Historic final will be Hogan's last stand

Even accounting for the last All-Ireland of the millennium and all that, tomorrow's football final between Cork and Meath promises to be one of the more historic occasions in the long tradition of the GAA.

Cork travel to Croke Park in search of a football-hurling double, adding extra incentive in their quest for the Sam Maguire Cup. In the 115-year history of the Gaelic Association, the double has been pulled off only four times previously: Tipperary in 1895 and 1900, Cork in 1890 and again in 1990.

Two Sundays ago, Jimmy Barry-Murphy's young hurlers upset the highly-fancied Kilkenny side to win the McCarthy Cup and set up the potential double. Now the footballers, under manager Larry Tompkins, will attempt to do something similar over Meath.

The last Cork double was in 1990 when the sides previously met in an All-Ireland final. The bookmakers are giving the slight advantage to Meath on this occasion, but few teams like to arrive in Croke Park carrying the favourites tag.

Both counties have a total of six All-Irelands each, and this month also marks the golden jubilee of Meath's first All-Ireland championship at senior level when they beat Cavan in September 1949.

Historic also in that the Hogan Stand as we know it will witness a senior men's final for the last time. For over 40 years it has been packed to capacity on All-Ireland Sunday, but the demolition men will move in to complete the redevelopment at Croke Park after the women's football final next weekend.

And should Cork come out on top tomorrow, only one member of the team will have a true claim to a winning hand in both achievements. Sean Og O hAilpin was instrumental in keeping Cork's hurling defence intact against Kilkenny and tomorrow he will play a similar role against Meath.

When Cork last took home the double nine years ago, O hAilpin was just a scrawny 13-year-old settling into the foreign surroundings of Cork city, having grown up in Australia, the sporting son of a Fermanagh-born father and a Fijian mother.