Keith Duggan
Chief sports writer
Is Gaelic football, as a spectacle, doomed?
The opposite is true. There are six or seven credible All-Ireland contenders and each of those teams plays a radically different brand of football. There are also a number of counties in the midst of a revival - Armagh, Roscommon, Galway, Down - which each has the potential to cause a big upset. The athleticism and fitness and dedication of all county teams has reached a staggering level and it means that as a spectacle, Gaelic football is faster than ever. It continues to evolve, with goalkeepers as reliable scorers, half-backs as scoring machines and, despite the grumbling, midfielders as leapers. There is also a rich cast of supreme individualists, from Diarmuid Connolly to Jamie Clarke, Colm Cooper to Michael Murphy and from Shane Walsh to Colm O'Neill. It is a football championship full of intrigue.
Which county will hold Sam Maguire in September and why?
Ostensibly Kerry are well primed to defend their title having added substantially to the strength of their panel in the off-season. But they won't sneak up on the others as they did last year and there is a sense that Cork may not be so obliging in the local derby this year. Monaghan put their hand up during the league and Cork look primed for a big summer. But in winning the league, Dublin showed plenty of the old attacking menace while suggesting that their shock exit last year means they will be a lot less freewheeling about coughing up scores this year. Expect a more opportunistic, darker Dublin this summer and a team intent on atonement. It remains to be seen if Mayo have enough gas for another great heave. Elsewhere, Donegal will feature strongly but their punishing Ulster schedule may catch up with them before the championship is out.
Name the footballer you are most looking forward to watching this summer?
Colm Cooper. The Killarney man was a ghost like presence all last summer during Kerry’s stunning and ingeniously timed All-Ireland run. It seemed almost impudent of the younger Kerry men to dare go ahead and win one when the Cooper kid was on crutches. But that’s the Kingdom. Still, it was hard not to miss the pure style and those unexpected touches that in a curious way we have come to expect. It will be interesting to see how he re-integrates into an All-Ireland winning team and if he can rekindle the Stockton-Malone relationship he had with Kieran Donaghy. And as ever, he will become the chief concern for opposition managers and defenders. Mainly, it will be just good to see him back.
The hurling. Tell us why_______will be the last county standing in September?
It would be foolish not to expect a venomous and exciting response from Clare given the their spring travails and the unquestionable talent of their panel - not to mention the fact that they are proven All-Ireland winners. Kilkenny and Brian Cody will turn up when it matters. But it will be a major disappointment if Tipperary do not manage to translate their blistering pace and overwhelming skill into a campaign to remember. They came as close as you can to winning an All-Ireland last September and in what is Eamon O'Shea's last season can end on a note of memorable triumph.
What county is poised to make the most progress without actually winning the All-Ireland? Why them?
Waterford will enter the championship in a brilliant state of mind following their spring adventures but they have raised the bar higher for themselves by actually winning the league. Expectations will climb accordingly. They could well embark on the kind of thrilling run which sustained Wexford fans last year. Wexford were caught on the hop by Waterford's league form and Liam Dunne will be keen to build on last year's promise.
Mirror, mirror...who is the best hurler in all the land?
It is a completely impossible question. Clearly, no county is as dependent on one player as Galway are on Joe Canning. The burden on the Portumna man to deliver his county to the All-Ireland year after year is heavy. But how do you quantify the best? Would that be the first player down on every hurling manager’s team sheet? And if so, who? Richie Hogan? Padraic Maher? Jackie Tyrell? You could argue all night. But it is hard to argue against the fact that there is a streak of unique, devil-may-care genius in the hurling of Richie Power.
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Seán Moran
GAA Correspondent
Is Gaelic football, as a spectacle, doomed?
If it is we’ll need more evidence than a couple of bleak league fixtures. There were grim matches in the past and there’ll be great ones in the future.
Which county will hold Sam Maguire in September and why?
Dublin. The motivation of last year’s disappointment and greater attention to defensive detail.
