The 2011 All-Ireland football championship campaign got under in Gaelic Park last Sunday, but at home it will be another ten days before we get the smell of newly-mown grass on a Sunday afternoon. Since their 125th anniversary celebrations in 2009, the GAA have designated one of the first Sundays in May each year as Lá na gClub where clubs around the country organize their own fun days for young and not so young members. So most clubs will organize have their own events next Sunday.
I know the Echo's associate editor is not a fan of the convoluted "back-door" route, but this system will be with us again this year. Initially the back-door was supposed to give weaker counties a second chance and their have been instances where it has indeed worked. Fermanagh, who have never won an Ulster football championship, got to the All-Ireland semifinal in 2004 and other weaker counties like Wicklow, Antrim and Sligo have had good runs in the qualifiers. But there is no doubt that the system also helps strong counties like reigning All-Ireland football champions Cork. In the old days of knock-out championship if Cork lost to Kerry in the Munster final their season was over. Last year Cork went out to Kerry at the Munster semifinal stage, but they then worked their way through the qualifiers and eventually won the Sam Maguire Cup for the first time since 1990.
Even in their glory days of four in-a-row Kerry never paid much attention to the National League, but Cork has now won two National League titles and the Sam Maguire Cup in the space of 12 months. Mayo was the last county to achieve that feat in 1936-37. The question now is can Cork now go on to make it a double-double by retaining Sam Maguire in September. A few players have quit the Cork panel but manager Conor Counihan still has all of last year's All-Ireland starting XV to call on. Kerry, who should have Paul Galvin back, will be a big threat, but David Moran's cruciate injury is a blow as The Kingdom struggle to rectify their midfield problems. Elsewhere Down seem to be the best hope from Ulster and after the League final it looks very much like Dublin don't have enough leaders when the going gets tough. The chances are that the All-Ireland winners will come from division one; that leaves Mayo, who nearly always implode, Armagh, plus newly promoted Donegal and Laois. So it should be easy for Cork this year!
The back-door was introduced to hurling in 1997, four years earlier than in football. Clare, who had made the big breakthrough in 1995, won again in 1997, but they have been out luck since then. Two years ago Galway opted to play in the Leinster championship to give them more game time, but sadly the Tribesmen seem to depend too much on Joe Canning. Waterford under former Clare goalkeeper Davy Fitzgerald, have gone close in recent years, but it's now 52 since the MacCarthy Cup made it to the Déise. All is now peaceful in Limerick where Donal O'Grady has done a good job re-building the team. The peace process has held in Cork also where Denis Walsh has dropped only one high profile player in Seán Og O hAilpin. Dublin could make an impression this year, but not much is expected of Wexford or Offaly. So that leaves Kilkenny and Tipperary and I fancy Tipp to make it back to back wins on the first Sunday of September.
With Michéal O Muircheartaigh now retired it's going to be a strange summer for GAA fans who like to listen to radio commentaries in their homes or cars every Sunday. But nothing lasts forever and we will get used to new voices like those of: Darragh Moloney, Marty Morrissey, Ger Canning, Brian Carty and Martin Kiely as they bring us the championship action on Sunday afternoons and for those elongated qualifiers on Saturday evenings.
PUNCHESTOWNSWITCHES TO MAY
The Punchestown National Hunt Festival is normally staged at the end of April, but this year we have a May festival to round off what has been another great season for Irish Nation Hunt racing. Racing began on Tuesday (3rd) and continues until Saturday. Kauto Star will be making his first visit to the County Kildare track today (Wed) where he is due to contest the Guinness Gold Cup. The 11 year-old's first visit to Punchestown comes on the back of a fabulous run when third in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Neither Long Run, the winner at Cheltenham or Kauto Star's stable mate Denman will be making the journey across the Irish sea leaving the path clear for Kauto and Ruby Walsh to add yet another grade one prize to an already illustrious career. The main opposition from the home team today will probably come from the Willie Mullins-trained Kempes. Meanwhile Mullins' Hurricane Fly looks certain to start favourite for the Champion Hurdle on Friday. He will be bidding to win this race for the second year in-a-row having pipped Solwhit last year. If Hurricane Fly can win on Friday Mullins has mentioned the possibility of sending him to France to contest the French Champion Hurdle in June. The only horse to have won the Irish, English and French champion hurdles was the legendary mare, Dawn Run, who was trained by Mullins' father Paddy.
DOYLE WANTS TO HELP WOLVES AVOID DROP
Republic of Ireland striker Kevin Doyle hopes to be fit to help Wolverhampton Wanderers try and avoid relegation from the Premiership by playing in their last two games of the season. Doyle, who picked up a knee injury in the European Championship qualifier against Macedonia in March, has made a good recovery and hopes to be back for the game against Sunderland on May 14 and the final game of the season against Blackburn Rovers on May 22. Another Irish striker, Stephen Hunt, has also made a quick recovery from a hernia operation and is already back playing with Wolves. Hopefully both players will also be available for the Republic's away game against Macedonia on June 4.
Goalkeeper Shay Given should also be fit for the trip to Skope in June. Irish goalkeeping coach Alan Kelly said last week that Given should be back in action for the Carling Nations Cup games against Northern Ireland and Scotland later this month. But Stephen Ireland's season is over. The Cobh-born midfielder, who refuses to play for his country, made only two substitute appearances while on loan from Aston Villa to Newcastle United and has now been ruled out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury. With Aston Villa manager Gerard Houlier having recurring health problems, it remains to be seen who will be manager of Villa next season and Ireland's future at the Birmingham club will depend on his relationship with the new manager.
STAR TO BE AWARDED FREEDOM OF CORK CITY
He may be out of favor with hurling manager Denis Walsh, but Cork City Council will honor hurling legend Seán Óg O hAilpin by making him a Freeman of the City on May 27. O hAilpin will join other Cork sport stars such as Sonia O'Sullivan, Roy Keane and Jack Lynch in receiving the Freedom of the City by the Lee.
MS DIAGNOSIS DOESN'T HOLD BACK O'SHAUGHNESSY
Limerick hurler Andrew O'Shaughnessy has been forced to retire from intercounty hurling at the age of 26. One of the most highly rated hurlers in the country when he burst on the intercounty scene in 2002, he will continue to play for his club Kilmallock. O'Shaughnessy, who is a lieutenant in the Irish army, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in November 2009, but he has not allowed the illness to curtain his working or sporting life.
