HOW useful will experience be in tomorrow's club finals? Normally, experienced teams are at an advantage but the club championships, primarily because of their interminable structure, are an exception.
Only three clubs, two football and one hurling, have retained the All Ireland and no club has come back from losing an All Ireland final to win the following year's. In fact, only three hurling and two football teams have gone on to recover from defeat and win a future All Ireland in the 25 year history of the championship.
These precedents matter tomorrow because each of this year's finals features a team with something to prove from the recent past. One reason experience appears to pay such a poor dividend is the length of the season, which makes it almost physically impossible to rack up county and provincial titles for two consecutive years.
In tomorrow's hurling final (2.0), Dunloy have completed a quick response to intense disappointment last year. Questions may be asked about Glenmore's state of readiness in the semi final but if it was less than appropriate, there's no doubt that Dunloy punished the Leinster champions remorselessly for the disrespect.
The full forward line of Eamonn McKee, Greg O'Kane and Alistar Elliott chipped in nearly half the team's scores and right down the centre of the team, from Tony McGrath - who has struggled to reproduce exceptional form from earlier in his career - through to Paul Molloy at the back, the team looked formidable.
If Dunloy made waves by the manner of their opening, Sixmilebridge have done so by their second half displays. Their progress has been testimony to a range of virtues, from lovely striking from distance by John Chaplin to goal poaching acumen from Gerry McInerney and industrial power from Noel Earlie at midfield and Flan Quilligan.
The reason the Claremen are fancied here is their steadier tempo, improving through the season, and the fact that Dunloy may have unwittingly used up a bit much of the tank against Glenmore.
Carlow's Eire Og face Laune Rangers in the football final (3.30) with the 1993 final still jangling their nerves. Their public embrace of a sports psychologist may be part of a process of recognition but there's no doubt they have improved this year.
Facing down the surprise threat of An Tochar in the Leinster final was preceded by some stirring comebacks against Clane and Portarlington. In the All Ireland semi final against Mullaghbawn, Eire Og established a good lead and maintained it rather than listlessly watch it evaporate.
A bit too much attention is paid to their collective physique when the team's cutting edge comes from smaller lively for wards and pacy backs but that solid presence in the middle - Colm Hayden, Garvan Ware and Hughie Brennan - gives them options.
Laune say their preferred game is a direct one, and that makes sense in the light of Liam Hassett's talents at full forward. But the team looks as comfortable running the ball, given Tim my Fleming's distributive powers and Billy O'Shea's pace.
This common ability to use it short and also hit early ball could make for an explosive final. The marginal preference here is for precedent to be bucked and Eire Og's greater capacity to take scores to be decisive.
