McCarthyisms: A back door look at Sunday's final

Captain's view: Cork 1966

Gerald McCarthy: (Cork v Kilkenny).

The only player to captain both senior and under-21 All-Ireland winners in the one year, McCarthy led Cork to one of the county's most celebrated successes, recently seen on TnaG. Against favourites Kilkenny, Cork won their first title in 12 years.

"Kilkenny were the hottest of favourites," says McCarthy, "and that took the pressure off us. A lot of genuine Cork followers recognised the talent in the team but knew we were young. Five of us were under-21s, we'd nothing to lose.

"It was upsetting to lose Denis O'Riordan (failed fitness test), but the most memorable thing for me happened on the trip to Croke Park from the Lucan Spa Hotel. It had never happened on the way to previous games. Someone started singing and everyone joined in a singsong all the way to the All-Ireland final. It cooled the nerves.

"Once we got a goal in the second half, we started to believe that we could win. Lots of teams have faltered in sight of the finishing line, but that was one of the most determined teams I played in."

1997: The numbers game

First Point: Stephen Perkins (Dublin) v Westmeath, 2.34, May 18th, Mullingar.

First Goal: Eamonn Morrissey (Dublin) v Westmeath, 2.51, May 18th, Mullingar.

Biggest Margin: Clare (21 points) v Kerry, 18th May, Ennis.

Quickest Goal: Ger O'Loughlin (Clare) v Kilkenny, fourth minute, August 10th, Croke Park. LATEST GOAL: Stephen McNamara (Clare) v Cork, 70th minute, June 8th, Limerick.

Most Critical Miss: John Leahy (Tipperary) v Clare, 71st minute mis-hit in front of goal when trailing 0-18 to 1-18, Pairc Ui Chaoimh, July 6th.

Highest Score: DJ Carey (Kilkenny) v Galway, 2-8, 28th July, Thurles.

Longest Match: Dublin v Kilkenny, 83 minutes (held up for nine minutes because of crowd movement), 22nd June, Croke Park.

Prize For Consistent Selection: Clare's back seven are set to be selected for a ninth successive championship match.

Number Of Replays: None (1996, 2; 1995, 1).

Top Scorers

DJ Carey (Kilkenny) - 4-22 (average 8.5 pts) Jamesie O'Connor (Clare) - 0-26 (average 6.5) Johnny Dooley (Offaly) - 1-21 (average 8) Noel Sands (Down) - 2-15 (average 7) Tommy Dunne (Tipperary) - 0-21 (average 5.25) John Leahy (Tipperary) - 1-18 (average 5.25)

Top Average

John Carson (Antrim) - 0-13 (one match)

Top Teams

Clare and Tipperary - 6-78 (average 24) each

Top Team Average

Galway - 9-40 (average 33.5)

Meanest Team

Clare (conceded) - 2-55 (average 15.25)

Take two: Munster s/f, 1986

Clare - 2-10, Tipperary - 1-11 Cusack Park, Ennis, June 22nd, 1986. A MATCH that created incidental controversy when described by Nicky English as the low-point of his career with Tipperary, a remark that was given another airing recently when Clare manager Ger Loughnane cited it as an example of Tipperary's less than respectful attitude to Clare.

Leading by seven points at half-time, Tipperary still held that margin, 1-10 to 0-6, half way through the second half. In the 53rd minute, Tipp goalkeeper Tony Shepperd was penalised for over-carrying and Gerry McInerney hit the free to the net and the tide turned dramatically. Tommy Guilfoyle added another goal as Clare outscored the opposition 2-4 to a point in the final quarter.

Clare went down to narrow defeat by Cork in the Munster final, but it was Tipperary who were to develop. A year later, under the management of Babs Keating, the county took their first provincial title in 16 years.

Clubcall: County champions CLARE: Wolfe Tones - The first GAA Club in Shannon, called Shannon Airport GAA Athletics and Basketball club, was founded in 1967. In 1970, the club was given the name Wolfe Tones na Sionna and its first hurling championship success, a junior A title, arrived four years later. While the club won the Clare Intermediate Championship in 1983, the 1980s were marked by huge underage success. In 1988, they won everything in Clare from under-12 to minor in hurling and football. The same year they became the first and only club in the country to win three Feile na nGael titles on the trot. Last year the club, the youngest in the county, contested and won its first senior title.

Date founded: 1967. Senior championships: 1. Captain of All-Ireland winning teams: None. Parish base: Shannon. Current players on senior panel: Brian and Frank Lohan, Paul O'Rourke. Population of catchment area: 8,000. Club mem- bers: 200.

Tipperary: Boherlahan-Dualla - The club was founded in 1912, but was based on the ashes of the parish's previous club, Tubberadora, who won Tipperary's All-Ireland titles in 1895, 1896 and 1898. The parish played under the name Suir View in 1897 and Ballytarsna in 1901 and it wasn't until 1912 that the club was reorganised and Boherlahan was established. Between 1912 and 1930 they won nine county senior titles, a period known as the Leahy era inspired by Johnny Leahy, who captained Tipperary to All-Ireland triumph in 1916 and 1925. A county title in 1941 was followed by decline to the junior ranks a decade later, the club not regaining senior status until after their intermediate triumph of 1981. Last year they bridged the senior gap of 55 years. Date founded: 1912. Senior championships: 15. Captain of All-Ireland win ning teams: Mickey Maher 1895, '96, '98 (with Tubberadora); Johnny Leahy 1916 and 1925. Parish base: Boherlahan, Dualla. Current players on senior panel: Conor Gleeson, Aidan Flanagan, Philip O'Dwyer. Population of catchment area: 1,500. Club members: 100.