TG4 to broadcast all three League Finals

The captains of the six teams competing in this weekend’s Suzuki National League finals gathered at Croke Park to announce the details of the finals.

Cork and Kerry will meet each other in the Division 1 final on Sunday afternoon at Cusack Park. The All Ireland champions surprisingly lost to Dublin in the regular league season but have returned to form to enter the final as favourites. Kerry topped Division 1a with four wins and a draw but the Kingdom’s last major silverware was the All Ireland Championship victory of 1993 and they have not won the Division 1 title since 1991.

Cork lost out to the eventual winners, Mayo, in the semi-final of last year’s competition but won the league title the two previous years. With three back to back All Ireland championships and two league titles under their belts the Rebelettes are enjoying a dominant era much akin to that of the Kerry team of the late 1980’s.

New Cork captain, Angela Walsh said, “Every season is a new challenge and although we have been successful in recent years it can be difficult to maintain the high standards we have set for ourselves. There are a few new faces in the team and this has helped to give us a fresh impetus this season. Kerry have been on the verge of challenging for a major title over the past few years and we know we are in for a tough battle come Sunday.”

Kerry’s Geraldine Ó Sé knows her side go into this game as underdogs but is confident of her side’s chances. “Cork have set the benchmark in recent years and they are a very strong outfit with a lot of strength in depth but we have had a very good season so far and confidence is high as we have yet to lose a game. We know if we play our game we can come away with the result,” said Ó Sé.

The Division 2 title will be contested by surprise packages Donegal and Clare. Both teams finished in second spot of the respective pools but overcame the favourites to book their places in the final. Clare’s last Division 2 title came in 2000 while Donegal lost out to Armagh in the 2005 final. Both the Division 1 and 2 finals will be broadcast live on TG4 from Cusack Park.

Cavan and Limerick will battle it out for the Division 3 title at Thurles on Saturday. The game will act at the curtain raiser to the U-21 All Ireland Football final between Kerry and Kildare and will also be broadcast by TG4. Neither side has ever won a National League title although Limerick did contest the 2004 Division 3 final only to lose out to Wexford. Both sides lost just one game in this year’s campaign and despite both counties finishing second in their respective groups they will now ensure that a new name is engraved on the Division 3 trophy.

Geraldine Giles, President, Ladies Gaelic, said, “The league has served up its fair share of surprises again this year and it is a strong indication that our game is developing across the length and breadth of the country when different teams emerge to challenge for titles each year. The support of our sponsor Suzuki is invaluable in the successful running of this competition and the Association thanks them for their continued support.”

At Croke Park today, Niall O’Gorman, General Manager, Suzuki Ireland, said, “Throughout the league we have seen many exciting games of fast, free flowing football which called for high levels of skill and physical fitness. We have now reached the national finals and I am sure that the ladies of Cork and Kerry and Donegal and Clare will provide us with games of the highest standard. We wish all the teams well including Cavan and Limerick, who have reached the final stages of Division 3.”

Captains, players and mascots ...


Geraldine Giles, President Ladies Gaelic, Angela Walsh (Cork), Geraldine Ó Sé (Kerry) and Niall O’Gorman, General Manager, Suzuki Ireland.

- Pics by SPORTSFILE