Crossmaglen take centre stage

If a two-tier structure exists within the GAA, at least this is the time of the year when it is all turned on its head and the clubs, rather than the county teams, call the shots.

As such, many county teams involved in Oireachtas Cup hurling and All-Ireland `B' football championship engagements this weekend will be deprived of the services of a large number of players who, instead, are required for club duty. Indeed, it's a particularly busy weekend on the club front with the various provincial championships (and some county championships) at rather delicate junctures.

The club is the lifeblood of the GAA, the nourishment for county sides. And Gaelic grounds the length and breadth of the country, in almost nook and cranny, will play host to important club games over the next few days. Nowhere, though, is likely to match Clones for either appeal or attendance where the two AIB Ulster Club SFC semi-finals will be staged. Dungiven (Derry) and St Paul's (Antrim) meet in what is effectively the curtain-raiser to the second match, an appetising prospect which pits reigning Ulster and All-Ireland club champions Crossmaglen Rangers (Armagh) against Errigal Ciarain (Tyrone). Incidentally, the Ulster Council has brought forward the throw-in times for both matches by half an hour, with the first semi-final starting at 1.30 p.m. and the second at 3.00 p.m.

Crossmaglen have gone almost two championship years without tasting defeat and, again, the McConville brothers are expected to play a major part in their quest to reach a second successive Ulster final. Jim, in fact, contributed 3-2 in his side's quarter-final win over Down champions Burren. Crossmaglen manager Joe Kernan has an injury-free squad but won't finalise his side until tomorrow. The Canavan brothers, Paschal and Peter, have been marvellous servants to Errigal Ciarain - and Crossmaglen are aware of the need to curb their influence. "It looks like a lot of miles have caught up with Peter (Canavan) in the last 12 months, but if he managed to turn it on for just one day, then we could be in trouble," admitted Kernan. However, on the evidence of their respective quarter-finals, Crossmaglen will move a step closer to retaining their title.

The other provincial football campaigns are not at the same advanced stage. However, the familiar faces of Eire Og are missing this time around in the Leinster championship. Old Leighlin ended their reign as Carlow champions and have the dubious honour of a first round encounter with Erin's Isle (Dublin) at Parnell Park tomorrow. Yet, the busiest couple of days of all confront the Laois representatives: the Laois final between Stradbally and Portlaoise takes place in O'Moore Park tomorrow and the winners' will have to defer celebrations - for at least 24 hours - as they travel to take on Fr Manning Gaels (Longford) in the Leinster senior football championship on Monday. Knockmore, who lost to Crossmaglen in last season's AllIreland club final, open the defence of their Connacht championship title at Kiltoom with a quarter-final meeting with newly-crowned Roscommon champions St Brigid's, who dethroned Clan na nGael.

Meanwhile, the logistics of squeezing the All-Ireland `B' football championship into an impossibly-tight GAA calendar is demonstrated by the plight of a number of sides involved in tomorrow's semi-final `double bill' at Tullamore.

Carlow take on Louth in one semi-final at the same time as their county champions - Old Leighlin - are playing in the Leinster club championship some 60 miles away and, consequently, the county side will be without Clare, who meet Monaghan (without the suspended Declan Smyth) in the second semi-final, are without half a dozen players who are club-tied due to the county final tomorrow week. But at least they can now call upon Denis O'Driscoll to fill a corner forward position.

O'Driscoll was originally due to play with University of Limerick in the Munster club championship against Fethard - but the Munster Council ruled during the week that UL's affiliation to the Limerick Co Board was incorrect and that beaten county finalists Galbally should play in the provincial championship instead, leaving O'Driscoll available to play for Clare. The Oireachtas Cup - which ensures autumn/winter hurling at inter-county level - has a number of qualifying matches around the country this weekend, with most interest likely to focus on the Cork-Limerick clash at Pairc Ui Rinn, where Eamonn Cregan commences on his second stint as Limerick manager, albeit with a side that bears no resemblance to the one that captured the National League title earlier this month due - surprise, surprise - to "club ties".

All-Ireland champions Clare dominated the Sideline View/ Managers' Hurling Team of the Championship which was announced on the RTE television programme last night. Eight Clare players made the side, voted by the country's hurling managers, while four players apiece from All-Ireland football finalists Kerry and Mayo made the side selected by the country's football managers.