Eight GAA Powerhouses Who Suffered Shock Exits In Dramatic Weekend Of Club Action

Last weekend was one full of big shocks in club football, with a number of much fancied clubs eliminated in various GAA championships around the country.

If you were a giant, you probably got flattened. From Derry to Kerry, almost it seemed that most powerhouses in the country hit the canvas as favourites tumbled out of their county championships. Glen are gone. Corofin are beaten. East Kerry were hammered.

Here’s the breakdown of what was a chaotic, brilliant, and utterly unpredictable weekend across the country.

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Glen (Derry)

O’Donovan Rossa Magherafelt blew apart Glen's quest to regain their Derry title at the semi-final stage, winning 4-15 to 1-13 at Owenbeg.

Glen, who were All-Ireland winners in 2023, have failed to reach the county final for the first time since 2020.

Corofin (Galway)

Corofin’s stranglehold on Galway football loosened in dramatic fashion as Salthill-Knocknacarra dumped the champions out 1-17 to 1-15 at Pearse Stadium.

The three-in-a-row chasers couldn’t find their usual second-half surge, with Salthill’s late goal proving the difference. It’s only the third occasion in 12 years that Corofin won’t even feature in the county final.

Crossmaglen (Armagh)

Crossmaglen Rangers threw away a nine-point lead in one of the wildest Armagh semi-finals in memory. Cullyhanna St Patrick’s roared back to win 1-21 to 0-23.

Crossmaglen were big favourites to reclaim the county title that they gave up in 2024, but instead Cullyhanna will contest their first final in nine years after one of the upsets of the season.

Clann Éireann (Armagh)

The reigning champions in Armagh were also eliminated over the weekend. Madden Raparees beat Clann Éireann 0-14 to 0-11, knocking out the 2024 winners and booking their first county final since 1998.

East Kerry (Kerry)

The biggest shock of them all came in Kerry.

East Kerry, with David Clifford leading the line, were well beaten on a scoreline of 1-20 to 0-9 by Rathmore in the quarter-final. A 14-point deficit is certainly one that raised quite a few eyebrows in the Kingdom.

Rathmore scored 0-14 without reply in the second half.

Cargin (Antrim)

You know the club season has gone mad when a hurling powerhouse wins the football. Dunloy Cuchullains ended Erin’s Own Cargin’s four-in-a-row dream with a 3-12 to 2-8 victory in the Antrim final, their first football title since 1936.

Cargin had been the dominant force in the county for the last decade, but Dunloy’s shock win will go down as one of Antrim’s all-time great championship stories.

Gowna (Cavan)

Cavan’s back-to-back champions Gowna were dismantled in the county final as Kingscourt Stars won 2-16 to 0-13.

The Stars, who hadn’t lifted the Oliver Plunkett Cup in ten years, avenged their 2023 loss to the same opposition in style. Two late goals sealed it and confirmed another chapter in this weekend’s festival of upsets.

Errigal Ciarán (Tyrone)

Errigal Ciarán’s defence of their Tyrone crown ended in heartbreak. Trillick edged them out 1-13 to 1-11, ending Errigal’s hopes of going back-to-back after their 2024 All-Ireland final run.

It’s the third time in four years Tyrone’s title has changed hands.

A Weekend For The Underdogs

When you look at the list Glen, Corofin, Crossmaglen, Clann Éireann, East Kerry, Cargin, Gowna, Errigal, all gone, it’s hard to remember a weekend with this many heavyweights dumped out. If you ever needed proof that club football doesn’t care for reputation, this was it.

New names are coming for county titles, and after this weekend, absolutely nothing in the club championships can be called predictable.