Captain's View: Down 1994
DJ Kane - Down v Dublin
Left-half back on the Down team which captured the All-Ireland in 1991, the small man with a massive will to win captained the side to victory from the same position in 1994.
"It was great first of all to get out of Ulster after having two bad years in 1992 and '93 and it was nice to get the chance to go back to Croke Park and prove a few people wrong who may have doubted us after 1991. On All-Ireland final day, we travelled by coach to Dublin, as all Down teams have done, getting a police escort the whole way down. It was relaxing because the journey isn't that long. When we got to Dublin we went straight to the Country Club in Portmarnock, where we had breakfast.
After that we just changed into our official gear and headed straight for Croke Park. "As you get closer to the pitch you begin to realise the extent of the occasion and the size of the crowd. I think it affects people differently, but it always gave me a bit of a buzz, but never to a stage where it affected my performance. The key is to shut the whole occasion out.
"As for the match itself, I only remember a few incidents. During the second half, when we weren't going that great, a huge Down cheer went up to try and lift us and it just hit me.
Another time I remember myself and (Dublin's) Johnny Barr standing together with our hands on our hips. We were just wrecked. Immediately after the game, a couple of officials grabbed me and before I knew it I was on the podium looking down at everything. At that stage, it was just a huge relief.
"With interviews and everything else, it gets a bit chaotic and you just want to get away with the rest of the players. Afterwards, it's such a natural high it takes a while to come down. Winning in 1991 was extremely special, but on a personal note, being captain in 1994 made it that bit sweeter."
Clubcall: Managers' clubs
Kerry: Gaeltacht (Paidi O Se) - In the early part of this century players in the Gaeltacht region played with the Dingle club. The Gaeltacht club was founded in the early 1930s and by 1933 they had won the county junior championship. The club struggled to hold on to players: isolated, many of the region's young men had to move away for work. Michael Ferritter, who won an All-Ireland with Galway in 1934, and Joe Fitzgerald, who captained Dublin in the 1942 All-Ireland final, were from the Gaeltacht. The club contributed players to the West Kerry divisional side, playing in a local championship between five clubs.
The Comortais Peil, the National competition for the Gaeltacht region, was founded in 1970 and that gave the club a much-needed boost. Inspired by Paidi O Se and Sean Long, they won their second Kerry junior championship in 1976 and added two more in 1992 and 1993. The same years they won the county minor championship. Defeated in last year's intermediate final, they are already back in this year's semi-final.
Founded: Early 1930s. Number of county senior titles: None. Players on current senior panel: Dara and Tomas O Se and Dara O Cinneide. Captains of All-Ireland winning teams: Paidi O Se (1985). Parish base: Ventry, Mount Brandon, Dunquin, Ballyferriter, Cil Maol Ceadar and Paroiste Morach. Population of catchment area: 1,400. Club members: 220.
Mayo: Castlebar Mitchells (John Maughan) - Founded in 1885 and named after the patriot John Mitchell, the oldest club in the county won the inaugural Mayo SFC in 1888. They added their second in 1903 before winning four titles between 1930 and 1934. Those sides were inspired by Tom Burke, Paddy Quinn, Henry Kenny, Patsy Flannelly, Tot McGowan, and Josie Monnelly, all of whom were part of the Mayo All-Ireland winning side of 1936, and the teams which won six consecutive National Leagues between 1934 and 1939. The next two decades belonged to the Mitchells, who won 13 county titles in 20 years. Three titles arrived in the 60s, two more in the 70s and two in the 80s. Their last win was in 1993 when they captured the Connacht club championship, but were defeated in the All-Ireland final by Nemo Rangers.
Founded: 1885. Number of senior titles: 27. Captain of All-Ireland winning teams: None. Current players on senior panel: Diarmuid Byrne. Parish base: Castlebar. Population of catchment area: 7,000. Club members: 250.
Minor affair: Laois v Tyrone
Tyrone have made two changes, and are considering a third, for Sunday's All-Ireland minor against Laois. Gary Hetherington comes into the defence following his solid performance as a substitute in the semi-final replay victory over Kerry, with Cormac McGinley, injured in that game, losing his place. Midfielder Conal Martin, who missed the Parnell Park epic through injury, returns as an attacker, at the expense of Stephen Donnelly.
No decision has yet been made as to who will play in goal, with the place up for grabs between incumbent Gareth Maguire and Aidan O'Connor, a regular during the Ulster Championship. Ciaran Gourley moves to full back in a reshuffled defence, with Declan McCrossan moving from the wing to centre half back and Hetherington taking up the left flank in his first championship start.
Laois, the defending champions, will start Sunday's final with the same team as that which finished the semifinal against Mayo. This means that Michael Lambe and Tom Kelly, who came on as substitutes that day, retain their places. Billy Brennan and Shane Hennessy lose out.
Laois (v Tyrone) - M Leigh; P McDonald, E Bland, T Mulligan; D Mullins, J Higgins, JP Kehoe; B Fitzpatrick, D Rooney; M Lambe, S Kelly, T Kelly; K Kelly, B McDonald, M Hovenden.
Tyrone: A N Other; K O'Brien, C McGinley, B Donnelly; A Ball, D McCrossan, G Hetherington; C McAnallen, K Hughes; J Campbell, B McGuigan, C Martin; M Harte, R Thornton, S O'Neill.
