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Eight Of The Biggest Cross-Town Rivalries In Club GAA

Eight Of The Biggest Cross-Town Rivalries In Club GAA
Niall McIntyre
By Niall McIntyre Updated
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Moorefield are taking on Sarsfields in an eagerly anticipated 'Newbridge derby' on Sunday evening, in the quarter finals of the Kildare senior football championship.

Some big towns only have one GAA club, such as Nenagh in Tipperary for example, and Loughrea in Galway. Others, like Newbridge, have a split leading to a cross-town rivalry.

There's no rivalry like a cross-town rivalry, and we take a look at some of the best.

Moorefield v Sarsfields (Newbridge)

Sarsfields are the kingpins of Kildare football with 25 county titles in their history but Moorefield have had the better of it since 2000, winning nine of their ten senior championships since the turn of the millennium.

Sarsfields have won six in that time-frame, though they have the bragging rights in recent times, defeating Moorefield in the 2019 county final, and again in the group stages this year.

On that note, it's fair to say the bitter rivals have drove each other on down through the years. It's a north/south divide in the town, literally splitting Newbridge in two on days like this Sunday.

Ballymun Kickhams v Na Fianna (Glasnevin Avenue)

There's sure to be a battle to get the flags up first on Glasnevin Avenue, formerly Ballymun Avenue, should they both qualify for the final of this year's Dublin SFC.

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Players from the Ballymun/Glasnevin played together until Na Fianna split, forming their own club in 1955.

Their cactchment areas cross-over, with some Ballymun parishioners playing for Na Fianna, and vice versa.

St Loman's v Mullingar Shamrocks (Mullingar)

They say familiarity breeds contempt and Loman's and Shamrocks certainly know each other well, given that their GAA grounds are just three minutes apart.

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It's tight on the roll of honour with Mullingar Shamrocks on top on 13 county titles, though Loman's are closing the gap on ten.

Loman's have dominated in recent times with seven of the last eleven titles but it may be a bug-bear for them that they have never beaten Shamrocks in a final.

Shamrocks famously beat Loman's in the 2018 decider though they haven't made it back since, and were knocked out in the quarter finals last weekend.

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Loman's take on Tyrrellspass in this Sunday's semi-final.

Austin Stacks v Kerins O'Rahillys (Tralee)

There was a great scene ahead of the 2021 county final between the two when Austin Stacks completely took over their side of Tralee, starting in Rock St, for a pre-match parade.

Kerins' O Rahilly's Strand Road base is just two kilometres away from the Stacks' pitch with Austin Stacks' chairman Billy Ryle summing up the rivalry well before the 2021 final.

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"Whoever loses will have to hide away for about a fortnight," he said.

Watty Grahams Glen v Slaughtneil (Maghera)

Like Na Fianna and Ballymun, players from the Maghera area played for the same team up until the 1950s when Slaughtneil split to set up their own club.

Brendan Rogers spoke recently on the Sure What Do We Know podcast about going to school in Glen, along with Watty Grahams players such as Ciaran McFaul and Ryan Dougan.

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Both teams are in the quarter finals of this year's Derry SFC.

Slaughtneil have won six titles in their history, while Glen have won the last three.

Abbeyside v Dungarvan (Dungarvan)

Only the Colligan river separates the Dungarvan rivals, with Abbeyside on the east side of the river bank. The sides met in the Waterford SHC quarter finals this year, with Abbeyside coming out on top.

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Waterford hurling captain Conor Prunty hurls for Abbeyside. Sportsfile.

Dungarvan have the historical bragging rights with six SHC championships in their history, with Abbeyside yet to win one.

Waterford hurlers Conor Prunty (Abbeyside) and Darragh Lyons (Dungarvan) run Bridge Coffee together in Abbeyside.

Carrick Swan v Carrick Davins (Carrick-on-Suir)

Only two kilometres separates the ferocious Carrick-on-Suir rivals in south Tipperary, with crowds of up to 8000 said to have attended their games in years gone by.

Davins have two titles in their history to the Swan's one. Davins are currently in the intermediate grade with the Swans in the Premier Intermediate grade, keeping them apart as things stand.

Rathnew v St Patricks' (Wicklow town)

There have been some legendary clashes between the clubs, located just five kilometres apart on either side of Wicklow Town.

Rathnew are the kingpins with 34 senior football championships while Pat's are third on the roll of honour with fifteen.

Read More: The Ten Best Club GAA Games To Watch This Weekend

 

 

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