February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
In the past 30 years, only three counties have managed to win back-to-back senior football titles in Ulster: Derry in 1975 and 1976, Tyrone in 1995 and 1996 and Armagh in 1999 and 2000. The opening game in this year’s campaign sees Armagh, the newly-crowned National League champions, play Fermanagh in Clones. Even though they have never won an Ulster title, Fermanagh made history last year when they got to the All-Ireland semifinal via the back-door route. It was an amazing run, engineered by former Donegal star Charlie Mulgrew, who took over as manager at a time when nobody else seemed interested in the job. This season, cousins Rory and Ramie Gallagher are back in the fold and Fermanagh got to the semifinal of division two of the National League where they lost to Meath. League form counts for nothing in the championship, but I still fancy Armagh to progress.
There’s a double header of Leinster football at Croke Park on Sunday where Kildare meet Wicklow and Dublin play Longford. This will be a championship debut for Dublin manager Paul Caffrey, who was a selector under former manager Tommy Lyons. The man known as “Pillar” is using much the same squad as he inherited from Lyons. Caffrey seems to realize the importance of a good free-taker and he has been using Tomas Quinn on a regular basis. Dublin are always under intense media pressure to deliver a Leinster title. I think they will beat Longford, but time will tell if Caffrey can get the best of this squad.
In Munster it’s hurling and the meeting of Tipperary and Limerick in Thurles. Tipp are re-building, while it’s hard to know what to expect from Limerick, who have had their problems off the field. Limerick have failed to deliver in recent years and have been ravaged by talk of player power in recent years. However, they now have a new man in charge, former county star Joe McKenna, who took over recently from Offaly-born Pat Joe Whelahan. Supporters will be hoping that the traffic will not be as bad in Thurles as it was for the recent National League Final between Kilkenny and Clare.
LAST SHALL BE FIRST?
Sunday also sees the return of the Sunday Game program on RTE and we wonder if RTE will bow to pressure to bring back the James Last signature tune. What we do know is that former Kerry star Pat Spillane will continue in his role as presenter, with two new analysts joining the team, former Galway manager John O’Mahony and Donal O’Grady, who led the Cork hurlers to All-Ireland success last September.
O’SHEA READY
FOR 2ND FINAL
Ireland’s John O’Shea could yet get a starting place in Manchester United team for their FA Cup Final against Arsenal in Cardiff on May 21. The Waterford-born defender has been out of favor in recent weeks, but with Gabriel Heinze doubtful after picking up an ankle injury, it could clear to way for O’Shea to start. Manager Alex Ferguson said: ‘It’s a race against time for Gabriel, but he is such a determined and brave lad he will want to play.’ O’Shea, was in from the start as United beat Millwall in last year’s FA Cup Final, but in recent months Ferguson seems to prefer the Argentinean he signed from Paris St. Germain last summer.
BALLYBUNION’S 11TH
TESTS THE BEST
The 18th hole at the Oahu Golf club in Hawaii is reported to be the most difficult golf hole in the world to play. But in a recent survey compiled by Today’s Golfer magazine, two Irish golf courses featured. The 11th hole at Ballybunion is rated the ninth most difficult in the world. This is what the survey had to say about the North Kerry course’s 11th hole. ‘This is just a narrow strip of fairway leading up to a green protected by another set of dunes that look for all the world like the Himalayas in grass-strewn miniature. From the tee perched high above the cliffs, you will wonder what on earth you can do. With huge dunes down the left and an even bigger cliff on the right, it doesn’t appear as if there is much room for strategy on Ballybunion’s famous 11th.’ Also on the list is the 12th hole at the Old Head of Kinsale course in Cork, which takes 18th place on the list.