County finals have yielded to the provincial championships as we move deeper into winter of the split season of 2025. Fintan O’Toole and Declan Bogue tell Ronan Early why this time of year continues to throw up interesting storylines and matches.

The hurler of the year 2025 faces the hurler of the year 2024 as Éire Óg Ennis take on Loughmore-Castleiney in the Munster SHC semi-final. John McGrath and Shane O’Donnell are just two of the decorated players who will line out in a fascinating encounter of the dual clubs, who met on the football field last year.

Ballygunner are heavy favourites to reverse last year’s loss to Sarsfields. We dig into the reasons beyond their Waterford hegemony and extraordinary run of Munster final appearances.

Also, Fintan reckons Ulster club hurling has never been as strong as it is now, but Declan is not convinced.

We chat about the general standard of hurling down to Junior B level - when did skill and athleticism levels across the board go through the roof? How and why did this happen? In these days of extraordinary progress, are there any skills that have been lost from the game?

Plus, for the time of year that’s in it, tangents abound. Should clubs be mandated to go with inside managers? And, most controversially, are Monday clubs not that great?

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The ‘Irish experiment’ began in the 1980s and continues to this day, with Kobe McDonald and Ben Murphy the latest promising young footballers to be recruited by AFL clubs.

But what makes GAA athletes desirable to professional teams in a different sport? Declan Bogue and Fintan O’Toole join Ronan Early to consider the appeal for the Geelongs and Carltons and Brisbane Lions of this world.

Plus, can GAA clubs and counties make staying in Ireland more attractive to talented young men and women - or is the lure of professional sport and the Australian lifestyle simply too great in the majority of cases?

Is there an argument for compensation for GAA clubs and counties? If so, how does that square with the Association’s amateur ethos?

Also today, Fintan and Declan tell us what it’s like to be an All Star judge.

Plus, Declan pays tribute to the great Nudie Hughes.

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Declan Bogue joins Ronan Early to discuss whether the GAA’s amateur status can continue to endure a growing number of players at the top level who are not content with the status quo.

For how long is it sustainable that managers are paid and players are not?

But what GAA administrator wants to tackle this most delicate issue? As Declan says, nobody wants to be in that seat the day the music dies.

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Declan and Fintan join Ronan to discuss the news that we’ll not see Limerick’s history-making captain in the green jersey again.

The lads track Hannon’s career from an attacking teenage sensation to the centre back and brain of Limerick’s multiple All-Ireland winners. Why was this smiley and, at first glance, unassuming man the standout leader in this team full of big personalities?

What happens now with Limerick? How many young players will be fast tracked, as the most experienced campaigners rack up the miles? Or is there a sting in the tail of this great side, a la Kerry in the mid 80s, Kilkenny in the 2010s and Dublin in 2023?

Also, the AFL factor in this weekend’s football finals and Hogan v Shefflin in Kilkenny.

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The likes of Éire Og Ennis, Loughmore–Castleiney, Naas and Dunloy among many others are enjoying life on the GAA’s open dual carriageway, while countless rivals prefer to stay in their lane.

Does being a dual club inhibit All-Ireland success? Or is ultimate success as many people participating in as many sports as possible?

Declan Bogue and Fintan O’Toole join Ronan Early to debate everything dual and wonder whether the demands of hurling and football leave both adult and child players with not a whole lot of time to do other things.

The lads also discuss the upcoming county finals in Cork, Limerick, Mayo and Dublin and exchange views on how much is too much for admission to these games. €25 for the SHC in final in Kildare raised eyebrows at the weekend, but it seems the Lilywhite county are not outliers in their pricing structure.

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Sinead Farrell and Fintan O’Toole join Ronan Early to look ahead to Sunday’s camogie finals at Croke Park.

Can Cork succeed where they have failed previously in achieving a three-in-a-row? Can Galway gain revenge for 2024? And where will this game between the two undisputed strongest sides in the sport be won and lost? 

Also, was Camogie president Brian Molloy right in how he worded his call to arms for supporters to come out in force on Sunday? Everyone from TikTokers to politicians got a shout out as he urged them to put something real behind their skort protestations in May.

. . . But can you browbeat people into going to a game? Might he and the Camogie Association be better off extolling the value of their impressive product; what promises to be a stellar senior final along with the intermediate and junior finals which are also full of intriguing storylines? 

In the second half of the pod, we look at some of the managerial comings and goings in men’s GAA and discuss what will inform Pat Ryan’s decision on whether he wants to give it another crack with Cork in 2026.

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Emma Duffy and Declan Bogue join Ronan Early to look ahead to the Meath-Dublin clash on Sunday, and also to try to pick a winner in the intermediate final between Tyrone and Laois and the junior decider featuring Antrim and Louth. 

Also, we discuss Kerry’s tour de force against Donegal and ponder what it means for both counties, and the direction of the game in the coming years as coaches see what styles of play work most effectively under the new rules.

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Fintan O’Toole and Declan Bogue join Ronan Early to look ahead to an All-Ireland final full of promise and intrigue.

The lads discuss the clash of the totems, David Clifford and Michael Murphy. Which one can shape the day to their will and how will both defences cope with the threat they possess?

