ONE OF THE greatest rivalries in Irish sport is renewed this evening.<\/p>\n
The greatest in ladies football, without a shadow of a doubt, anyway, as arch-rivals Cork and Dublin enter familiar territory; battling it out for silverware on the biggest stage.<\/p>\n
\n Cork captain Martina O’Brien and Dublin’s history-making skipper Sin\u00e9ad Aherne.<\/p>\n
Source: Brendan Moran\/SPORTSFILE<\/p>\n
Croke Park hosts the Lidl Ladies National Football League Division 1 final [throw-in 7.30pm, live on TG4], in a move away from its traditional Parnell Park stage. But\u00a0 untraditional, or unconventional, has been the running theme of the last 15 months.<\/p>\n
For the second weekend in-a-row, fans will be present at Gaelic games HQ once again, this double-header \u2014 the Division 2 final takes place beforehand \u2014 forming the basis of a Government-approved test event for spectators.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a welcome change from last December\u2019s All-Ireland final at the eery, empty venue, when Dublin came out on top of a typically ferocious battle to lift the Brendan Martin cup for the fourth year in-a-row.<\/p>\n
It meant that for the 16th consecutive season, one of the two old enemies finished up as All-Ireland champions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no question about it, these two great teams have dominated the ladies football landscape over the past decade and-a-half. Well, certainly when it comes to championship matters.<\/p>\n
The late Eamonn Ryan\u2019s legendary Rebels lifted the silver 11 times in 12 years between 2005 and 2016, with the Sky Blues winning their first in 2010 to break the chain. Dublin have, of course, since won four-in-a-row, after suffering three decider defeats on the bounce to them.<\/p>\n
Their rivalry, and mutual respect, is one like no other in the game, the sides guaranteed to cross swords in the business end of competitions each and every year.<\/p>\n