OMINOUS signs for the future of the All Ireland senior football B championship are highlighted this weekend by the fact that Carlow have reached the semi finals without playing a match.
Carlow were delighted to win the competition two years ago. It marked a new phase in the development of the county's football fortunes under manager Bobby Miller and was hailed as an encouraging supplement to Eire Og's success in the Leinster club championship.
Now the competition seems to be losing its appeal. Carlow County Board secretary Tom O'Neill believes that half of the original entry of 16 teams who entered for this year's championship opted out.
"We were to play Mayo and Waterford but got walk overs in both matches," said O'Neill.
The secretary released a team yesterday that, unlike last week, will get a match against Longford in Saturday's first semi final. Roscommon and Fermanagh are due to meet in the second semifinal on Sunday in Carrick on Shannon.
When Carl ow were en route to the final in 1994 there would have been an outcry if a Leinster club match involving seven Eire Og players had been fixed for the same weekend.
However, this is precisely the position for this weekend and significantly, Carlow are prepared to take on Longford at the penultimate stage of the B championship minus seven key Eire Og players.
The good news for Bobby Miller's Carlow is that he will have tour medal winners from the 1994 championship side in action on Sunday. Sean Kavanagh from Rathvilly lines out in midfield and his clubmate Peadar Doyle figures at right half back. Johnny Nevin leads the attack with Pal Nolan on the left wing.
Unbeaten Fermanagh have two changes to the side to face Roscommon. Michael Lilly comes in at right corner back, with Paul Cortney switching to left half back, to the exclusion of Tommy Callaghan and John Cadden replaces Martin Greene at left half forward.
Meanwhile, Michael O'Grady, Dublin's new hurling manager, said yesterday that he was encouraged to take the job mainly because of the new National League format.
O'Grady, who had been in the Limerick, Tipperary Wexford and Antrim camps before agreeing to take over Dublin, said he has no time for winter hurling.
"My decision was largely influenced by the prospect of playing National League matches on good surfaces in the spring. Dublin rarely ever get more than one hurling match in the summer. I feel we will have a better chance of reaching potential now with good preparation in near summerlike conditions close to the championship. It's the main reason I am back in management, said O'Grady.
Dublin are already committed to playing in the Oireachtas Cup and O'Grady recalls two of the county's forgotten hurling men, Connie Ring and Brian McMahon, for the match against Cork in Pairc Ui Rinn next Sunday.
Ring, repeatedly excluded from the side under the previous management, deserves his recall, as does McMahon whose recent displays for Crumlin have been quite prolific.
The Dublin attack looks particularly formidable. Also included are former Kilkenny players Jamesie Brennan and Eamonn Morrissey.
Cork make a number of switches in defence. Brian Corcoran is returned to toll hack and John O'Driscoll moves to the left corner. Jimmy Barry Murphy introduces a newcomer to the attack in Colm Duffy.
Meath have appointed a new senior hurling manager Kilkennyman Tom Ryan.
