GAELIC GAMES/DIVISION ONE:WITH the link between league success and championship progress well established Division One counties are under pressure to start the year well.
It’s nine years since the All-Ireland was won by a county (Armagh) outside the top flight. Kerry have tended to do well in the competition when the preceding championship has left them with a point to prove but Jack O’Connor’s most pressing need is to introduce new defenders and find a centrefield.
Cork have the panel to keep going after last September’s success but All-Ireland champions haven’t won the following season’s league since 1988. Dublin could really do with a first NFL title in 18 years in order to endorse their championship improvement of last year but the absence of Kilmacud players for at least this month is a drawback.
Pat Gilroy needs to improve the team, principally enhancing the attack’s firepower, and balance the need for results.
All-Ireland finalists Down have risen fast – this is their second successive season in a higher division and they and Armagh have the momentum of promotion.
The other three teams are under new management.
Mayo, with former All Star James Horan asked to repeat with the county his development work for Ballintubber, look to have the best prospects in terms of upcoming talent whereas Tomás Ó Flatharta will have his work cut out to restore a sense of direction to Galway.
Eamonn McEneaney will be battling relegation with a high-mileage Monaghan side, unsurprisingly stricken by a plague of injuries starting off this season.
Division One Fixtures
Today – Armagh v Dublin (Setanta Ireland), Mayo v Down (Setanta 1). Tomorrow: Kerry v Cork (TG4 live), Monaghan v Galway (TG4 deferred).
Feb 19th – Dublin v Cork (Setanta).
Feb 20th – Down v Galway, Mayo v Kerry (TG4 deferred), Armagh v Monaghan. Feb 26th – Down v Armagh (Setanta), Dublin v Kerry (Setanta). Feb 27th – Cork v Monaghan, Galway v Mayo (TG4 live). Mar 13th – Cork v Down (Setanta), Mayo v Armagh, Monaghan v Dublin, Kerry v Galway. Mar 19th – Down v Monaghan (Setanta). Mar 20th – Galway v Cork, Armagh v Kerry, Dublin v Mayo. Apr 2nd – Dublin v Down (Setanta). Apr 3rd – Monaghan v Kerry, Mayo v Cork, Armagh v Galway. Apr 10th – Monaghan v Mayo, Kerry v Down, Galway v Dublin, Cork v Armagh.
Betting to Win Division One
12/5 Cork, 3/1 Kerry, 4/1 Dublin, 8/1 Mayo, 10/1 Galway, 10/1 Down, 14/1 Armagh, 28/1 Monaghan.
Carlow, Clare, Fermanagh, Kilkenny, Leitrim, London, Longford, Roscommon Wicklow
Division Two
THIS promises to be a hammer-and-tongs sort of arena. The demotion of Derry and Tyrone from Division One brings to the campaign two counties used to finishing in the top half of the top flight.
Tyrone, after the trauma of the last month, have played well in the McKenna Cup and even with injury problems tomorrows combination of youth and experience shows why they are a short price to win the division.
Derry have impressed with the enthusiasm of their pre-season and, after at last getting the job, new manager John Brennan appears to be making up for lost time.
The highest placed finishers in last years championship in the division are Kildare and Kieran McGeeney has had a successful January, looking at a number of new players and winning the OByrne Cup.
Like Tyrone, Meath are one of the provincial champions and also have the countys first outside manager in charge. Séamus McEnaney has driven the team hard in pre-season but they have to travel for the matches against likely rivals Derry and Kildare.
Division Two Fixtures
Today – Laois v Meath, Donegal v Sligo. Tomorrow – Antrim v Kildare Derry v Tyrone. Feb 19th – Tyrone v Donegal (Setanta). Feb 20th – Kildare v Derry, Meath v Sligo, Laois v Antrim. Feb 26th – Antrim v Meath. Feb 27th – Sligo v Tyrone, Donegal v Kildare, Derry v Laois. Mar 12th – Tyrone v Antrim (Setanta). Mar 13th – Meath v Donegal, Kildare v Laois, Sligo v Derry. Mar 19th – Derry v Donegal (Setanta), Laois v Tyrone. Mar 20th – Kildare v Meath, Antrim v Sligo. Apr 3rd – Donegal v Antrim, Tyrone v Kildare, Derry v Meath, Sligo v Laois. Apr 10th – Antrim v Derry, Laois v Donegal, Kildare v Sligo, Meath v Tyrone.
