A memorable GAA weekend: Vindication for Armagh’s Kieran McGeeney and joy for the faithful
This year of years belongs to the victorious northern county whose supporters have been among the most loyal all season
Weekend That Was
Our weekly analysis of the weekend that was in the GAA Championships, published every Monday
Crowning final glory proves the sweetest reward for Clare’s dogged years of persistence
After several Munster final and All-Ireland semi-final defeats, Banner veterans like Tony Kelly, John Conlon and David McInerney grasped the opportunity to add to their 2013 medals
Tougher road to final meant Armagh and Galway were that bit more battle-hardened
Perhaps surprisingly, both Donegal and Kerry found the pace too hot during the crucial final period of their respective semi-finals
Limerick’s forever heroes fall short of history - but they’ll be back
The Weekend that Was: Young age profile combined with rising stars should ensure that Sunday’s defeat was a mere blip
Light finally goes out on Dublin’s remarkable era
Sean Moran: Without the outsized prompts of last year, the odds were always against further achievement for Dublin
Cormac Costello’s form gives Dublin a quandary - how many inside forwards to play in the same team
With Con O’Callaghan, Paul Mannion, Colm Basquel and Paddy Small to include as well, balance will be critical
Dublin hurlers continue to sell themselves short in decade of lost opportunities
The Weekend That Was: In 2013, Dublin and Limerick both ended provincial title droughts but have taken vastly different paths since
Donegal left to ponder a more arduous route to Croke Park after Cork defeat
Saturday was a terrific step forward for Cork and a quarter-final place beckons if they can take perform against Tyrone
It is hard to see Henry Shefflin staying for Galway’s rebuilding job
Tribesmen have failed to bring through successful minor teams and have been found wanting
A ruthless streak might be the only thing Clare are missing - but they need to find it
Even though Clare scored 4-21 against Waterford, they left another 4-18 on the table and continued a worrying pattern of letting big leads fade away
Golden score a better option than a penalty shoot-out in Gaelic football
A golden score would seem a more fitting, yet equally dramatic, tiebreaker to a drawn football game than a penalty shootout as it retains the core disciplines of Gaelic football.
Galway v Mayo: The unchanging but variable rivalry that keeps the West awake
Sunday’s Connacht final was decided on the breadth of a bus ticket but it sends the teams on wildly different journeys
No shame in losing to Limerick but Sunday could not have gone worse for Tipperary
The weekend that was: Liam Cahill’s team needs to find something in the coming days otherwise their year will be over quickly
Defensive issue laid bare as Cork and Clare scramble to avoid crisis
Ruthlessness of the Munster Championship leave both sides in a race to make corrections quickest after disappointing opening round defeats
Wicklow gave full media access and nearly shocked Kildare - more teams should follow suit
Allowing The Irish Times access to preparations last week did not do McConville’s side any harm and engagement shows huge hunger by GAA public for insight
It’s up to Meath to breathe some life back into a dead derby
A famed rivalry once existed between Dublin and Meath but former Royal legend Colm O’Rourke’s new-look side are again rank outsiders at Croke Park next weekend
It is hard to see how a gruelling Ulster campaign fits into Derry’s grand plan
Mickey Harte needs to protect his precious resources for the business end of the season
Anticlimactic final weekend comes at a bad time for football league
Tightness of scheduling and its associated distraction, the imminence of championship, have caused complaints
Cork’s Alan Connolly is a rare and precious creature in the modern game - a goal scorer
After his three goals against Wexford on Saturday Connolly has now scored a staggering 15 goals in 21 league and championship appearances
Limerick’s imposing form doesn’t mean there’s nothing for rivals in the league
The Weekend That Was: Limerick may determine the hurling league’s championship relevance but other counties have witnessed progress
Teams get to decide how important games are - but home comforts still apply
Mayo are the only top flight team with a 100% winning record at home, while Donegal and Armagh have similar records in Division Two
Black cards have improved Gaelic football, but we should not forget their original purpose
The weekend that was: Recent black cards punished honest mistakes instead of truly cynical acts, a deviation from the point of the card
Signs of hopeful green shoots manifest in Offaly hurling
Cork continue to find it difficult to master their traditional old hurling rivals Kilkenny
Monaghan’s new wave underlines Dublin’s need for a refresh
The GAA weekend that was: It’s slightly surprising that Dessie Farrell hasn’t tried to introduce more young blood to the Dublin team
Clare’s early excess of caution was rooted in the trauma of last year’s Kilkenny hammering
The Weekend that Was: The GAA’s peculiar relationship with time means last year survives like plastic
Mayo people will put up with a lot but they won’t accept meek surrender
The Weekend That Was: Kevin McStay was probably correct that it hadn’t been a bad season, but the assertion was a little tin-eared given the ritual slaughter that had just taken place
How All-Ireland hurling quarter-finals influence the battle of the provinces
The ‘relativities’ of Munster and Leinster have evolved with changing championship formats
Gaelic football has been made duller not better by needless inside mark
Absurd rule only slows down the game, sucks energy out of the contest and makes it more pedestrian and structured
Clare can find solace in defeat, as the numbers don’t add up for Limerick
The All-Ireland champions eked out another win and will enjoy the four weeks off - but they may not fancy meeting the Banner again
‘You do what you have to do to win’: Gaelic games and the necessary art of cynicism
When it comes to cynical play, every team and every player makes a judgement about what is an affordable price to pay. Sometimes it pays off, writes Denis Walsh
Home discomforts start to emerge in both hurling and football championships
Jubilant home supporters were to the fore on Sunday but emerging evidence contradicts received wisdom on venue advantage
Standing on the precipice, a leap of faith awaits Wexford hurling
Despite defeat to Westmeath, Wexford can still salvage their season. Against Kilkenny, the most siginicant test of their character awaits
Try telling anyone that was at the Ulster final that the provincial championships are an outdated relic
All involved still want to win Ulster - but for how much longer can that continue?
GAAGO: Hurling suffers when RTÉ and GAA put the best matches behind a paywall
It is RTÉ's duty to deliver the most attractive, most popular, most newsworthy sports events to its viewers as often as it can
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