A top 10 of the standout games from 2025
Cork's Diarmuid Healy holds off Limerick's Kyle Hayes during the Munster SHC final at TUS Gaelic Grounds. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
With 2025 almost complete and another year in the books, it’s as good a time as any to go back and pick out the most memorable games from the year gone by.
There’s no grand methodology at play here, other than this. They are all matches I attended in the course of the job. And for the sake of argument – and a bit of fun – why not line them up as a top ten?
A slightly left-field selection, perhaps, but one that stuck out. In Newmarket, Clyda Rovers arrived as clear underdogs and promptly tore up the script, pushing Knocknagree all the way in a contest few gave them a chance in. An example as good as any of the success of football’s new rules.
Relentless, breathless, and utterly absorbing. The most entertaining PSHC game I attended all year. Championship hurling at its best, stretched to the very limit.
The only league game on this list, and the best one by a long shot. A pulsating final, full of momentum swings, drama and nerve. In hindsight, it set the tone for what turned into the most compelling PSFC in years.
What a battle this one was in Portlaoise. Cork two clear as the hooter sounded, Roscommon throwing everything at one last chance. Daniel O’Mahony’s touch, Seán Powter’s recovery, the ball driven over the sideline – and release.
Pure chaos, in the best possible way. Five goals, a red card, extra time, and an astonishing individual return of 1-23 from Sam Ring. Played at ferocious pace in the Mardyke, this one bordered on disbelief.
My personal favourite among the county football games. Ballinora’s shock win over Kilmurry was compelling enough on its own, but the post-match scenes elevated it further. All the sweeter knowing what followed, as Ballinora went on to finish the job.
Not GAA, but had to be included. In a difficult year, this was the rare afternoon when Cork City supporters were rewarded with something. Turner's Cross was alive, the performance was incredible, and seeing Seani Maguire on the scoresheet felt fitting.
Favourite club hurling game of the season, by far. The very best from two premium Cork sides, and a battle that went down to the wire. Fewer games match this one for quality.
As bizarre as it was impressive. I’ve not seen a comeback like this one in a long, long time. Midleton scored 3-2 in the last six minutes to turn a 10-point deficit into a one-point win. In a final.
It could only be this. The end of a long, bruising wait, achieved against the team that had tormented Cork in Munster for far too long. Eighty minutes couldn’t separate them. Extra-time couldn’t.
That penalty shoot-out in the Gaelic Grounds? Unmatched.
App?