Can Kerry thwart Donegal’s hard running? Can the Ulster champions find a way to limit the supply to the Kingdom’s multi-faceted attack?

What would a second All-Ireland title mean for Jim McGuiness, still haunted by loss to Kerry at this stage in 2014.

And how great is the pressure in the clubs and villages and townlands of Kerry to add to the one All-Ireland title that has been claimed since then?

All that and a bit more, including a look back at the hurling final, are coming at you in this week’s extended podcast.

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Fintan O’Toole and Declan Bogue come to us from Croke Park, where they watched Tipperary being crowned the 2025 All-Ireland Senior Hurling champions.

The lads try to make sense of how the Premier County turned a six-point halftime deficit into a 15-point victory, and how Cork managed to add just two points in the second period.

Liam Cahill adds another championship to his collection of underage triumphs with Tipperary, while Pat Ryan and the Rebels are left licking their wounds from another heartbreaking defeat in the capital.

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Fintan O'Toole joins Ronan Early ahead of Cork and Tipperary's All-Ireland final on Sunday.

The lads chat about everything from what it was like to witness pitch invasion after pitch invasion from the wrong end of the ground in 1991, to seeing Cork claim the U21 title in 1997 but not being able to wait for the trophy presentation because your Tipp-supporting father was too vexed to hang around.

On Sunday, which defensive unit can best cope with the opposition's goal-hungry attack? Who will win the midfield battle? How have both managers overcome criticism to get their sides to this stage?

Noel McGrath or Patrick Horgan: which of these long-serving greats will have a fairytale ending to 2025?

And why Conor Lehane is a case study in resilience and quiet determination to anybody who has ever been overlooked.

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Fintan O'Toole and Declan Bogue join Ronan Early to chat about the games in Croke Park on Saturday and Sunday. 

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Fintan O'Toole and Declan Bogue give their immediate reaction from Croke Park as Tipp beat Kilkenny to advance to the final.

A thrilling semi-final, but there is controversy over the final score . . .

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Declan Bogue and Fintan O'Toole tell Ronan Early why All-Ireland hurling semi-final weekend, introduced in 2018, has showcased the sport at its very best.

What qualities from their defeat of Limerick will Dublin need to carry into their clash with Cork? How will the Rebels deal with being clear All-Ireland favourites? Has the four-week layoff been a help or could it leave them undercooked?

The lads discuss the psychology of the Kilkenny-Tipperary rivalry, and ponder who is under more pressure going into Sunday's game.

Also, why supporters of hurling's traditional big three tend to become somewhat unhinged during times of drought.

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Fintan O'Toole and Declan Bogue look ahead to this weekend's All-Ireland football quarter-final action, the two-day Croke Park festival that for many people is the highlight of the summer's championship action.

The lads also reflect on last night's breaking news from Mayo, as Kevin McStay and his management team were 'relieved' from their roles with the senior football team.

If you’d like to sign up to The42, now is a great time to try it out ahead of the defining games in this year’s All-Ireland championship. Simply go to The42.ie/podcasts where you can get your first month for €1 and if you enjoy it, then we’ll give you your first year’s subscription for only €30. There’s no long-term commitments, you can cancel at any time but we’re confident that you won’t want to. You’ll have access to all our written content and podcasts across a range of sports, and in GAA you can enjoy the writing of columnists Paul Keane and Micheal Clifford, while there’s wide-ranging coverage from Croke Park this weekend from Declan Bogue and Emma Duffy.

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Tipperary-Galway conjures images of Joe Canning, Pádraig Maher and thrillers won by a single point. But how much of that is relevant to Saturday’s clash between the pair, who have been off the pace so far this decade?

Also, Declan Bogue, Fintan O’Toole and Ronan Early discuss the nature of sometimes toxic relationships between supporters and players reluctant to venture out following a sub-par performance in a game.

The Tailteann Cup continues to grow in stature - why is this? And is there space for a Junior football championship for counties?

And, why Ciarán Kilkenny embodies the Eamon Dunphy definition of a good pro.

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Ciarán Kennedy, Declan Bogue and Fintan O'Toole look ahead to this weekend's two biggest Gaelic football encounters; Derry vs Dublin and Galway vs Armagh.

The lads also debate whether the Munster Hurling Championship was for once underwhelming.

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On this week's episode of GAA Weekly, Ciarán, Declan, and Fintan discuss the dynastic hurling duo of Kilkenny and Limerick.

With Limerick seeking their seventh consecutive Munster title, and Kilkenny looking to secure a sixth Leinster Championship, Declan and Fintan try to make sense of these dominant outfits.

Can Limerick and Kilkenny get the jobs done for another year, or can Cork and Galway break these protracted winning streaks?

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Declan Bogue and Fintan O’Toole join Ronan Early to discuss the travails facing Mayo football - from headline-grabbing debt, to their manager Kevin McStay having to step back for health reasons and, on the field, the upcoming test of Tyrone coming off the back of defeat against Cavan.

Also, rugby writer Ciarán Kennedy joins us to chat about his wonderful piece articulating the pain, but mainly joy, of being a Waterford hurling supporter.

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