Preview: Christy Ring Cup Final - Derry v Kerry
Kerry hurler Jamesie O’ Connor, left, and Derry hurler Cormac O'Doherty pictured with the Christy Ring cup during the launch of the Christy Ring, Nickey Rackard and Lory Meagher Cup competitions at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile.
Saturday, May 30
Christy Ring Cup Final
Derry v Kerry, Croke Park, 3pm (TG4)
Saturday’s Christy Ring Cup Final sees Derry take on Kerry, with both counties reaching this stage for a sixth time.
Derry are at this stage for a fourth time in a row and a fifth time in six years, having fallen short to Kerry (2015), Offaly (2021) and Meath, Kildare and London in the last three seasons. Kerry’s five previous appearances in Christy Ring finals all arrived between 2010 and 2015, with their most recent win coming at the expense of Derry.
They subsequently contested three consecutive finals in the Joe McDonagh Cup, before last year’s relegation. John Griffin’s side have bounced back from that setback in some style, losing just three times in 12 league and championship matches this year.
Two of those defeats were against Laois in the league, while the third was against Derry in the last round of the Christy Ring group stage. Kerry, who were comprehensive winners over Derry back in January, had already secured qualification before these teams met earlier this month.
Two-time Nickey Rackard champions Derry, whose U-20s recently won an All-Ireland ‘B’ title, recovered from a second-round loss to Wicklow to produce grandstand finishes against both Meath and Kerry. A draw in Trim and a two-point win over Saturday’s opponents saw Johnny McGarvey’s men join Meath on seven points each, progressing with a superior score difference.
McGarvey has led Derry to Croke Park in each of his four seasons in charge, while gradually introducing several youngsters to the team, alongside experienced campaigners like Cormac O’Doherty, Déaghlán Foley and Meehaul McGrath.
The pace of transition to the Oak Leafers’ panel has accelerated this year, with the long-serving Mark Craig having retired and Richie and John Mullan and Ruairí Ó Mianáin also unavailable (the latter joining the county’s senior football squad). O’Doherty is a regular in the Christy Ring Cup scoring charts and he is up there once more with 0-34 to his name, while Foley, Shéa Cassidy and Darragh McGilligan have also been regularly contributing.
Kerry rattled in 20 goals in their first four games, including back-to-back hat-tricks by top scorer Pádraig Boyle. Michael Slattery, Kevin Goulding and Boyle have hit 17 goals between them, with Ronan Walsh and Jordan Brick chipping in with their share of scores. Jordan Conway and James O’Connor also provide experience and nous to this Kerry team as they target a quick return to the Joe McDonagh.
Derry will take heart from their fifth-round win, but Kerry’s otherwise formidable form suggests that it will be difficult to take them down twice in a row.
KERRY: Conor Bohane; Eric Leen, Sean McGrath, Kyle O'Connor; James O'Connor, Jason Diggins, Michael Leane; Kevin Goulding, Hugh Lenihan; Tom Doyle, Ronan Walsh, Jordan Brick; Gavin Dooley, Padraig Boyle, Michael Slattery. Subs: Diarmuid Quirke, Dara Kearney, Adam Segal, Liam Óg O'Connor, Ivan Conway, Seamie Foran, Luke Rochford, Jordan Conway, Daniel Casey, Keith Carmody, Oisín Maunsell
DERRY: Sean Kelly; Jamie Lee McGlade, Patrick Turner, Cathair McGilligan; Eamon Cassidy, Meehaul McGrath, Conor Coyle; Cormac O'Doherty, Thomas Brady; Connor Melaugh, Joseph Mulholland, Darragh McGilligan; Rian Collins, Shea Cassidy, Deaghlan Foley. Subs: Eoin Mullholland, Eunan Boylan, Andy McBride, Conor McGurk, Sean Quinn, Eamon McGill, Tiernan Melaugh, Michael Lynch, Ryan McGarvey, Eoin Scullion, Ryan McGill
Derry’s Christy Ring Cup scorers 2026: Cormac O’Doherty 0-34 (22f); Déaghlán Foley 1-14; Shéa Cassidy 2-10; Darragh McGilligan 1-7; Rían Collins 2-2; Joseph Mulholland 2-0; Conor Coyle 0-4 (1f); Éamon McGill 1-1; Éamon Conway, Thomas Brady 0-3; Meehaul McGrath, Eunan Boylan, Seán Martin Quinn, Conor Melaugh 0-2; Éamon Cassidy, Fintan Bradley, Ruairí Biggs 0-1.
Kerry’s Christy Ring Cup scorers 2026: Pádraig Boyle 6-30 (1-0 pen, 0-21f, 0-1 ‘65); Michael Slattery 5-6; Ronan Walsh 0-20 (15f); Kevin Goulding 6-2 (0-1f); Jordan Brick 1-10; Tom Doyle 0-8; Luke Rochford 2-2; Ivan Conway 0-5; Evan Murphy 0-4; Gavin Dooley, Liam Óg O’Connor 0-3 each; James O’Connor, Michael Leane 0-2 each; Hugh Lenihan, Jason Diggins, Jordan Conway, Cillian Litchfield 0-1 each.
Christy Ring Cup top scorers 2026:
Pádraig Boyle (Kerry) 6-30
Tom Shine (Meath) 1-44
Cormac O’Doherty (Derry) 0-34
Pádraig Doyle (Wicklow) 2-28
Liam McKinney (Donegal) 0-29
Having hit hat-tricks in rounds two and three, Kerry full-forward Pádraig Boyle is the Christy Ring Cup’s top scorer with 6-30, a point more than Meath’s Tom Shine on 1-44. Derry’s Cormac O’Doherty makes the top five for a ninth consecutive year, currently sharing third place with the leader’s near-namesake, Pádraig Doyle of Wicklow. Donegal’s Liam McKinney is in line to finish fifth, barring a prolific final for some forwards from Kerry or Derry.
