Thrilling season ends with final flops as All-Ireland showpieces fall flat
EVERY week we sat down to watch the drama unfold. Then the finales let us down.
These days — thanks to the split-season calendar — the summer is over quicker than a binge-worthy Netflix series.
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Tipperary coasted to victory as they stunned Cork in a one-way hurling final
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David Clifford scored 0-9 as Kerry were never troubled against Donegal in the football final at GAA HQ
Annoyingly, the end-of-season spectacles were not as gripping as the events that came before them.
The latest edition of the Championship dropped on Saturday, April 5 when London and Roscommon kicked off the Connacht SFC in Ruislip.
As is often the complaint, it's a pity it doesn't last longer, but it was a hell of a ride.
Football's new rules gave the game a new lease of life and the weeks rolled by with classic after classic.
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In Ulster, Down's quarter-final smash and grab against Fermanagh set the tone before Armagh's stunning semi-final win over Tyrone and Donegal's showpiece triumph over the Orchard after extra-time.
Galway's fourth Connacht title in a row against Mayo ended matters in the west after a Castlebar cracker.
Louth's first Leinster title in 68 years was one of the moments of the summer after beaten finalists Meath, against all odds, dethroned Dublin in the semis.
The Munster SFC gave us something to shout about too when Joe O'Connor's extra-time goal settled Kerry's 3-21 to 1-25 win over Cork after extra-time.
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Then came the group stages, and its list of blockbusters. Derry's 2-20 to 4-14 draw with Galway, Monaghan's 2-27 to 1-26 win over Down, Dublin's 1-18 to 2-14 victory against the Tribes and Donegal's 0-19 to 1-15 slaying of Mayo were just a few of the belters.
The All-Ireland quarter-finals shook Croke Park to its core as Kerry got sweet revenge against an Armagh team that had beaten them in the last four 12 months previously.
'Aged like milk on a windowsill in July' - Watch BBC's GAA pundits ALL predict Donegal to beat Kerry
While surprise package Meath took another scalp against Galway after toppling the Kingdom in the groups.
Donegal eventually surged past the Farney for the second time this season before Tyrone killed off Dublin and Sky Blues boss Dessie Farrell resigned.
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A rollercoaster season then hit the brakes as the semis were routine for the Kingdom, who routed the Red Hand. Donegal made light work of Meath too to set up what should've been a final for the ages.
But, frustratingly for everyone not hailing from the Kingdom, it failed to live up to the billing as the Munster champions dismantled their Ulster rivals 1-26 to 0-19.
It looked ominous for Jim McGuinness' men when David Clifford struck a monster two-pointer after the half-time hooter sent his team 0-17 to 0-10 ahead.
And that was the case as the classic we all expected never happened.
Hurling had laboured in football's shadow all summer, until Cork stormed to Munster glory via penalties against five-in-a-row provincial hotshots Limerick.
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Leinster reputation as the game's problem child remained thanks to Kilkenny's facile final win over Galway.
But 14-man Dublin flew for the flag for the province by producing one of hurling's biggest shocks to beat the Treaty in the quarter-finals before the Premier stunned the Cats.
As it seemed to many, Cork were All-Ireland champions in waiting when their seven goals blew the Dubs away, and it was going to plan at half-time when they led Tipp 1-16 to 0-13 at Croke Park.
But then it all spectacularly collapsed. The Rebels only scored two second-half points as Tipp powered home in style.
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John McGrath's goal set them on their way and Darragh McCarthy's 55th-minute penalty wrapped up an unlikely win.
It was a hell of a story, but the game itself was over with 15 minutes to go as Cork's self-combustion unfolded.
FINAL CHANCE
Last Sunday's ladies football final was no contest as Dublin burst from the blocks to go 2-9 to 0-4 in front at half-time against Meath. No nail-biting climaxes, all settled nice and early.
Our last chance at a final to savour comes when Cork meet Galway in Sunday's All-Ireland camogie decider.
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The Rebelettes are hot favourites to land a third crown in a row in a rematch of last year's decider.
The Tribes battled bravely in the previous showpiece but fell to a 1-16 to 0-16 defeat and will be out to spoil the party.
Let's hope for some edge-of-our-seats moments in this one — something we've been lacking in our senior All-Ireland finals this summer.
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