John O’DOWD

WAS it a strong National League or not, and how does that bode for the quality of the upcoming Championship?

THE strength of a competition, or not, can often boil down to how it concludes, rather than how it begins. Therefore, in that respect, following on from the Derry v Dublin cracker at Croke Park last Sunday, the National League has to be considered an overall success.

Yes, it was slow to really catch fire. Yes, the horrendous weather hasn’t helped over the last few months. Yes, several teams have been without some of their best players at different junctures. However, the league always does what it says on the tin. It allows counties to experiment, while playing similar quality opposition at the same time.

Dublin, Kerry and Derry were almost universally recognised as the three best teams in the country heading into 2024. Maybe there will be slight disappointment that they all occupied the top three places in Division One. Nobody really threatened to emerge from the pack, whether by accident or design.

As for the quality of the championship, it will be pretty much the same as recent years. The Ulster championship will be as hard-fought as ever, Kerry v Cork will be interesting, Connacht will have two good games, and Leinster will be pointless. After the provincials is the real start.

From Kerry’s perspective, do you think they have strengthened their panel sufficiently, and who is the one player who has impressed you the most and why?

KERRY got what they wanted out of the league. Five wins, a narrow defeat to Derry, and one really abject display against Dublin aside, Jack O’Connor, and his management team, will be relatively satisfied.

Strengthening the panel, and not having any relegation issues, were the main objectives.

While Jack Barry’s defensive instincts from midfield will certainly be missed, Joe O’Connor is making a damn good fist of nailing down his spot. Improving from week to week, his return from the serious knee injury has been important. At the back, however, Kerry will rely again on the tried and tested.

As well as O’Connor, Sean O’Brien and Dylan Geaney have both shown that they will certainly be in the mix for championship places, whether starting or coming off the bench. The Beaufort man’s height and versatility are significant attributes, while the Dingle attacker has plenty of flair and ruthlessness.

Undoubtedly the most impressive newcomer has been Cillian Burke. Like Geaney, it’s a pity that he missed the last three rounds of the league with a hamstring injury. The Milltown/Castlemaine tyro had already shown his immense potential though. Once he regains full fitness, it’s clear that he can add an extra dimension to the Kingdom attack.

Are Dublin the hot favourite to retain their title, or can any team dethrone them? Who could that be?

WHILE Dublin will, to a degree, be licking their wounds following the dramatic penalty shoot-out defeat to Derry in the Division One decider last Sunday, the overall league has clearly indicated that the defending All-Ireland champions remain justifiable favourites to retain the Sam Maguire.

Indeed, when you consider that they started last weekend without eight of the starting fifteen that pipped Kerry last July (plus Jack McCaffrey), Dessie Farrell will be well pleased that he has added to the strength-in-depth in recent months. The Dublin panel looks stronger now than it did in 2023.

The bookmakers consider the battle for ultimate All-Ireland glory as simply a three-horse race and, right now, it’s hard to find fault with that. Therefore, it’s up to Kerry and Derry, in particular, to take on the responsibility of putting a halt to the Dubs’ gallop.

The confidence boost gained from Sunday can only be a positive for the Oak Leaf county. Matching, and eventually, beating Dublin, on Jones’ Road, allied to the presence of Mickey Harte, will have expectations rising in Derry. Kerry, meanwhile, can remain in the long grass for another little while.

What county looks like it could be a disruptor to the established sides?

TAKE away the so-called ‘big three’ right now, and there are maybe five or six others who, with a full squad at their disposal, and momentum on their side, could certainly propel themselves into contention as the championship takes shape. Of little surprise to anybody, that doesn’t include anyone in Leinster.

Donegal and Armagh, who contested the Division Two final on Sunday, are capable of good summers. Ditto Tyrone, if they can remember what 2021 was all about. Mayo and Galway will be there too, especially if the latter get their big guns back. As for a possible floater? Cork.

Having seen the new format for the first time last year, is the provincial / All-Ireland series too bloated with games, or are you excited for a feast of action between now and the end of July?

ANY talk of whether there are now too many matches in the All-Ireland championship is completely redundant, for this year anyway. When you are entering a summer that contains sporting behemoths in the European Championship from Germany, and the Paris Olympics, the GAA needs to put itself front and centre.

The problem, of course, is that the vast majority of the provincial games on offer are simply not going to whet the appetites of the watching public. There will be too many mismatches once again, and while there will be the odd upset, or good news story, that won’t be enough.

Depending on how the groups come together, the round-robin whittling down of sixteen teams to eight will be fairly predictable too. In saying that, while the commencement of the championship on April 6 is clearly ridiculous, we wouldn’t love the game if we weren’t optimistic of a footballing feast.

What three players are you most looking forward to watching in the Championship, and who is likely to be named Footballer of the Year?

WHILE David Clifford will always be among the top three names that pretty much every gaelic football enthusiast loves watching, I genuinely feel that this has to be a huge summer for Rian O’Neill (pictured). If Armagh are to finally deliver on the potential that exists in the squad, the gifted forward must deliver.

The third name, and my candidate to potentially be crowned Footballer of the Year, is the Kerry captain. With all the talk of Derry and Dublin at the moment, Kerry’s All-Ireland credentials are being almost downgraded. Paudie Clifford won’t accept that. He can, and will, inspire his troops.

Four provincial champions, the All-Ireland finalists and who lifts Sam Maguire?

Kerry, Dublin, Mayo, Armagh

Kerry to beat Dublin in the final