HURLING

has its top 12 but there is a lot of work going on to try and expand it to 16. What’s going on in Division 2A is so important. Meath and Westmeath set the early pace and you have Carlow travelling to London and Kildare hosting Kerry today.

That carrot of promotion is a big one. Antrim came up from last year and you saw the pride in rattling Galway in the first round.

If I was down in 2A and had the prospect of facing Galway, Limerick, Offaly and Dublin in Division 1B, each of those games would feel like an All-Ireland. The love of the game is just as strong in those counties.

That shouldn’t be forgotten.