Daingean Uí Chúis v St Brigid's: All you need to know

SUNDAY 18 JANUARY

All-Ireland Club SFC final

Daingean Uí Chúis v St Brigid's. Croke Park, 3.40pm

ONLINE

Live blog on RTÉ.ie and the RTÉ News app.

TV

Live coverage on TG4, with coverage starting at 3.10pm.

RADIO

Live commentary and updates on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1.

WEATHER

Overall dry for daylight hours with the best of the sunny spells for eastern counties. Rain will push into western counties later in the evening. Highest temperatures of 6 to 9 degrees in just light to moderate southeasterly winds. For more go to met.ie.

Referee: Martin McNally (Monaghan)

Kingdom's comeback kings

The inter-county season ended last July with Kerry top of the pile again. Deserved winners, a collective finding their stride when it mattered most. And now their clubs are bringing home the trophies.

Last weekend, An Ghaeltacht and Ballymacelligott took home the intermediate and junior All-Irelands respectively. And now Daingean Uí Chúis, in their maiden All-Ireland senior final appearance, will look to make it a clean sweep.

From ending a 77-year wait for a Kerry senior club title, the west Kerry outfit through no little grit and determination, have booked their Croker date for the third Sunday in January. The contribution of the Geaneys, Tom O'Sullivan and the veritable mix of young heads and old, and you get some sense of the journey travelled over the last three months.

Daingean Uí Chúis dream shone brighter for proud townie Mikey Geaney

In the Munster final, Stephen Sherlock shot the lights out for St Finbarr's, with 0-16 beside his name on the scoresheet. It should have been about the player who recently returned to the Cork ranks. But Daingean Uí Chúis kept in touch and vitally kicked a two-pointer to leave just the bare minimum between the sides as the referee signalled three minutes of added time.

St Finbarr's had chances to nail that insurance score.

And then came that moment: the sight of a referee bringing the ball forward 50 metres. A Barrs player had delayed the taking of a free for the Kerry champs. Conor Geaney, first cousin of Paul, made them pay from outside the arc. He spoke to RTÉ Sport afterwards about getting a good strike and letting the wind do the rest of the work. The elements duly obliged.

After Christmas amid the frosty air at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Dublin's Ballyboden St Enda's provided the opposition in the All-Ireland semi-final. Again, the Munster winners chased shadows, trailing by nine at the break.

Paul Geaney, absent for the opening 30 minutes, was called into the action on the resumption. Daingean Uí Chúis chipped away at the lead, but Ballyboden looked as if they could hold on to their advantage. An orange flag from P Geaney brought the teams level just past the hour mark.

Extra-time ebbed and flowed. The Geaneys, Paul and his cousins, were more accurate when it mattered. Ballyboden were fluffing their lines.

An Daingean's finest were heading to Croker.

A tale of the unexpected? Perhaps.

Worthy finalists? Yes.

With a smattering of inter-county stars and Mark O'Connor, who has delayed his return to the AFL with Geelong, Daingean Uí Chúis have excelled in getting those clutch scores when it matters in games, those all-important orange flags. Paul Geaney's radar is definitely in.

Downside: Starting their last two games slowly. Another come-from-behind win on Sunday in some respects would be unprecedented.

Brigid's look to atone for recent heartbreak

It's two years since St Brigid's last graced the decider. A narrow loss against Derry's The Glen was their lot; a late Conor Glass goal leaving just a point between the sides at the end.

That loss prompted a change of management, with Anthony Cunningham returning for a second spell in the hot seat. Brigid's would subsequently lose their county title to Pádraig Pearses. A year on and the sides would collide again, with the Kiltoom outfit winning back their crown after a replay.

The battle for the Fahey Cup is keenly fought, so leaving the Rossie representatives battle-hardened to some degree for provincial and All-Ireland jousts.

Similar to Daingean Uí Chúis, St Brigid's have found a way to win games with telling scores.

Ruaidhrí Fallon's goal three minutes from time alongside a seven-point haul from Conor Hand was key in delivering that Connacht title win over Maigh Cuillin.

A fortnight ago against Scotstown, an early green flag from Brian Derwin (above) and Bobby Nugent's seven-point contribution saw them secure their Croke Park ticket.

The hurt of two years should drive them on, for they looked very comfortable in the surrounds of Jones's Road on that occasion.

In Conor Hand, Ben O'Carroll and Bobby Nugent, they have able score getters, with veteran Senan Kilbride also chipping in.

Cool character Anthony Cunningham lauded as St Brigid's eye big prize

The bookies have them the slightest of slight favourites to add a third All-Ireland title.

Manager Cunningham has given much to Brigid's so far, this after county and provincial success in the 2000s. The Galway native helping the neighbours, and he would do it again, securing a much coveted Nestor Cup for a football-mad county.

Ticking the All-Ireland box would crown his managerial career and so move St Brigid's on to a third title on the Andy Merrigan roll of honour.

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