For only the third time since the All-Ireland quarter-finals were introduced in 2001, no Ulster team has made it to the last four of the race for Sam, the previous ‘Ulsterless’ semis falling in 2006, 2007 and 2016.
With various structural changes – including 2020 and 2021, when the championship reverted to knock-out due to Covid-related restrictions – there have now been 22 renewals of the All-Ireland quarter-finals.
For the record, Ulster have been represented 60 times at the last-eight stage, Leinster 42, Munster 40 and Connacht 34. Impressively, eight of the nine Ulster counties have featured in the quarter-finals at least once.
Leaving aside 2020 and 2021, Ulster teams have reached the All-Ireland semi-finals on 28 occasions in the back door era – but the northern province won’t be represented this year.
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Darren McCurry evokes memories of Frank McGuigan against Kerry
Frank McGuigan’s 0-10 haul in the 1984 Ulster final has been referenced many times since his passing last month and while Darren McCurry’s 0-10 on Saturday won’t be quite as famous, it was still extraordinary considering he only came on after 43 minutes.
McCurry famously told a reporter after the 2021 All-Ireland final, when he capped off a brilliant season with his first Celtic cross, “I just had to get myself back to Dazzler”. The Edendork man was certainly back there against Kerry, with GAA Plus commentators Dave McIntyre and Marc Ó Sé commenting on his longevity.
“He has scored 12 points in his career against Kerry in championship football, this is the seventh time he’s faced them,” McIntyre noted as Dazzler was introduced.
“One of those was off me back in 2012, that’s how long he’s around the place now. Only the one though, Dave,” replied Ó Sé.
Eunan Lindsay, the man described by Malachy Clerkin of this parish as “the great bible keeper of Tyrone football”, later confirmed on Twitter that McCurry has now overtaken Peter Canavan as the county’s all-time top scorer.
“This isn’t factoring in new money as they say – adjusted for 2 pointers the wee man is still marginally ahead,” Lindsay clarified.
Number: 9
Times Monaghan and Louth were level at Croke Park yesterday.
Galway veteran Paul Conroy falls just short
Spare a thought for Paul Conroy, whose championship debut for Galway was in May 2008, when he scored 0-6 for a side captained by current manager Pádraic Joyce.
When Joyce retired in 2012, it meant there were no remaining All-Ireland SFC medallists on the Galway panel, which remains the case.
Conroy played through some dark times. While he came off the bench to score the winning point in the Connacht final in his debut season, it would be eight years before the Tribesmen got their hands on the Nestor Cup again.
Galway operated in Division Two of the National League for almost his entire 20s and he didn’t win his first All-Star till his 17th season in maroon. Conroy landed a fine two-pointer yesterday - but–it wasn’t enough.
Munster continues to dominate minor hurling
Results suggest that Munster’s dominance at senior level in hurling is mirrored in the minor grade. On Saturday, Limerick claimed their first All-Ireland title in the grade since 1984.
Their one-point win over Tipperary was the second all-Munster decider in succession and, amazingly, the Treaty became the fifth different county from the province to win the Irish Press Cup since in six years, after Cork (2021), Tipperary (2022 and 2024), Clare (2023) and Waterford last year.
2026 Leinster Minor Championship finalists Galway (who won by a point after extra time) and Kilkenny were well beaten in the All-Ireland series by Limerick and Cork respectively.
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Mayo footballers are mad yokes, aren’t they?
The opening line of former county player Mark Ronaldson’s column in the Western People last week. Hard to argue, to be fair ...
