Ulster champions Donegal will meet Kerry in the pick of the quarter finals after an action packed weekend left us with just eight teams looking for All-Ireland success.
What started with 12 teams vying for ‘Sam’ has now seen the final eight teams through to the quarter-finals set for next weekend at Croke Park with the most eagerly awaited tie pitting Ulster champions Donegal against the in-form side from the qualifiers, Kerry, who eased past Clare in the qualifiers finale with north and south set to collide on Sunday afternoon at headquarters.
Reigning All-Ireland and Leinster champions, Dublin, are now reinstalled as the 12/5 favourites with
Ladbrokes following the quarter-final draw with Munster champions Cork next best at 3/1 to emulate their 2010 glory. Last year’s finalists Kerry are 4/1 to repeat their last glory, courtesy of the qualifiers route in 2009, while Donegal are priced at 6/1 to bridge a 20-year gap since their only All-Ireland win back in 1992.
Connacht champions Mayo are 8/1 for glory with Kildare at 10/1 with
Ladbrokes, 1994 champions Down available at 20/1 and Laois, who stunned Meath in the qualifiers last Saturday, now priced up at 50/1 to finally win their first All Ireland title.
In the fourth round qualifiers on Saturday, Jack O’Connor’s Kerry side set records in their comfortable 2-22 to 1-06 victory over Clare in Limerick as Colm ‘The Gooch’ Cooper hit 1-04 to end Mikey Sheehy’s 25-year reign as the Championship’s all-time top scorer, while Tomas O Se’s 82nd outing put him top of the appearances list.
The Kingdom’s stunning 19-points demolition of the Banner County has seen O’Connor’s charges drawn with in-form Ulster champions Donegal at Croke Park next Sunday with a 4pm throw in. The winners of this plum tie will meet the victors of Kildare and Cork in the last four at headquarters on August 26.
Kildare were unconvincing 0-13 to 0-4 winners over Sligo in the qualifiers as the Lilywhites only managed seven points after a blistering opening 11 minutes when they scored six against the beaten Connacht finalists at Dr Hyde Park. Kieran McGeeney’s men face Conor Counihan’s prolific scoring Munster champions Cork next Sunday at 2pm at Croke Park in the second double-header at headquarters.
The first quarter-finals double header takes place on Saturday when Connacht champions Mayo face a Down side that turned around an Ulster final defeat six days previous to Donegal as the Mournemen, inspired by Dan Gordon, Ambrose Rodgers, Mark Poland and talismanic forward Benny Coulter, saw off Tipperary in a 1-13 to 0-11 win.
The winners of this north and western last-eight pairing will meet either the reigning All Ireland and Leinster kingpins, Dublin, or Laois who face off next Saturday for a place in the semi-finals on September 2nd after the most remarkable result from the qualifiers saw the latter stun Leinster finalists Meath with a sensational 1-15 to 1-12 win in Tullamore.
