Five things we learned
FIVE talking points from the weekend’s League finals.
PAT NOLAN
It looks like we’ll have a Championship after all
HAVING lost their first two League games by a point, Dublin proceeded to win the next five by an average of close to 10 points, and without a swathe of recognised frontline players too.
It gave rise to fears that another era of merciless Dubs domination was about to take off but having been bettered by Derry for the most part of the League final, it appears that they won’t have it all their own way this summer after all.
“The narrative that had developed externally around the team, we knew it was not a true reflection of what was going on and that today was going to be a proper examination,” said boss Dessie Farrell (inset) after the game. Penalty shootout shouldn’t mask Derry shortcomings THERE was so much to admire about how Derry went about their business in the League final and they underlined that they are a team of real substance and frontline All-ireland contenders.
But, while they’ll take many positives from the game, the reality is that, like last year’s All-ireland semi-final against Kerry, they failed to finish off opposition that was vulnerable for much of the game.
Credit to Dublin for hanging in, but Derry need to develop a ruthlessness which will be required if they are to win games at the back end of the Championship.
Down flatter to deceive again
THE Division Three final was a poor quality spectacle, though there was no doubting that Westmeath were deserved victors.
Down boss Conor Laverty lamented the fact that his team didn’t play to the standard that they had previously in the competition, which now leaves their hopes of playing in the All-ireland series dangling.
It’s the 12th final in succession that Down lost since the 1994 All-ireland and though the current team can’t be saddled with all of that, they did lose last year’s Tailteann Cup final when, again, the form guide coming into it suggested that it was theirs to lose.
Division Four final
LEITRIM’S participation in a competitive fixture at senior level at Croke Park for the just the sixth time ever meant that the Division Four final carried far more romance than any other over the weekend.
But after goalkeeper Nevin O’donnell’s brilliant point from play brought Leitrim to within two points on 47 minutes, they failed to score again.
The eventual 14-point margin was the largest since Division Four finals were introduced in 2008.
Jarlath Burns’ speech
A GAA president’s ability to find the right words, and names, when presenting a trophy shouldn’t really set him apart.
But there had been so many cringeworthy episodes throughout Larry Mccarthy’s tenure that the quality of Jarlath Burns’ (inset) speech and, indeed, how he delivered it ahead of passing the cup over to Conor Glass on Sunday resonated.
His presidency will be judged by more weighty matters than this, but at least one core fundamental is firmly in place.