Numbers way up.
For it to be a proper Connacht final, it has to be either two from three from Galway, Mayo and Roscommon, or a team which has beaten either Galway or Mayo (but not Roscommon) - or if neither Galway or Mayo are involved in the final.
Therefore Mayo v Leitrim 1994 was a proper Connacht final as Leitrim had beaten Roscommon and Galway to get there, but Galway v Sligo today wasnāt because Sligo had only beaten London and New York. Roscommon v Sligo 2010 also qualifies as a proper Connacht final as neither Galway or Mayo were involved, Sligo had beaten both.
Thereās a clear hierarchy here:
- Galway v Mayo
- Mayo v Roscommon
- Galway v Roscommon
- Neither Galway or Mayo involved
A proper Munster final has be either Cork v Kerry or a team who has beaten Cork or Kerry.
A fake provincial final can retrospectively become a real one if the fake team actually wins, ie. Clare beating Kerry in 1992.
A list of fake Connacht finals since 1987:
1997 - Mayo v Sligo
2000 - Galway v Leitrim
2002 - Galway v Sligo
2007 - Galway v Sligo (this retrospectively became a genuine provincial final because Sligo won)
2013 - Mayo v London
2015 - Mayo v Sligo
2023 - Galway v Sligo
Fake Munster finals:
1991 - Kerry v Limerick
1992 - Kerry v Clare (retrospectively became a real final because Clare won)
1993 - Cork v Tipperary
1994 - Cork v Tipperary
1998 - Kerry v Tipperary
2000 - Kerry v Clare
2002 - Cork v Tipperary
2004 - Kerry v Limerick
2009 - Cork v Limerick
2010 - Kerry v Limerick
2012 - Cork v Clare
2020 - Cork v Tipperary (this retrospectively became a real final because Tipperary won)
2022 - Kerry v Limerick
2023 - Kerry v Clare
The most prestigious type of Connacht final is Galway v Mayo at Tuam Stadium in a downpour. 1999 is the classic Connacht final.
The most prestigious type of Munster final is a knockout Kerry v Cork tie in Killarney on a sunny July Sunday in front of a capacity crowd. The archetypes of this are 1984 and 1989. I will grudgingly admit 1987 (replay) and 1995 as proper Munster finals despite both games being played in overcast weather, one of them in August.
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You said thereās no interest in rugby. There was 40k at the Leinster game last week.
Itās easy pull numbers to suit your agenda.
Rugby is only getting stronger, this shambles of a football and hurling championship is a disaster
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14,000 last night at Aviva. Leinster couldnt even sell out a European semi final. Thousands of empty seats in Ravenhill.
Was there 14k jointly between the two provincial football finals?
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The ālook over there rugbyā deniers are in la la land
You didnāt see Kilkenny and Galway last week with 12k at it?
Or Wexford v Dublin With under 10k at it?
I doubt either provincial final broke 10k today.
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Klaxon sounded again
The pro split season GAA crew have the klaxon sounded
Bang of my team is doing ok so fuck everybody else off it.
Hurling is in grave danger of completely dying out in the few areas itās played.
Provincals are a pre season competition now mate. For a professional competition crowds are very poor for quarter final games.
Leinster is a joke of a competition mate.
Starting with the football.
By god.
If the provincials are a pre season then that means 8 months of the season are devoted to 5 games in the all Ireland series
Iām an advocate of Connacht finals in The Hyde. The playing surface in Pairc SeĆ”n is surely the worst of any county ground in the country although thereās ātalksā of re-laying it. Think Casement Park here.
Tuam hasnāt had a ā¬1k spent on it in 10 years by the look of it but Iāve always liked it.
No longer a venue really for a provincial final.
Thats what they are now.
This Super Sweet 16 should be a belter. I was actually labouring under the misapprehension until today that this was to whittle it down to 8. Iāve just found out that these 24 games are going to whittle it down from 16 to 12.
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Run of the mill LOI games getting bigger crowds than provincial GAA finals
Thank you split season
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Joyce has Galway purring