Everything you need to know about Na Fianna and their run to the All-Ireland final

The focus this weekend from a Cork perspective is on Russell Rovers and Watergrasshill – as the pair contest their All-Ireland finals tomorrow in GAA HQ.

The following week will see the third of three east Cork hurling teams fight for an All-Ireland title, as Sarsfields take on Leinster champions Na Fianna in the senior decider.

But what do you need to know about the Dublin side, and how have they reached this stage of the championship?

Na Fianna are of course the reigning Dublin champions – having won the previous two titles in 2023 and 2024.

Those championship wins mark the first time the Glasnevin outfit were crowned Dublin Senior 1 HC winners, after having lost the decider in both ’21 and ’22 to Kilmacud Crokes.

Now that’s been shaken, and they’ve established themselves as one of the strongest teams in Leinster, not just Dublin.

TWO-IN-A-ROW 

Their 2024 Dublin Senior HC campaign didn’t begin with the same strength that it finished with – as Na Fianna were made work for their place in the knockout stages, finishing the round robin stages with two wins, a draw and a defeat.

That meant they were into a quarter-final, where the Glasnevin side faced a repeat of their 2023 Dublin SHC final with Ballyboden St Enda’s.

The result was like that of the final in the previous year, with Na Fianna winning by 18 points, an improvement on their 16-point winning margin over St Enda’s in 2023.

Dublin senior hurler Colin Currie landed 1-7 against Ballyboden, while wing-forward Ciarán Stacey finished with 1-4 from play.

A two-point victory after extra time against St Vincent’s ensured Na Fianna were back in the final as Colin Currie and Donal Burke carried the load, combining for 0-17 with three points each from play.

In the final, it was a fourth meeting in four years between Na Fianna and Kilmacud Crokes – with Na Fianna getting over their southside rivals once again, though it was close.

The northsiders were forced to battle back from five points down at the break, and it was Stacey who proved to be the hero as he struck the winning goal deep into additional time.

The win made it back-to-back county titles for Na Fianna - plus the opportunity to avenge their 2023 Leinster final defeat against O’Loughlin Gaels.

LEINSTER RUN 

The provincial championship was another good run – with AJ Murphy rising to the occasion in their quarter-final against Laois side Clough-Ballacolla as Na Fianna won 3-20 to 1-15.

A 1-16 to 0-15 success over Wexford’s St Martin’s in the semi-final ensured back-to-back provincial finals, though this time they wouldn’t fail.

Against Offaly hopefuls Kilcormac-Killoughey and their starlet Adam Screeney, a masterclass from Donal Burke who landed seven from play killed KK’s Leinster hopes, as the Dublin outfit ran out six-point winners and advanced to the All-Ireland series.

With Galway champions Loughrea the only thing standing between Na Fianna and a first ever All-Ireland final appearance, Colin Currie and AJ Murphy again rose to the occasion as they fought from behind to take the win in the latter stages.

Like Sars – Na Fianna have displayed the signs of a good team, in the fact they seem to have a different star on any given day.

Colin Currie is the current top scorer with a total of 34 points across four post-season games, while his brother Sean has also been impressive.

AJ Murphy is another excellent attacking option, having accumulated 2-10 from play across their four games in Leinster and the All-Ireland series.

Wing forward Ciarán Stacey has been exceptional this season, with the Dublin U20 landing at least a score from play in every single knockout game they’ve played this year.

Also in their ranks is veteran Liam Rushe, the 2011 Young Hurler of the Year and two-time All-Star winner.

Na Fianna are a serious outfit and will put Sars to the test. They know how to win from behind, too.

The two are very similarly matched, but if the Riverstown side are to get over the line – it will be for the quality of their defenders and how well they can deal with Na Fianna’s attacking threat.