Name the footballer you are most looking forward to watching this summer?
Colm Cooper. It was desperate for him to miss Kerry’s All-Ireland because of serious injury and people will be hoping that he can come back at his best for the championship and pull the strings on what could be an exceptional Kerry attack.
The hurling. Tell us why________will be the last county standing in September?
It's a very open championship but at the moment Kilkenny deserve to be favourites. Last year did away with the Martin Johnson/England rugby theory that without Henry Shefflin they'd struggle. The All-Ireland was won effectively in his absence. They still have outstanding players and a self generated drive plus an ability to learn on the road, which they now need given the less obvious panel depth.
What county is poised to make the most progress without actually winning the All-Ireland? Why them? Waterford have been the most improved county during the first half of the season. Not only did they win immediate promotion and take higher-division scalps but also won the league final. Regardless of what else happens that has been impressive given the clear-out of many experienced players and manager Derek McGrath betting the house on the younger generation. If they maintain this trajectory they can reclaim what used to be the perennial All-Ireland semi-final spot.
Mirror, mirror...who is the best hurler in all the land?
Richie Hogan is not alone the current Hurler of the Year but with injuries and retirements weakening Kilkenny’s hand during the league he was there carrying the attack throughout a difficult slog of a campaign and helping to guide the team to safety.
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Ursula Jacob
Wexford camogie
Is Gaelic football, as a spectacle, doomed?
I still want to watch it. Donegal may be perceived as a negative team but still you got the likes of Michael Murphy and Colm McFadden up front who are two of the most skillful footballers in Ireland.
Which county will hold Sam Maguire in September and why?
Kerry. Not just because the Gooch and Tommy Walsh have returned but they have gained a lot of experience from last year. The have the most balanced look to them.
Name the footballer you are most looking forward to watching this summer?
I’m excited about the return of Colm Cooper. He’s the best of our generation but I love Bernard Brogan’s movement around the square. He also performs so consistently under pressure as well. James O’Donoghue too.
The hurling. Tell us why_______will be the last county standing in September?
Waterford are the in-form team in the country. Clare, Kilkenny and Tipp shouldn’t be discounted but I think Waterford will be there, there abouts in September.
What county is poised to make the most progress without actually winning the All-Ireland? Why them?
Wexford had a great season last year. That would have surprised many people outside the county but we had seen the success at under-21 level. They didn't do themselves justice against Limerick in Thurles, but I think they will build on that.
Mirror, mirror...who is the best hurler in all the land?
Tony Kelly is an unbelievable player. He has everything; speed,skill, work rate and a phenomenal hurling brain. He's so important to Clare.
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Ian O’Riordan
Sports reporter
Is Gaelic football, as a spectacle, doomed?
Doomed is a dirty word, although it’s hardly the most beautiful of spectacles right now. For all the commitment and so-called professionalism players are being stunted by certain tactics, not just those coming from the sideline. And yes less blankets, please. Yet there are enough teasing exceptions – Dublin flying, Kerry soaring to make us sit back and go wow”...
Which county will hold Sam Maguire in September and why?
There may be an immediately urgent and fierce rebound in Donegal, assuming they make it out of Ulster alive. Otherwise the track looks split between Dublin and Kerry. Both counties should coast through their provinces, which means holding up Sam Maguire will ultimately depend on how well they time their final sprint. Don’t rule out the photo finish.
Name the footballer you are most looking forward to watching this summer?
Freshly biased here, as having just heard his back story, and true appreciation of the game, this could be an even bigger summer for Kerry midfielder David Moran, in every sense. Watch him take the art of midfielding to fresh heights. If Kerry do defend their title he will have had a major say.
The hurling. Tell us why_______will be the last county standing in September?
