After the novelty of an all-Connacht semi-final series, some sense of tradition was restored as Mayo and Galway beat their neighbours to qualify for this year's National Football League final.
Mayo's new promise shone as brightly as it had done all season in Markievicz Park yesterday when a storming second-half performance saw them close out Roscommon's league ambitions on a score-line of 0-16 to 1-10.
Although manager Pat Holmes cautioned that the championship remained his side's primary ambition, the county is on the verge of its first league title in 31 years.
Their neighbours, Galway, comfortably disposed of Sligo with a 2-12 to 0-11 victory the previous evening in Hyde Park. Although Sligo were competitive in the first half, with some fine point taking from Paul Taylor, the second half capitulation brought forth uncomfortable reminders of last summer's disintegration. Michael Donnellan was again the key orchestrator in Galway's attacking game, which was in free flow by the end of the semi-final. Still, John O'Mahony saw significant room for improvement: "I thought we were terrible in the first half and that sort of tentative football wouldn't be good enough to win a league title. We won the game in 20 minutes. When we win, people think we are going to win everything but at other stages we are lethargic."
The hurling semi-final schedule was finalised yesterday evening and has a familiar look to it. Clare's thundering win against Kilkenny on Friday evening was enough to see them top Division 1A, ousting Galway on score differences. Hence, they meet All-Ireland champions Kilkenny next weekend, while Galway and Tipp re-acquaint themselves in the other semi-final. The venues for both matches will be finalised early this week.
Tyrone's Under 21s were granted a reprieve and the opportunity to compete in the Ulster final against Fermanagh on May 26th. After hearing an appeal from the county following the decision to preclude them from further participation in the wake of the foot-and-mouth epidemic the management committee of the GAA agreed with the case for re-instatement.
While stressing the word was not yet official, manager Mickey Harte admitted he was ecstatic: "The real thrill is what this does for the players. We are always mindful of the fact that it is really just giving the players the chance to compete. It gives them no God-given right to any part of it."
It is, however, unlikely the management will have the full squad at its disposal as several players remain confined to the exclusion zone.
