During a sporting weekend that gripped the nation, as the Republic of Ireland and Troy Parrott stole the headlines with back-to-back triumphs over Portugal and Hungary, you could be forgiven for missing some of the major stories unfolding closer to home on the GAA front.
Maigh Cuilinn march on
Another team clad in green and white were Maigh Cuilinn, who comprehensively saw off Leitrim Gaels by 4-13 to 1-9 last Sunday in Pearse Stadium. It wasn’t all plain sailing for Cathal Clancy’s men as they endured a sluggish start and fell five points behind - thanks mainly to a tidy finish from Fermanagh native Garvan Jones - before eventually getting on the scoreboard themselves.
Once Maigh Cuilinn found their rhythm, though, they had drawn level early in the second quarter and never looked back. The McDonagh brothers, Fionn and Fiachra, shared three goals between them, while chief marksman Dessie Conneely continued his prolific form, finishing with 1-7.
That brings the former Galway minor captain’s provincial tally to a remarkable 2-17 in just two outings and extends Maigh Cuilinn’s perfect record in the Connacht Senior Club Football Championship to five straight wins, stretching back to their Shane McGettigan Cup-winning run in 2022.
Their biggest test yet awaits on Sunday week, when they face five-time Connacht champions St Brigid’s in Dr Hyde Park. Brigid’s made light work of Mayo titleholders Ballina Stephenites in their semi-final, running out 1-21 to 3-8 winners. It is now a decade since a Mayo club last lifted a senior provincial title — Castlebar Mitchels being the last, back in 2015.
The return of Peter Cooke, absent since the county final win, could prove crucial for Maigh Cuilinn against a superb Brigid’s outfit boasting the likes of former Oranmore/Maree netminder Conor Carroll, Brian Stack, Shane Cunnane, Eddie Nolan, veteran Senan Kilbride and the elusive Ben O’Carroll.
Elsewhere, Carna-Caiseal fell to Aughavas in the Junior Football semi-final, but there was double delight in the small ball. Ballinasloe overcame Moytura in the Junior Hurling semi-final, while Killimor edged out Roscommon’s St Dominic’s in a low-scoring battle, 0-6 to 0-5, to secure a provincial Intermediate camogie crown.
This weekend’s headline contest will see Galway Intermediate champions Meelick/Eyrecourt take on Mayo’s Tooreen in the Connacht final at Dr Hyde Park. Meelick/Eyrecourt will be well aware of the challenge ahead, given Tooreen were only denied a fifth successive title only by All-Ireland runners-up Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry last year.
Ballinasloe also face a tricky assignment as they meet Sligo’s Easkey in Bekan, with the Connacht Junior title up for grabs. One that there is a huge appetite for in the club and a success that could help the them drive on even further.
All-Stars galore for Galway
It was a weekend of rich reward for Galway’s leading ladies, with dual celebrations in football and camogie circles. The county’s camogie stars dominated the spotlight at the 2025 PwC All-Stars, with eight players honoured after their All-Ireland triumph.
Goalkeeper Sarah Healy, Shauna Healy, Dervla Higgins, Ciara Hickey, Aoife Donohue, Ailish O’Reilly, Niamh Mallon and Carrie Dolan all earned selection for their roles in winning the O’Duffy Cup. Ciara Hickey, in particular, received a hero’s welcome on her return to Woodford, with a video posted on Davitt’s Camogie Facebook page brilliantly capturing her homecoming and what it meant to those in the locality.
Mullagh’s Aoife Donohue capped a superb season by being named Player of the Year - matching the award she previously won in 2021 and further cementing her place among Galway’s all-time greats.
Meanwhile, manager Cathal Murray collected the Manager of the Year award after guiding Galway to another senior title. An accolade the Sarsfields man knows well after years of remarkable success with the Tribeswomen.
There was further cause for celebration in ladies’ football, as Nicola Ward and Olivia Divilly of Kilkerrin-Clonberne retained their places on the 2025 TG4 All-Star team. Honoured in defence and attack respectively, the pair were Galway’s only representatives and the sole survivors from the 2024 line-up. Highlighting their consistency and class over the past two years.
Puzzlingly, the LGFA and Camogie Association elected to hold their award ceremonies on the same night. A move that needlessly diluted media coverage somewhat and pointed, once more, to a lack of joined-up thinking between the two bodies.
