-scale solo exhibition of his sculptures in Fiesole/Florence in Italy. He is a director of Campbell Bewley Group and Bewley’s Ltd.
Scoring race goes right to the wire
The race to top the 2009 GAA All-Ireland senior football scoring charts will go right down to Sunday as both Kerry’s Colm “Gooch” Cooper and Cork’s Donncha O’Connor are positioned to overtake the leading pair.
Donegal’s Michael Murphy leads the table on 0-36, followed by Cian Ward of Meath on 3-26 (35 points), but since these pair are now finished for the season the attention turns to Cooper and O’Connor, who are in joint-third place on a total of 31 points.
That leaves them needing to score six points to overtake Murphy, who recorded his total over six games. O’Connor has played six games, while Cooper has played seven.
Interestingly, Wicklow have two marksmen in the top 10 for the first time, with Tony Hannon having landed 1-22 and Seánie Furlong 1-21.
Kerry go for sixth win this decade
Sunday represents the seventh meeting of Kerry and Cork at GAA headquarters this decade – and Kerry have won five, with the other ending in a draw.
2002 Semi-final Kerry 3-19 Cork 2-7
2005 Semi-final Kerry 1-19Cork 0-9
2006 Semi-final Kerry 0-16 Cork 0-10
2007 Final Kerry 3-13Cork 1-9
2008 Semi-final Kerry 1-13Cork 3-7
2008 Replay Kerry 3-14Cork 2-13
Sunday marks third meeting
It’s over 110 years since Cork and Kerry met for the first time in the senior football championship, in the Munster championship of 1889 – launching what has become one of the country’s most intense sporting rivalries.
Sunday marks the third clash between Cork and Kerry this year, as Kerry pursue their 36th All-Ireland title – and their fifth this decade – while Cork are seeking their first title since 1990. Incredibly, Sunday will be the 19th championship clash between the counties this decade alone.
Having already met in the All-Ireland final, with Kerry winning by 3-13 to 1-9, it’s the third time since the introduction of the qualifiers that the All-Ireland final has been between counties from the same province; in addition to the two Cork-Kerry deciders in 2007 and 2009, Tyrone beat Armagh in the 2003 final. Cork are attempting to become the only fifth county to win the title this decade, joining Kerry, Tyrone, Armagh and Galway.
