Due to the unobliging weather and resulting postponements, the AIB club championships have a busy weekend, with four provincial finals and one semi-final scheduled for the coming two days. By this stage all four of last March's All-Ireland finalists have bitten the dust and of the remaining 16 clubs, only two - Sarsfields of Galway and Kerry's Laune Rangers - have won an All-Ireland.
One of the most interesting fixtures is tomorrow's meeting of Clane and Dublin champions Erin's Isle in the Leinster football final at Pairc Tailteann. Navan has replaced the usual venue of Newbridge where this event had developed over the years into an important part of pre-Christmas ritual for football followers.
Clane's arrival as Kildare's first representatives in the Leinster final this decade explains the move and is also an indicator of one of the championship's enduring qualities: not alone is there no correlation between inter-county strength and club fortunes but there isn't even much relationship between the same county's representatives from one year to another.
This is something that Erin's Isle may have reason to ponder.
Their first-round defeat of Old Leighlin was devastating but any resemblance between the Carlow side and their illustrious predecessors, Eire Og, was purely geographical.
Similarly, Clane have come through this season apparently unencumbered by the serial failure of Kildare teams - including themselves - in recent years. As a club side, they have an impressive array of inter-county talent with nine Kildare players in the line-up.
Capable of varying their style, Clane have an abundance of versatile talent around the middle of the field, where Brian Murphy and Wille McCreery are usually stationed, with available contributions from Martin Lynch and a fluently productive attack.
If the Kildare champions have yet to be tested fully, the Isle have a fairly complete picture of where their deficiencies lie.
Aside from the canter against Old Leighlin, their progress has been hard won.
The Finglas side have experienced difficulties in moving the ball quickly enough to suit their strengths up front. Around the middle the brothers Barr, Keith, Johnny and Eddie, run the show but Ciaran O'Hare and Niall Crossan have been the most likely scoring threats.
Defence is strengthened with the availability once more of J J O'Keeffe at full back after injury, but the team in general will need greater concentration. Against both Edenderry and Stabannon, the Dubliners showed a dangerous tendency to drop off in the final quarter after they had established reasonable leads.
Allowing a side with forwards as sharp as Clane's that sort of closing momentum would be a sizeable risk and unless the old Dublin-Kildare karma reasserts itself, Erin's Isle are unlikely to improve on their good but unavailing display against Eire Og at this stage four years ago.
In Munster, Clarecastle and Patrickswell serve up another dose of Clare-Limerick championship realism at Thurles in this year's Munster hurling final. Last week the Clare team played well against Ballygunner but were completely spendthrift with their many scoring chances.
Patrickswell were guilty of similar profligacy against a well-beaten Clonoulty and got a good run for their money considering their domination of proceedings. The Limerick champions are believed to be more serious about the Munster title than at any stage since they reached the All-Ireland four seasons ago.
Nonetheless, they have a task on their hands, as Clarecastle look notably better than either Wolfe Tones or Nenagh Eire Og, who have beaten the Well in the last two championships.
Castlehaven's ground will try again tomorrow to host the Munster football semi-final with Laune Rangers. According to the Cork county board, no decision on Niall Cahalane's fate had been reached by yesterday evening and so - in the absence of a suspension - his chances of playing are still up in the air.
His presence would be a major lift for the Cork club but even then, Laune look to have the edge as they chase Kerry's first three-in-a-row of club titles.
Connacht stages both of its finals with Sarsfields expected to perform a routine job in the hurling final on Mayo champions Tooreen at Ballinlough this afternoon in Carrick-on-Shannon. Tomorrow, in the football decider, Leitrim's Allen Gaels face Corofin from Galway who are seeking their second title in three years.
Pacy and well prepared, Corofin have the edge in personnel and experience but the home side demonstrated their own fitness with a closing-quarter tour de force which, in tandem with a driving midfield display by Noel Moran, rescued their replay in Sligo against Tourlestrane.
The National Football League concludes, with Cork - minus manager Larry Tompkins who lines out with Castlehaven - hosting Limerick in Pairc Ui Rinn, Roscommon travelling to Ardfinnan to face Tipperary and Clare visiting Wicklow, where there is a change of venue, to Arklow.
