Venue: Dubarry Park, Athlone
Date: Saturday 30^th January 2010

When Cork Constitution and Garryowen line out at Dubarry Park in the AIB Cup final on Saturday it will renew a rivalry that goes back to their first Munster Senior Cup clash at Turners Cross, Cork on 23rd March 1901 that ended 0-0. Garryowen won the replay 6-3 at the Markets Field, Limerick.

Since then the clubs have contested Munster Senior Leagues and Cups annually though obviously not always meeting in the Cup. In the Munster Senior Cup the sides have met on 50 occasions: the record stands at 20 wins to Con, including one walk-over; 24 to Garryowen, with six games going to replays. Within those figures there have been 13 Munster Senior Cup finals between the clubs, with Con winning eight to Garryowen’s five.

In the days before the AIB League, 1960-1990, the clubs met in five Munster Senior League finals with one drawn and Con winning each other time.

Since the advent of the AIB League the sides have met 20 times with Garryowen holding sway in the League series games with 10 wins to Con’s 7 and 3 drawn, including last week’s 6-6 tie. In addition there have been four meetings in the play-off stages, with three finals and a semi final: Con have the upper hand here winning a semi final and two finals, to Garryowen’s one success in the 2007/08 final at Musgrave Park.

This will be the first meeting of the clubs in this the fifth year of the AIB Cup and appropriately it is in the final.

Last week’s drawn League tie confirms that there is little between the teams and the above potted history suggests that the rivalry between the clubs is as keen as ever. The stats speak for themselves, since 1901 in 88 games between the clubs, Con have won 34, Garryowen 35 with 9 games drawn.