It could be that Dublin’s hurling stars are only now aligning, while others have either shone too soon (Waterford, Cork), or are beginning to fade (Kilkenny, Tipp, Clare). They obviously won’t have it easy in Leinster, but there were enough signs during the league to suggest Dublin can prevail, and if they take that momentum and confidence into August and September they will be hard to stop. Ger Cunningham is a no-nonsense manager and they’ve all got enough incentive now to go all the way.
What county is poised to make the most progress without actually winning the All-Ireland? Why them?
It has to be Waterford although that’s not saying they won’t actually win the All-Ireland. In Derek McGrath they have found a manager who lives in there here and now, not the there and then. In the past Waterford have been held back by the weight of expectation, but not anymore. They may not be the finished article just yet, but they will take out some big scalps, and a Croke Park date of some sort definitely awaits.
Mirror, mirror...who is the best hurler in all the land?
Lots of different faces showing up here... and mostly young ones too, starting with Austin Gleeson. Not that we’ve come close to seeing the best from the likes of Richie Hogan, Colin Ryan, Patrick Maher... And one of these days Joe Canning might set the entire land on fire again. But in a close-fought match, who could rule out TJ Reid, Richie Power?
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Gavin Cummiskey
Sports reporter
Is Gaelic football, as a spectacle, doomed?
Fouling has always has been an integral part of elite sport. America has shown us that television money will force rule changes to err more towards entertainment but look at the NBA this past month. The doyen of basketball coaches, Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs, shamelessly instructed secondary players to continually hack LA Clippers giant centre DeAndre Jordan, knowing his free throw shooting is abysmal. Inherent flaws within Gaelic football, no matter how many deterrents are introduced for cynical play, will ensure the most astute tactical minds - the ruthless bainisteoirs - will find a way to bend the rules to their will.
Which county will hold Sam Maguire in September and why?
Dublin on the initial premise that Jim Gavin and his backroom will exude sufficient tactical nous to ensure the Donegal approach doesn't fell them again. It will also require their great players - Paul Flynn, Diarmuid Connolly, Bernard Brogan, Michael Dara Macauley, Stephen Cluxton - to stay healthy. Considering Kerry's entire panel return with the confidence of champions, key contributions will also be needed from Dean Rock frees, Cian O'Sullivan, James McCarthy, Ciarán Kilkenny/Alan Brogan, maybe even Ger Brennan, and the usual dabble of Kevin McManamon or Cormac Costello.
Name the footballer you are most looking forward to watching this summer?
Always Diarmuid Connolly. One of my earliest reports for The Evening Herald was the Dublin under-16 championship final between St Vincent’s and St Brigid’s when Connolly kicked three wonderful points. The backdrop was Crumlin but so easily could have been the Iveragh Peninsula.
The hurling. Tell us why_____will be the last county standing in September?
Clare reloaded. Because we know they can. Overcoming Tipperary will require the same resilience coupled with beautiful hurling of 2013. And they are seemingly unified by a common enemy - everyone else. And they have Tony Kelly.
What county is poised to make the most progress without actually winning the All-Ireland? Why them?
By winning the league Waterford have already done this but Wexford can surpass that achievement by reaching the All-Ireland semi-final. They genuinely threatened something special last year until playing a tuneless version of musical statues in Thurles. We know they have the hurlers now do they have the stones?
Mirror, mirror...who is the best hurler in all the land?
The war to become the rightful heir of Henry Shefflin began in earnest last year. One defender must be considered as Pádraic Maher hurls like a starving hyena hunts. Seamus Callanan finally delivered consistently in championship, while Richie Hogan and Richie Power responded, leaving the sliotar firmly at the feet of Joe Canning. Problem is he can’t do it all on his own.
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Eamon Donoghue
Sports reporter
Is Gaelic football, as a spectacle, doomed?
No more doomed than any other year. The current fad is this claustrophobic all out defence come all out attack system, but like Tyrone’s third midfielder or the search for a second Kieran Donaghy, there will soon be another system that everybody clings on to and come championship we’ll have a usual mix of the good the bad and the ugly. To get the managers who set these trends to focus on exploiting the traditional skills rather than athletic capacity, without rewinding the sport twenty years and losing that growing technical side to the game, we’d need rule changes.
