PAT’S 5 BIG GAA TALKING POINTS
SOME of the main talking points from the weekend that was in the GAA.
Jarlath Burns’ encouraging start
THE new GAA president hit the ground running upon formally taking office last Saturday.
The Armagh man has already put together a big-hitting committee to examine football, led by Jim Gavin, has spoken of establishing a licensing system as a means to curb spending on inter-county teams and is looking to take meaningful steps towards spreading the game of hurling.
And Burns (right) hasn’t given any empty promises around shoehorning it all into the next three years either.
More articulate and thoughtful than his recent predecessors, Burns has made an encouraging start.
Dublin hurlers drifting
HAVING lost to Limerick by 18 points on Saturday, by 11 points to Tipperary earlier this month and by 18 points to Clare in last year’s All-ireland quarter-final, Dublin hurlers have now lost their last three games to Munster opposition by a combined 47 points.
And there’s barely a squeak about it, not to mind any outrage. Granted, the big ball will always trump the small one in Dublin but imagine if the footballers embarked on a run anything like that?
Dublin have been drifting since the 2013 Leinster title and, more than two decades after launching an ambitious blueprint for the game in the capital, they’re almost back to where they started.
Alarm bells for Kerry
HEAVY League defeats are often soothed by the prospect of a host of stalwarts on the sideline yet to be phased back in but Kerry don’t really have that luxury after their humbling by Dublin on Saturday night.
Of the team that played, only
Tom O’sullivan and possibly Paul Geaney could be described as automatic starters. They fielded a strong team and were still way off it.
Of course they’ll respond and will present a more formidable challenge to Dublin if they meet in the Championship but Dessie Farrell has reinforcements still to come that will make his side stronger. Jack O’connor, not so much.
Carlow winner turns Division Four on its head
COLM HULTON’S stunning late winning goal for Carlow against Leitrim has set the Division Four promotion race up for a very interesting finish.
With Leitrim leading by two points in injury time, they were set to join Laois on eight points at the top of the table and put a four-point gap between them and the chasing pack.
But now they’re level on six points each with three games to go and even Longford and Wexford – both on four points – will fancy their chances now.
Carlow might be about to enjoy a reward for patience, with Niall Carew (below) in his fifth year in charge.
Monaghan’s long-held Division One status looking vulnerable
THIS is Monaghan’s 10th successive season in Division One, a stretch bettered only by Kerry.
But it’s looking increasingly like their last having suffered three heavy defeats on the bounce now.
It all started so brightly when they maintained their excellent recent League record against Dublin with a one-point win at Croke Park but since then they’ve been beaten by Kerry, Derry and Roscommon by nine, 13 and 12 points respectively, leaving them with the second worst scoring difference (-33) across the four divisions after Waterford (-40).
With fellow strugglers Galway coming to Clones on Sunday, they have no more margin for error.