The split season in the GAA is difficult to accept for older supporters like myself who reckon that the provincial championships should be played in high summer, not in the months of April and May. Who can we blame for this controversial split season decision? Covid didn’t help and coping with the pandemic certainly planted the idea of a split season in GAA administrators’ heads. I have yet to meet a GAA supporter who is in favor of this new set up where football games are coming at us at 100 miles per hour every weekend and we have the All-Ireland hurling and football finals being played in the month of July.
Next weekend we have 11 big games in hurling and football in the four provinces. However, the Gaelic Players Association seem to be happy that the club players are being catered for and we have always been told that in the GAA the clubs are the bedrock of the Association. There is no doubt that most humans hate change in every aspect of their life, but in this case mature supporters hankering for the good old days is to be expected. We have had All-Ireland finals played in the month of September for over 100 years.
Kerry's Paudie Clifford. [Inpho/Ryan Byrne]
However, we have to move on. And on Saturday evening many GAA supporters in many parts of Cork and Kerry will be heading to Pairc Ui Chaoimh for the Munster football semi-final between Cork and Kerry which has a throw-in time of 6pm. No disrespect to the other Munster semi-finalists Clare and Tipperary, but the game in Cork on Saturday could be described as the “real” Munster final. Kerry, after their impressive National League final win over Mayo, will be hot favorites to beat Cork, who just about managed to stay in Division 2. David Clifford is the star man in Kerry, but many neutral supporters are gradually realising that his brother Paudie is equally important to the team. I have never seen a player so comfortable when soloing with the ball and when Seán O’Shea missed the National League final against Mayo, Paudie took over the long distance free-taking and pointed a few 45s with ease. When Cork surprised Kerry in the Munster semi-final in November 2020 Peter Keane was the unfortunate Kerry manager. Now Keane is the manager of Clare and they will be favourites to beat Tipperary in the second semi-final which has a 2 p.m. throw-in at Cusack Park, Ennis.
Meanwhile you have to give credit to Mayo, the players and their long-suffering supporters. We know that it’s now 74 years since they took the Sam Maguire Cup home and no doubt the current crop of players have had some serious setbacks in recent years, yet they keep going with players like 34-year old Aidan O’Shea who has just embarked on his 17th championship season. In the past various Mayo managers found it difficult to find a position where O’Shea operated successfully. Right now Mayo manager Kevin McStay is using O’Shea in the full forward line where he is picking off some valuable scores. On Saturday afternoon Mayo should have little difficulty reaching another Connacht final when they play Leitrim in Carrick on Shannon in the first of the semi-finals. The second Connacht semi-final is on Sunday where Roscommon might just fancy their chances of an upset against Galway in Salthill. However, if Galway have Shane Walsh and Damien Comer, both of whom missed the game against New York in Gaelic Park, then I don’t think we will see any surprise result.
And there are two quarter-finals in Ulster. Donegal, one of the favorites at this stage for Sam, should be too strong for Monaghan in Clones on Sunday while I fancy Down to beat Fermanagh in Enniskillen on Saturday afternoon. The latter is a close one to call as Down were relegated from Division Two, while Fermanagh finished mid-table in Division Three, but I fancy an away win for Down.
HURLING GAMES
ALMOST SOLD OUT
Supporters have been selective about the number of Gaelic football games they have attended in recent years, but maybe the enhancements to the rules will tempt more supporters from their armchairs this year. Meanwhile in hurling eight of the 10-round robin games in the Munster Hurling championship are already almost sold out. The Leinster round robin series gets under way on Saturday, but all eyes will be on Munster on Sunday where reigning All-Ireland champions Clare welcome newly crowned National League champions Cork to Cusack Park in Ennis. After their League final win over Tipperary I think Cork manager Pat Ryan was telling the truth when he said he would prefer to be one of the three counties to get out Munster rather than win the League. This year Cork are favourites to lift the Mac Carthy Cup, which was last seen on Leeside in 2005.
When the counties met in the All-Ireland final last July Cork were denied a late free which would have almost certainly given them a replay, but the referee didn’t spot Clare defender Conor Leen tug at the jersey of Cork sub Robbie O’Flynn as he shot for a point. On Sunday, Cork will be favourites to avenge that final defeat and they should get it as Clare were relegated from Division 1A last month. That game in Ennis starts at 2 p.m. and two hours later the action switches to Semple Stadium where Tipperary play Limerick. It will be interesting to see if Limerick manager John Kiely has managed to reinvigorate his team, who also had a poor League campaign. The pick of the four three hurling games in Leinster is the meeting of Kilkenny and Galway in Nowland Park on Saturday afternoon.
GALLAGHER SUES
Former Derry manager Rory Gallagher has commenced legal proceedings against the GAA and its president Jarlath Burns. This follows the intervention the former Armagh star in plans for the Naas club to appoint the Fermanagh native as their football coach earlier this year. Gallagher is suing the Association for malicious falsehood and breach of contract, and proceedings are reported to have been served on the GAA’s solicitors by Gallagher’s own legal representatives.
O’CALLAGHAN
IS NEW SKIPPER
Con O’Callaghan has been appointed the new Dublin senior football captain. The Cuala clubman O’Callaghan was vice-captain to James McCarthy who retired in November. He had filled that role for the past four season. Six-time All-Ireland senior winner Callaghan, who turns 29 this month and made his senior debut in 2016, is only the fifth Dublin captain in 15 seasons, after Bryan Cullen (2011-12), Stephen Cluxton (2013-20), Jonny Cooper (2021) and McCarthy (2022-24).
MATT HASSETT, 93
The death occurred recently of former Tipperary hurler Matt Hassett, at the age of 93. The Toomevara clubman, who also served as president of the Tipperary County Board, captained Tipp to their All Ireland hurling final victory over Dublin in 1961.
