GAELIC GAMES:WITH PERFECT timing the GAA's bumper weekend is upon us. The Euros are over, the Olympic juggernaut is coming but the next 48 hours belong to Gaelic games.
Two provincial finals. One in football, the other hurling. Eight big-ball qualifiers, two hurling.
Not a Dublin or Kilkenny mug in sight but a feast of activity for everyone else. Normally a Munster hurling final would command top billing regardless of rival sports. Only 28,000 are expected at Páirc Uí Chaoimh tomorrow as Waterford seek to atone for last year’s seven-goal shellacking at the hands of Tipperary.
There will be Lar. There will also be a 39-year-old. Tony Browne kept on training into this summer – his 20th on active championship duty – and has regained his place at right wing back. Incidentally Lar Corbett is down to mark him. Lazarus and, well, Lazarus.
There’s more. Sligo will attempt to wrestle the Connacht football crown from Mayo at Dr Hyde Park. There will be no Mortimer’s on show but Conor Mortimer helpfully tweeted his 6,752 followers yesterday in an attempt to divert from the commotion he caused when quitting the Mayo panel last Tuesday.
“Mayo football is bigger than any player always has and always will be so can people just concentrate on getting behind the team for the game on Sunday. I have even as a player always been a huge supporter and will be again this weekend.”
Damage limitation perhaps following a Mortimer family statement, read out on local radio Thursday night, attacking manager James Horan’s treatment of Conor and Mayo’s current style.
That’s not all. Semple Stadium in Thurles hosts a triple header today with Wexford endeavouring to beat Tipperary in football and Cork in hurling qualifiers, with Limerick versus Clare (part IV) following at 7pm. There are other football qualifiers on show today in Belfast, Carrick-on-Shannon, Roscommon and Leitrim.
Tomorrow sees Kerry up in Mullingar, Monaghan down in Portlaoise and last, but by no means least, Kildare and Cavan at Breffni Park. This would be a straight-forward football qualifier if Seanie Johnston hadn’t switched allegiance from Cavan to Kildare. This is the first time Johnston is eligible to play for the Lilywhites. Sure enough, fate decreed he must face former team-mates right out the gate.
All told, the most convoluted championship weekend will see attendance figures break 100,000.
The qualifier draw for both football and hurling takes place on Monday morning on RTÉ Radio 1 at 7.30am (hurling) and 8.30am (football).
