The post-All-Ireland county championship is generally particularly sought after and tomorrow in Tuam should be no exception. All-Ireland club holders Corofin take on their predecessors in Galway, An Ceathru Rua, in an eagerly awaited clash which comes after a controversial campaign in Galway and a week of frantic negotiations to avoid the county's ultimate representatives being barred from the provincial championship.

It has been an unfortunate postscript to a sensational year for Galway. For some people the events of the summer have left a sour taste. That two traditional clubs, Dunmore and Tuam, were allowed to default on fixtures without any punishment was seen as unfortunate. But in fairness to the two finalists, both are blameless and would have been very unfortunate to have fallen foul of Connacht Council because the county championship ran late due to the behaviour of others.

One of the reasons why tomorrow's match is so promising is that An Ceathru Rua have been flamboyant and appear to have a real chance of toppling the club which became the west's first All-Ireland winners last March.

Corofin's problem is that such an arduous year is bound to take a toll. Indeed, their performances have been a bit sluggish. Tony Regan was manager of the previous Galway club to reach an All-Ireland final, Salthill, and is familiar with the demands of training through an entire year.

"We found it very hard to keep going and very few clubs make it the second time around and there's no way Corofin will have the same pep in their step. It's very hard to get back the appetite. That will favour Carraroe (An Ceathru Rua) because they're coming from behind. Corofin will be in the dressing-room trying to hold on to what they have while they'll be there trying to take it off them so that they'll be able to say, `We're the ones who took it off them'.

"I remember when we (Salthill) went up to Clann na nGael's ground in the Connacht championship in 1990. We were given very little chance but we knew what we had to do. They were going for their seventh Connacht title but we responded and beat them.

"In Corofin's favour is that they have a very strong second team - which has a good chance of this year's intermediate title - and that keeps pressure on players in the senior side. They also have huge reserves from winning five under-21s on the trot and six minor."

So far, the champions have been on automatic pilot and it's been sufficient. Tomorrow should be different. An Ceathru Rua's star performers have been, according to Regan, substitutes on the Galway team, goalkeeper Pat Comer and Kevin Terry McDonagh. In the semi-final defeat of Salthill, Comer played a prominent role in denying his home club while McDonagh's switch to centrefield from centre back galvanised the winning effort.

"For fellas like that," he says, "this has been a year of training hard with a successful team but watching it all from the bench. They're mad to play. They can't get enough matches."

The members of the winning team, centrefielder Sean O Domhnaill and wing Sean de Paor - who plays a roving centre-forward role for the club, working off O Domhnaill's breaks - have also been playing steadily. Imposing full forward Pat Jude O Conghaile has been in form and is assisted by Mayo's All-Ireland corner forward Anthony Finnerty.

Corofin have much the same line-up as won the All-Ireland and their game still involves a clinical working of the ball into positions from which pacy forwards can be brought into play with quick ball. Dual All-Ireland winning captain Ray Silke will mark his county colleague de Paor on the 40 while Martin McNamara, whose inspirational goalkeeping was a major factor in both All-Ireland wins, backs up the defence.

It's a hard match to call but the feeling is that An Ceathru Rua have momentum and freshness.

The final will make history by being the first county final broadcast by satellite to the US. The venture is being undertaken by the Torc production company that was set up by Galway All-Ireland medallist Frank Burke, whose video history of hurling in the county, The West's Awake, was a big success, and former Galway Bay FM sports broadcaster Paul McGinley, who will commentate, with Galway manager John O'Mahony providing analysis. It will also be broadcast on MMDS.

It's county final time for the All-Ireland hurling champions too, with St Rynagh's - conquerors of All-Ireland champions Birr in the semi-final - taking on Seir Kieran, home of the Dooleys, who won the title in 1995. The Banagher club, with two All-Ireland winning captains - Martin Hanamy and Hubert Rigney - on board are favoured.

Two football finals are taking place in Munster. Moyle Rovers and Ardfinnan square up for the Tipperary title and, in Clare, Doonbeg are expected to maintain their modern stranglehold on the county against Lissycasey, relative newcomers to the senior scene.