Salthill nicely poised County finals

This is a big weekend on the club scene with 15 county finals down for decision today and tomorrow.

Tomorrow sees the Galway football final at Pearse Stadium, as close to a home venue as Salthill-Knocknacurra could have wanted. Opponents Killererin have been waiting anxiously to see if Pádraic Joyce's near-miraculous recovery from injury stretches to an improbable comeback for this weekend's final.

In the semi-final Killererin overcame Joyce's loss but on the basis that even if he appears he can hardly be at full pelt, the city club have to be favourites. They have been coming close recently and their victory over All-Ireland champions Caltra echoed their close run with the same team in January's replayed league final, a pair of matches that Caltra believe brought them on greatly for their All-Ireland campaign.

There'll be a changing of the guard in Ulster hurling this year. Dunloy, going for their fifth title in a row, were beaten by O'Donovan Rossa in the Antrim championship. Rossa face Loughgiel in tomorrow's county final at Casement Park. It will be the first break in the county's Dunloy-Cushendall duopoly since 1989. The final couldn't be more finely balanced. Of the teams' three meetings this season, O'Donovan Rossa have won one and Loughgiel one with the other a draw.

Among today's hurling matches are the Dublin hurling final. Ballyboden welcome back Conal Keaney from the jaws of suspension for this afternoon's match against UCD.

In Clare two of the county's recent Munster champions, St Joseph's Doora-Barefield and Wolfe Tones from Shannon, meet for the second replay of what has become an epic quarter-final struggle.

Tomorrow sees two significant finals in Leinster with Castletown, in pursuit of a six-in-a-row, taking on Portlaoise for the Laois hurling title and the novel pairing of Allenwood and St Laurence's, both yet to win the title, meeting in the Kildare football decider.