Of the 10 counties that have achieved the remarkable feat of claiming a provincial senior football and hurling title in the same year, Dublin are ranked second – now just one behind Cork’s total of 14.
It’s not at all surprising that the strong dual counties of Cork and Dublin sit at the top of the leaderboard – with another traditional giant of both codes, Galway, coming in third, with eight double-winning seasons.
What’s more surprising, perhaps, is some of the other counties that have claimed both titles in the same summer. On seven occasions Antrim have taken both the senior football and hurling championships crowns in Ulster, and, believe it or not, Monaghan have done it too.
Wexford and Offaly have both twice done a clean
sweep of the Leinster senior
championships, while
Tipperary and, remarkably, Kilkenny, have completed the double three times each.
In fact, Tipp and Kilkenny were part of an unusual
1900 season when the double was completed in all four provinces – albeit there was no challenger to the Antrim hurlers in Ulster or to the Galway footballers in
Connacht.
And Mayo are unlikely to ever add to their achievement of claiming the double in 1909. The score for Mayo’s one and only victory in a Connacht senior hurling final is recorded as Mayo 10-1 Galway 4-1.
What a match that must have been.
NUMBER (& LETTER) OF THE DAY – 1B
The number and letter of the month. After endless talk for months from managers and commentators about the 'huge gap' between Division 1A and Division 1B in the hurling league, the Munster and Leinster champions come from the second tier.
AGAINST THE ODDS
Too late now, but both games to finish level in Thurles on Saturday night was 224/1
What has happened Kilkenny's goal-fest?
2004 – 13 goals, 6 matches
2005 – 10 goals, 4 matches
2006 – 7 goals, 5 matches
2007 – 8 goals, 5 matches
2008 – 11 goals, 4 matches
2009 – 8 goals, 4 matches
2010 – 9 goals, 4 matches
2011 – 9 goals, 4 matches
2012 – 15 goals, 6 matches
2013 – 2 goals, 5 matches
(so far)
QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND
"The big question for everyone here in Thurles today is will Dan Shanahan line out at full forward."
RTÉ's Martin Carney before Waterford's clash with Kilkenny. He meant Maurice, of course – but, oh, how Waterford could have done with the 2007 Hurler of the Year. Strange, that the closest in recent years Waterford has come to beating Kilkenny was a team without Dan the Man, John Mullane, Eoin Kelly or Ken McGrath
FOOTBALL AT CROKER WITH HELMETS
There were strong rumours last week that American football was coming back to Ireland and yesterday it was confirmed that University of Central Florida will play Penn State University on Saturday, August 30th, 2014 at Croke Park.
Part of the Penn State’s punishment for the recent scandal that involved their former assistant football coach and child sex abuser Jerry Sandusky was a four-year post-season football ban.
Since that sanction was handed down by the NCAA, Penn State has been on the lookout for a game that would simulate a bowl atmosphere.
Dublin, they’re hoping, will fulfill that requirement.
However, if you just can't wait until next year, the
Irish American Football Association are hosting Shamrock Bowl XXVII, between Belfast Trojans and Dublin Rebels, in Tallaght Stadium next Saturday.
TWITTER TWADDLE
Darran O'Sullivan @Darransull86
Bit late with this but big congrats to the Kerry ladies on their Munster championship success! Huge achievement well done
HurlingFacts @HurlingFacts
#kilkenny have drawn 3 times in the last year. Before this this they had only drawn once in the previous 19 years. #gaa
Second Captains @SecondCaptains
Donal O'Grady delivers the first non-shouting captains speech in GAA history
Brian Carroll @BrianCarroll13
Scandalous decision to send off Pat Horgan. He connected alright but by no means a sending off!! Isn't that what helmets are for?? #mansgame
