Both Tooreen of Mayo and Easkey of Sligo will go in search of a piece of history on Saturday evening in Croke Park when the two clubs contest the All-Ireland Intermediate and Junior Club Hurling Finals in Croke Park. Both clubs are also managed by Galway men, and both beat Galway teams to win their Connacht finals. Tooreen will contest their second All-Ireland Intermediate final since 2023, when they narrowly lost out to Monaleen of Limerick. They are managed by Ray Larkin from Kilnadeema/Leitrim, and their captain, Fergal Boland, has been telling Oisin Langan all about their build-up to the big game...
Meanwhile, the curtain raiser on Saturday in Croke Park is the Junior final between Easkey and Cill Briotáin from Cork at 3.15 pm. The Sligo side beat Ballinasloe in a thrilling Connacht Final, and they are also appearing in a second All-Ireland final, having lost out to Ballygiblin from Cork in the 2023 final. Kilkenny and Cork clubs have dominated the Junior All-Ireland Club Hurling Championship, having won 18 of the 21 titles since the competition started in 2003, so Easkey will look to become the first team from Connacht to go all the way. The Sligo side are managed by two Galway men, Padraig Mannion from Ballygar and Declan Molloy from Abbeyknockmoy, and their captain, Finian Cawley (pictured), has also been telling Oisin Langan all about the excitement in their parish ahead of Saturday's final...
Saturday, January 10th
AIB All-Ireland club Junior Hurling Final
Easkey (Sligo) v Cill Briotáin (Cork), Croke Park, 3.15 pm - TG4
AIB All-Ireland club Intermediate Hurling Final
Tooreen (Mayo) v Upperchurch-Drombane (Tipperary), Croke Park, 5.15 pm - TG4
