Monaghan in Portugal ahead of Dublin rematch

It used to be the GAA training holiday was suspected as being more about the holiday than the training, but not anymore. If anything the holiday part has been completely erased, and the bottles of Hawaiian tanning oil replaced by the deep muscle rubbing variety.

It may still be the case the training holiday coincides with the first real taste of summer here, too – although either way, Monaghan certainly won’t be doing much lounging around their hotel pool in Portugal this week, or indeed sipping on the piña coladas.

Manager Malachy O’Rourke had planned the five-day excursion several months ago, ultimately aimed at ramping up Monaghan’s championship preparations, ahead of their Ulster quarter-final date against Cavan on May 24th.

Now, after losing to Dublin by 11 points in Sunday’s final round of the Allianz Football League, a result which also pitted Monaghan against Dublin in this Sunday’s league semi-finals, O’Rourke’s priorities have changed. The championship date will seem less important now as trying to salvage a little more confidence from their sudden reprise with Dublin, especially as it takes place in Croke Park.

One day off

Indeed O’Rourke’s team only return on Friday evening, leaving them just one day off before coming to Croke Park: that may or may not have something to do with Dublin being rated 1/7 to record another victory and progress to the final.

Kerry manager Eamon Fitzmaurice may have found himself in a similar situation had they made the league semi-finals, but having missed out to Donegal on points difference, their training holiday in Portugal this week can be all about the championship preparations – even though Kerry aren’t out in the Munster championship for almost 10 weeks, June 14th, when they face either Waterford or Tipperary.

Tipperary hurlers

Also putting this April window to use is Tipperary hurling manager Eamon O’Shea, who has taken his team on a six-day training holiday to Spain: like Monaghan, however, they still have plenty of interest in the league, and with that in mind, much of their training will be aimed at the Allianz Hurling League semi-final against Waterford, set for April 19th, at Nowlan Park. Tipperary aren’t out in the Munster hurling championship until June 21st, when they play the winners of Clare-Limerick.

What is certain is that of all the so-called training holidays planned for this week, the Cavan footballers, who head for New York, will not be sitting around idle. Their trip is being used to help mark the centenary of the Cavan-New York GAA club, and also to contest the Mick Higgins memorial trophy, the New York-born captain of the Cavan team that won the 1947 All-Ireland football final in Manhattan.

That means Cavan will play New York twice, at Gaelic Park, on Thursday, and also Sunday: the two-game series will be decided on an aggregate score with GAA president Aogán Ó Fearghail also in attendance.

New York manager Ian Galvin is considering both games against Cavan as crucial preparation for their Connacht championship date with Galway, on May 3rd, also in Gaelic Park.

“We’ve prepared hard as a team over the last three months for these games and this will give us invaluable preparation for our Connacht championship game against Galway,” said Galvin. “We also have endured another rough winter here in New York and we are glad to finally be able to play football again with no snow mounds on the pitch.”

For Cavan manager Terry Hyland, who hardly disguised his disappointment at missing out on promotion to Division One of the Allianz Football League, both games will also provide useful preparation for that championship date against Monaghan, which is set for Breffni Park.