Jack McKay

Football’s new rules continue to shine a positive light on the game with every passing weekend of action. Sunday’s Kilbrin showdown between Kanturk and Kilshannig saw the orange flag raised 11 times during their quarter-final. But dissent rose to prominence too. Kanturk gifted their opponents a couple of handy two-pointers, giving oxygen to Kilshannig's comeback, and they even lost Alan Walsh after he picked up a second yellow card near the end.

Castletownbere preserved their Premier Intermediate FC status for 2027 in the most dramatic of ways, Declan Dunne delivering the heroics in added time to send Glanmire down a step. But, given the geographical challenges the Beara side are forced to endure, it meant a little more than it ordinarily would for manager Lorcan Harrington and his team. Numbers are a huge issue for rural clubs; Harrington confirmed as much, with few players coming through.