This year’s AIB All-Ireland club semi-finals, starting with Corofin v Moorefield tomorrow, break with one recent tradition but copperfasten another. In the past 10 years clubs from Armagh, Crossmaglen, and Dublin have between them won six of the All-Ireland club football titles and in the past 20 they have each won 10 provincial titles. In Dublin’s case three different clubs have won the All-Ireland since 2008 – Kilmacud, St Vincent’s and Ballyboden – and Ballymun reached the 2013 final. If the 47-year history of the official club championship to date is divided roughly in two, the benefits of experience weren’t as pronounced in the first 27 years as they have been in the past 20. “Crossmaglen have gone through a golden era, winning 19 county titles in 20 years, which is phenomenal.

Source: The Irish Times February 16, 2018 01:03 UTC