Road to Croker: Canavans keep it in the family

‘The son of God’

Already, inevitably, given the nickname ‘the son of God’, Darragh Canavan has claimed his first All-Ireland senior medal at the age of 20, which is 12 years younger than his father Peter was when he landed his first Celtic Cross in 2003. The old man – no bad player himself, if you recall – won a second in 2005 before retiring. Sixteen years later, the Canavans join an exclusive club.

The clan have another close link to Saturday as Peter’s daughter, and Darragh’s sister, Áine, herself a county player, is married to wing-back Peter Harte.

Among the famous dynasties are the Donnellans in Galway, three generations of whom won All-Ireland SFC medals. The Larkins in Kilkenny boast three generations winning over 71 years while Jackie Power won three All-Ireland hurling medals with Limerick before son Ger won eight football medals with Kerry.

While the Canavans won their medals just 16 years apart, the record in that regard is held by Offaly’s Damian Martin and his son Eunan, hurling medallists in 1985 and 1998 respectively.

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Dooher joins an exclusive club

Colm O’Rourke’s famous quip that he would eat his hat if Tyrone won an All-Ireland with Brian Dooher on the team is generally regarded as up there with Martin McHugh’s “Gooch is a two-trick pony” in terms of bad punditry takes.

Dooher is now the sixth man to captain and manage All-Ireland-winning sides. Two were Dubs – Kevin Heffernan and Tony Hanahoe – along with Cork’s Billy Morgan and Kerry’s Páidí Ó Sé. The outlier in terms of modern-day heavyweights is Cavan’s Hughie O’Reilly, who captained them in 1935 and was team trainer (before the term manager was in use) for the county’s three later All-Ireland successes.

It pays to be a Kerry All-Ireland winner

Speaking of pundits, it pays to be a Kerry All-Ireland winner. RTÉ’s television coverage of the All-Ireland football final was anchored by Joanne Cantwell, with Ger Canning occupying the role of lead commentator; riding shotgun were a crew of seven experts, four of whom were natives of the Kingdom.

Joining Westmeath's Dessie Dolan, Tyrone's Sean Cavanagh and Mayo's Kevin McStay were Tomás Ó Sé (co-commentator), Pat Spillane (studio), Eamon Fitzmaurice and Colm Cooper (on-pitch pre-match). The county must surely be the best represented on the GAA punditry circuit, with numerous newspaper columns and radio gigs.

They don’t call them cute Kerrymen for nothing . . .

Mayo no racing certainty

Racing fans may have raised a chuckle when scanning the card last Friday evening at Ballinrobe. The 6.30 race was titled the ‘Good Luck To Mayo Handicap Chase’.

The big difference was that the favourite managed to win this one (too soon?), as Favori Logique, the 4/6 jolly, stormed home by 10 lengths under 7lb-claimer Shane O’Callaghan. Down the field were Moonlight Glory (if only) and Capture the Drama (no shortage of that). We won’t bother mentioning 6th-place finisher Call of the Loon . . .

Word of mouth

"You're not going to go riding horses down Ballina Main Street if they win are you?" "You know what, I'll let the horse get up on me if we win this time!" – David Brady doesn't take Peter Canavan's bait on Off The Ball.

By the numbers: 17

Goals Mayo have conceded in the nine All-Ireland finals they have contested this century, 12 of which came in the first half.