Betting to Win Division Two
7/4 Tyrone, 4/1 Kildare, 5/1 Derry, 11/2 Meath, 9/1 Donegal, 12/1 Laois, 25/1 Antrim, 25/1 Sligo.
Division three
LIMERICK and Louth, who both lost provincial finals in controversial circumstances, top the betting for promotion and the latter have put in another good O’Byrne Cup campaign.
Leinster middleweights Offaly, Westmeath and Wexford are next, followed by Cavan, one of only two counties to have a new manager (Val Andrews’ return and Maurice Horan’s elevation in Limerick) and who have had a downbeat start to the year.
Interestingly, having risen two seasons in two years Tipperary are favourites to make it another two out of two going in the other direction.
Division Three Fixtures
Tomorrow: Offaly v Cavan, Wexford v Waterford, Louth v Westmeath, Tipperary v Limerick. Feb 20th – Waterford v Limerick, Westmeath v Cavan, Offaly v Wexford, Louth v Tipperary. Feb 27th – Wexford v Louth, Cavan v Waterford, Tipperary v Westmeath, Limerick v Offaly.
Mar 12th – Waterford v Tipperary.
Mar 13th – Louth v Offaly, Limerick v Cavan, Westmeath v Wexford. Mar
20th – Louth v Limerick, Westmeath v Waterford, Offaly v Tipperary, Wexford
v Cavan. Apr 2nd – Cavan v Louth.
Apr 3rd – Limerick v Westmeath, Waterford v Offaly, Tipperary v Wexford. Apr 10th – Westmeath v Offaly, Waterford v Louth, Limerick v Wexford, Cavan v Tipperary.
Betting to win Division Three
3/1 Limerick, 9/2 Louth, 9/2 Offaly, 11/2 Westmeath, 13/2 Wexford, 8/1 Cavan, 11/1 Tipperary, 25/1 Waterford.
Division Four
IT’S hardly a surprise that Roscommon, a rare sighting of a provincial title in this division, are hotly fancied to get out quickly but over the years this has proved a hard dungeon from which to escape.
Still Fergal O’Donnell’s side do have momentum and a home draw against challengers Fermanagh. Clare look long odds for a side that came so close to promotion last year.
Division Four Fixtures
Tomorrow – London v Kilkenny, Leitrim v Clare, Longford v Roscommon, Carlow v Wicklow. Feb 12th – London v Roscommon, Clare v Kilkenny. Feb 13th – Leitrim v Wicklow, Carlow v Fermanagh. Feb 19th – Fermanagh v Longford. Feb 20th – Kilkenny v Leitrim, Roscommon v Carlow, Wicklow v London. Feb 27th – Fermanagh v Wicklow, London v Leitrim, Longford v Kilkenny, Carlow v Clare. Mar 5th – London v Longford. Mar 12th – Clare v London. Mar 13th – Wicklow v Longford, Roscommon v Fermanagh, Kilkenny v Carlow. Mar 20th – Clare v Roscommon, Leitrim v Fermanagh, Kilkenny v Wicklow. Mar 27th – Wicklow v Roscommon, Leitrim v Carlow, Clare v Longford, Kilkenny v Fermanagh. Apr 3rd – Longford v Leitrim, Roscommon v Kilkenny, Carlow v London, Fermanagh v Clare. Apr 10th – Roscommon v Leitrim, Wicklow v Clare, Longford v Carlow, Fermanagh v London.
Betting to Win Division Four
11/5 Roscommon, 11/4 Fermanagh, 7/2 Longford, 12/1 Clare, 14/1 Leitrim, 20/1 Carlow, 50/1 London, 500/1 Kilkenny.