Which county will hold Sam Maguire in September and why?
It’s hard to look past Dublin as they are the only team who can win the title without nearing top gear, but I feel the same gaps will appear in their armour as last summer - too many of their defenders are not defenders. For me it’ll be Kerry’s to lose, they have to find the right balance with their many returning stars but with their strength around the middle third and with their danger men on song inside I can see them going all the way again.
Name the footballer you are most looking forward to watching this summer?
There’s no doubt that Galway are on the rise, and absolutely integral to their progress is Fiontán Ó Curraoin. Nothing quite sums up summer football like good high fielding on a dry summer’s day and while the art may be overlooked in a lot of counties I expect Fiontán to cause havoc not only in winning increasingly vital primary possession, but he’s also an excellent athlete with a good footballing brain. I’m expecting a lot from him.
The hurling. Tell us why _____ will be the last county standing in September?
It’s too easy to say Kilkenny and I don’t know if they’ll be able to bounce back from the players, the leaders rather, lost over the winter in time to go back-to-back. I think Tipperary have the hunger, the talent, while still having built a consistency over recent years. Eamon O’Shea knows this group inside out and they looked to have an extra gear in the league when it was put up to them.
What county is poised to make the most progress without actually winning the All-Ireland? Why them?
Dublin are a team I was impressed with in the league, Ger Cunningham has them using possession very efficiently, he’s been experimenting during the league and he seems to have gotten the best out of talented young hurlers such as Mark Schutte who had in recent years been playing on the peripheries. They’re physically strong and they will obviously be well prepared. Croke Park will be their biggest obstacle.
Mirror, mirror...who is the best hurler in all the land?
Last summer Richie Hogan was the most effective hurler and was rightly so named as Hurler of the Year, there’s a lot more pressure on him this year though to pick up the mantle left by Shefflin and Walsh and co.
Then Callanan, Canning, Horgan, these lads are all match winners on their day particularly from placed balls, but for me the player who showed his undoubted class once more in the league, looking at times to be totally unmarkable was Tony Kelly.
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Darragh Ó Sé
Former Kerry footballer and Irish Times columnist
Is Gaelic football, as a spectacle, doomed?
Not at all. We’re very hard on ourselves when it comes to football. But it’s still good fun to go to games, it’s still enjoyable to watch them and analyse them and see new players. All this talk of tactical strangulation or whatever is oversold. The game is not as bad as it’s made out to be. To say it’s doomed means there’ll come a time when we don’t go to games. But what else are we going to do? Go home? Go to Mass? Sure we tried that!
Which county will hold Sam Maguire in September and why?
I’m afraid it’s going to be the Dubs. It comes down to two guys - Diarmuid Connolly and Paul Flynn. They’re just so consistently class and I think they will push Dublin to the All-Ireland. The other man who’s having a right good year is Denis Bastick in midfield. He’s a hardy boy and he’s finding his way to make a difference. I just think between them all, they have the players to win it.
Name the footballer you are most looking forward to watching this summer?
I mentioned him already - Diarmuid Connolly. This is a player who has everything. He can see the ball, he can move, he can kick with both feet, he has pace and strength, he’s brave. He’s the whole package. His temperament has improved as well. Although in saying that, I’d like to see Paul Galvin hopping off him. Just for the pig iron of it. We all think that he has crossed the bridge in terms of behaving himself but that would be the ultimate test.
The hurling. Tell us why _______ will be the last county standing in September?
I fancy Cork actually. Even after the league final - we can all have bad days at the office and Waterford took full advantage. I think JBM is a bit of a lucky general and he’s a good leader for a young team. And the thing with Cork is they’re able to find talent like no other county. It’s like the saying, We’ll always have Paris. Cork will always have hurlers.
What county is poised to make the most progress without actually winning the All-Ireland? Why them?
