Munster & Connacht SFC finals: All you need to know

RTÉ News​

02-05-2025

SUNDAY 4 MAY
Munster SFC final
Kerry v Clare, Fitzgerald Stadium, 1.45pm
Connacht SFC final
Mayo v Galway, Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, 4pm
ONLINE
Live blog for both games on RTÉ Sport and RTÉ News app
TV
Live on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player from 1.15pm. Highlights of the weekend's action on The Sunday Game from 9.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.
RADIO
Live commentary and updates on RTÉ Radio 1's Sunday Sport and RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta's Spórt an Lae.
WEATHER
Sunday: It will be mainly dry and bright with good spells of sunshine. Cloud will build a little at times through the morning and for the afternoon, bringing the chance of a few isolated showers, these most likely across the eastern half of the country, but they'll be very hit and miss. Highest temperatures of 13 to 18 or 19 degrees, coolest in the north and warmest in the midwest, in light to moderate northeast winds. For more go to met.ie.
Heightened jeopardy for some after provincial dust has settled
And so to the first of the provincial deciders. Repeat pairings from last year and in the case of Kerry-Clare, it's a third successive meeting. Meath's win over Dublin has seen a bump in Leinster's market value, so could that province be the most competitive going forward? No more talk then of splitting Dublin in two. Thank God for that! Though it was a discussion that did fill some air time on The Sunday Game during Covid.
Of course the championship discussion, that part concerning affairs in Connacht, took on a more concentrated gaze following Wednesday's All-Ireland group phase draw. The winners of the Nestor Cup will have either Armagh/Donegal, Dublin and Derry for company. The vanquished in Castlebar can then start preparing for either Armagh/Donegal, Tyrone and Cavan.
Naturally enough, the 'group of death' tag was applied but if you take a step back, or a 'shtep' as they might say in the west, with three teams from four guaranteed to be still involved come the conclusion of the series, there is less jeopardy.
We can expect some cracking contests, as teams aim to top their section and avoid that extra game before the Croke Park quarter-finals.
For Kerry and Clare, their schedule after Sunday, looks not as intimidating. And so we have the cries that Kerry always get a 'soft, aul draw'. Those in the Kingdom giving a shake of the head and moving on.
Keane and Clare ready to have cut of a somewhat rattled Kingdom
It's as we expected in Munster; Kerry and Clare through to the final again. But not in the way we would have envisaged, as Kerry's progression was nearly derailed by a Cork outfit who took them to the limit and beyond in the semi-final. To the Rebels we give thanks and that's no slight on the Kingdom. In advance of that Easter Saturday encounter, there was much talk of Munster becoming 'something of a doddle' for Kerry.
Of course, Jack O'Connor wasn't having any of that, we wouldn't expect too, but the Green and Gold we all knew were more than a cut above. We know something different now. Cork could have and should have sealed the deal during extra-time on Leeside. A stunning goal from midfielder Joe O'Connor in that period ensured that Kerry noses were in front when it mattered.
O'Connor's men put to the pin of their collar sooner than they expected. They'll take that.
Can Clare also give them a rattle? Well, there were 14 points between the sides in the 2023 final; that margin was down to seven last year. Following that sequence, this Fitzgerald Stadium should finish level. If that were to happen, expect a stampede on social media from those saying 'we well and truly have our provincial championships back'.
The Banner just missed out on promotion to Division 2 and then accounted for Tipperary to reach this juncture. They didn't shoot the lights out in Ennis, always managing to keep their noses in front against game opponents. A goal in each half from Mark McInerney proved decisive as on both occasions it would be the catalyst for a Banner scoring blitz.
Clare's cause this year has been helped by the return of Eoin Cleary and Keelan Sexton, this after much change in personnel since Colm Collins' departure. After Kerry native Mark Fitzgerald stepped down as boss after one year, the county board looked at the same geographical terrain for his successor. Enter Peter Keane, who managed his county for three years, getting them to an All-Ireland final in 2019.
He was the right man at the time after his success with Kerry underage teams. But his tenure with the seniors ended somewhat abruptly after that All-Ireland semi-final loss to Tyrone in 2021. A game that was there for the taking; small margins decided it. You'd have fancied Kerry to subsequently take care of Mayo in the decider. The course of history could have been different for Keane. Instead, Jack O'Connor was cutting his ties with Kildare and heading back south, this after equating Kerry with Manchester United on a podcast.
Keane will have Clare primed, notes taken on how Cork caused their neighbours more than a few defensive jitters.
After being sent off at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Paudie Clifford will be an absentee for Kerry. The game comes too soon for Diarmuid O'Connor, with Paul Murphy (calf issue) and Graham O'Sullivan (groin) also likely to be unavailable. Mike Breen and Tom O'Sullivan are in contention to return.
It all points to another title for Kerry; home advantage an added bonus to a likely victory by around six points.
Defining match of the McStay tenure?
And so for the 95th time in championship, Mayo and Galway will lock horns. It's 2014 since they last met in a provincial decider in MacHale Park, a period when the Green and Red held sway, winning what was the fourth of five consecutive titles on the spin. Lee Keegan, in his column on these pages, said it was a time when Mayo could bully Galway.
Now, it is the Tribes who are calling the provincial tune, and are seeking a fourth success on the trot. Of course, their neighbours would love to throw a spanner into that works. Kevin McStay places great stock on winning a Nestor Cup, this after being pipped late on in last year's final. That was followed by more heartache of sorts when drawing against Dublin and then losing on penalties to Derry in the All-Ireland series.
A trend emerging. Not winning games that matter.
A new season brought a league campaign that started slowly, got better midway through, before flatlining badly against Kerry in the Division 1 final.
They were always expected to reach this Connacht final. That said they did little to catch the eye against either Sligo or Leitrim, though credit must go to that pair for their resistance.
McStay was quite bullish after the semi-final, in that his troops will be ready to go to war with their old foes. This Sunday, you suspect was earmarked just after the Ballina native got the backing last autumn to continue in the job. A Connacht medal now has greater currency, a greater share value than the Division 1 silverware won in 2023.
A prize worth winning for a side now seen as drifting in the All-Ireland market. Connacht finals, though, are often a law on to themselves. A ravenous home support at MacHale Park should help Mayo, but history has shown that that doesn't always carry the hosts to glory.
*Galway manager, Pádraic Joyce played 11 championship games against Mayo between 1998 and 2011, winning six and losing five. Mayo manager, Kevin McStay played five championship games against Galway between 1983 and 1990, winning one, drawing one and losing three.
Aidan O'Shea is playing the best football of his career. You can expect him to roam a bit, no doubt entrusted with trying to disrupt the influence of Galway midfielders Paul Conroy and John Maher.
Matthew Tierney reacts fastest to extend Galway's lead against Roscommon with the opening goal
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Mayo, it's fair to say, have more fires to put out. The Galway attacking threat, even without Shane Walsh, is more potent now, with the likes of Rob Finnerty, Cillian McDaid and Matthew Tierney now all scoring more freely.
As for two-pointer potential, the Tribesmen offer more. Mayo must improve in that regard.
Last weekend gave our first real surprise of the championship when Meath took care of Dublin. Mayo prevailing a week later over their bitter rivals would be a mild surprise. Galway's picture is framed around winning Sam Maguire and boss Pádraic Joyce was very, very happy by the way Roscommon were dispatched on Easter Sunday.
A manager content that he now has the squad to go all the way. The evidence of that was there to see at times against Rossies. More proof of Galway's credentials will be on display in the challenging schedule that awaits after their visit to Castlebar.