There’s no point in me picking a hurling county here so I’ll take the question and fit it to the football championship instead. I’d say they’ll come from the west, probably Roscommon. Galway might have a chance of doing something in Connacht but I don’t think you can trust them really. But Roscommon look like they’re getting somewhere. They have big strong lads around the middle and plenty of pace in the forwards.
Mirror, mirror...who is the best hurler in all the land?
Pádraic Maher is the hurler I always look out for. All day long. He’s a horse of a man. He doesn’t take a backward step and he always carries the fight to the opposition. You need a fella like him that will go looking for the action every time. A great hurler.
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Malachy Clerkin
Sports Reporter
Is Gaelic football, as a spectacle, doomed?
Not even close. The weight of brain-power, time, energy and skill applied to it now is greater than any time in the sport’s history. Scoring stats are higher than they’ve ever been, teams take more shots at goal and commit fewer fouls. These are facts, rather than the tweeted grouches of league-game Chicken Lickens. There are bad games and bad teams but didn’t every era have its share of those? Far from being doomed, football is exponentially more interesting now than when it came down to a Dublin-Kerry coin toss. For all the caterwauling, the best teams keep contesting and winning the All-Ireland.
Which county will hold Sam Maguire in September and why?
If we learned one thing last year, it’s that every game is winnable when the planets align between the right plan, the right attitude and the right players. Everybody is vulnerable at least once. The question for Dublin is how they react when that vulnerability is exposed. In 2013, they recovered against Kerry. In 2014, they failed to do so against Donegal. Though the suspicion remains that they will give up goal chances when pushed to the limit, they have enough quality, experience and game intelligence to compensate.
Name the footballer you are most looking forward to watching this summer?
More than ever, Colm Cooper. He would be the answer most years anyway but it’s going to be especially interesting now. How will the injury that kept him out for 14 months affect him? Will he still have that pivot, that last-millisecond change of direction to buy him the space it used to? His game has always been based on deceit but age and injury have a way of dropping spiteful, traitorous hints on you. Beyond all that, losing O’Driscoll, Shefflin and McCoy in the past year has taught us to make a point of consuming genius while we still can.
The hurling. Tell us why _____ will be the last county standing in September?
Ah, to hell with it. Limerick. And no, it doesn’t make a lot of sense. They have a pig of a draw, history laughs in their faces and they’ve just failed to get out of Division 1B for the 774th year in a row. But for all that, there isn’t a team in the land that you wouldn’t give them a chance against. They have the right age profile, no doubts that they can perform on the biggest stage, a terrific defence and a dependable midfield. Might not win Munster but might not need to either.
What county is poised to make the most progress without actually winning the All-Ireland? Why them?
On the basis that Waterford is probably too obvious an answer, let’s bypass them and go for Wexford. While there is every chance that Liam Dunne will end the summer reflecting that his side have taken a step back for the two they took forward in 2014, it doesn’t have to be that way. For the graph to keep rising, they have to either ambush Kilkenny in Nowlan Park next month or reach an All-Ireland semi-final. Backboned as they are by two successive Leinster under-21 winning sides - both of which beat Kilkenny along the way - the former isn’t as ludicrous a notion as it might appear. They can’t go on losing to them forever.
Mirror, mirror...who is the best hurler in all the land?
In an era where the wizards are grimly outnumbered by metronome free-takers, Tony Kelly stands apart. The Clare centre-forward is a blur of wrists and a born leader. Though he misses fellow Magic Circle member Podge Collins, his ability to link-up with Shane O’Donnell inside could be Clare’s most potent weapon all summer. It will at the very least force teams to post a body in front of O’Donnell, leaving Kelly more space in which to do his thing. And his thing can be devastating.
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Nicky English
Former Tipperary hurler and Irish Times columnist
Is Gaelic football, as a spectacle, doomed?
I don’t think it’s doomed but there are a lot of games of Gaelic football that are not enjoyable. The last great game I watched was the
2013 All-Ireland semi-final between Dublin and Kerry. Teams have to play defensive because they are just not good enough.
Which county will hold Sam Maguire in September and why?
It’s between Kerry and Dublin. I fancy Kerry mainly due to the players who have returned to their panel.
Name the footballer you are most looking forward to watching this summer?
It will be brilliantl to see the Gooch return this year. Hopefully he is the same player we saw in 2013.
The hurling. Tell us why_______will be the last county standing in September?
It’s really open this year. Kilkenny, who still have some of the greatest players to ever play the game, have possibly come back a bit.
Tipperary, ultimately, have a greater ball winning capability in the forwards. They should have more desire as well. It’s been five years since they won it. Their best players are at their peak now. Limerick could prove their biggest challenge.
What county is poised to make the most progress without actually winning the All-Ireland? Why them?
Waterford on the basis of the league. They could actually win the All-Ireland as league form has stood up in the championship. I think Dublin will be dangerous, they are certainly contenders.
Mirror, mirror...who is the best hurler in all the land?
Kilkenny have the two best hurlers in Ireland in Richie Hogan and TJ Reid. I really love the way TJ plays. On his day he’s unmarkable.
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Marie Crowe
UTV Ireland sports reporter
Is Gaelic football, as a spectacle, doomed?
No, it’s just going through a cycle that’s focusing on a different approach to winning games. We’ve seen other trends come and go in the past. I’m sure there was a time when marriages were arranged by GAA families with the sole aim of producing a big full forward. Right now when two teams of similar abilities meet the game can be sublime and the battle brilliant. We’ve a long summer ahead and undoubtedly there will be plenty of diamonds to go with the rough.
Which county will hold Sam Maguire in September and why?
Kerry as they have firepower, experience and footballers who need to be winners. When you look at the players in their squad who didn’t start last year’s final, like Bryan Sheehan, Darran O’Sullivan and Colm Cooper then throw in the new additions, Tommy Walsh and Paul Galvin it shows just how strong they are and also how competitive it must be in that camp. Many of their toughest battles could be fought on the training pitch. No sportsman ever wants to sit on the bench especially in Croke Park in September.
Name the footballer you are most looking forward to watching this summer?
Dublin’s Diarmuid Connolly rarely gives interviews, however he did one recently and revealed that he doesn’t mind playing against a blanket defence. In fact he said “bring it on”. It sounds like he’s up for the challenge and if teams are going to play defensive when they face Dublin a determined Diarmuid Connolly is a very appealing prospect.
The hurling. Tell us why _______ will be the last county standing in September?
This time last year Limerick were in the same boat as they are now - on the verge of being written off for the entire season. But they bounced back and came very close to beating the eventual All-Ireland champions, Kilkenny. They bring a free flowing, high tempo style that’s better suited to hard ground of championship rather than the heavy League sod. If they can get over Clare the bandwagon will roll on. Add in the hurt they felt and experience they gained last season and it could be their year
What county is poised to make the most progress without actually winning the All-Ireland? Why them?
One of the topics of discussion that was consistent throughout the League was Waterford’s style of play. They developed a game plan, perfected it and then preserved with it, despite facing criticism from inside and outside their own county. They rode out the storm-like Clare did a couple of years ago when they won they All-Ireland- and now what they are about has been accepted and appreciated. During the championship their system will be tested at higher level. Opposition managers will be more aware and players will be fitter, faster and stronger as they inch closer to peak performance. Waterford will learn from the big tests on the big days and the time will come when they will provide the big test on the big day.
Mirror, mirror...who is the best hurler in all the land?
At this moment in time Waterford’s Austin Gleeson. Even though he’s not that long out of minor he’s manning the centre back position like a veteran. A fabulous underage talent, it’s joyful to know that we will have the pleasure and privilege of watching him develop as a hurler. He can play anywhere and has everything. Waterford have been praised for their work ethic and Gleeson has been the catalyst for much of this selfless play.
