1. JOHN MCINTYRE WILL BE A BIG SUCCESS WITH THE GALWAY
The new season will provide lots of exciting times for the Galway hurlers. They will launch themselves into the Walsh Cup in the middle of January with an opening game against Offaly on January 18 and their first game in the National Hurling League is a hugely anticipated encounter against the current All-Ireland champions Kilkenny at a home venue on the second Sunday in February.
They will also play in next year's championship in Leinster under the new management of John McIntyre.
While many people have genuine reservations about making the step into Leinster, it has to be better than what has been going on for the past few seasons.
At least in 2009 Galway will more than likely get two cracks at Kilkenny in championship hurling.
Perhaps the hurlers will go down to them in Leinster, but they will learn from that experience and should be a better team from their familiarity.
I would not agree with a lot of the things that John McIntyre has written about in the past, but he is a very experienced and capable manager, and he appears to have the respect of the players. And he is fanatical in his desire to bring the Liam McCarthy back to the west.
They now need to stand up and be counted, and for some of them, their opportunity to win an All-Ireland senior hurling medal is running out.
Time is a precious commodity in Galway hurling management as Ger Loughnane and many before him have found out, so McIntyre will want to make real progress this season.
He has already spoken about the need to try to settle on a regular team in order to provide consistent performances, and he has already shown his teeth by leaving out the likes of Alan Kerins, Eugene Cloonan, and Tony Og Regan from his provisional panel.
It might take two years, and the Lorrha native may have been overlooked on two previous occasions in 1992 and 1994 for the position of Galway manager, but my prediction is that McIntyre and his management team of Joe Connolly, John Moylan, and John Hardiman will prove to be a big success with the Galway hurlers over the coming years.
2. MICHEAL MEEHAN WILL GET AN ALL-STAR NEXT NOVEMBER
Meehan was unfortunate this year not to collect an Al-Star gong for his tremendous display against Kerry in the All-Ireland quarter-final and also a very productive league campaign.
His outstanding point taking and incisiveness against the Kingdom was one of the performances of the season, and considering his markers were the likes of Marc O' Se and Tom O' Sullivan increases its merit.
The way these things often work out is that if the Caltra man has a reasonable season in 2009, the journalists who give out the statuettes will feel guilty and give him one.
Meehan has been on the senior intercounty scene now for six or seven years and next year will hopefully be a good one for the Galway footballers. If he gets regular supply - and for that to happen he will need a vibrant midfield - he will continue to hit high personal tallies.
Galway have some exciting contests in the National Football League and open their campaign against Westmeath on the first Sunday in February away to Westmeath. Their first home game is one to pen into your spanking new diaries, on February 15 against Dublin.
3. CROSSMAGLEN TO WIN THE ALL-IRELAND CLUB FOOTBALL TITLE ON ST PATRICK'S DAY
Corofin supporters won't appreciate these sentiments, but the inescapable fact is that the Armagh champions are in pole position to win, incredibly, their FOURTH All-Ireland club title.
They face the winners of Munster - Drom-Broadford - in the All-Ireland semi-final and they should have too much for the Limerick men. Experience plays a massive part in winning an All-Ireland club title and the exploits of the likes of Caltra - who won the first time out - are the exception rather than the rule.
Cross have just annexed their third Ulster title in a row and immediately after the game, their top scorer, Oisin McConville started talking about the win as being a stepping stone to greater things. Focus or what?
Jimmy Sice's men will have to negotiate a difficult hurdle away to Tir Chonaill Gaels in Ruislip and if they win, then beat Kilmacud Crokes in the All-Ireland semi-final.
His side has improved enormously in the past few games, but the lack of incisiveness up front may prove their downfall. The only qualification with that statement is the fact that the highly impressive Tomas Costello is coming back to full form, and a fully fit and flying Costie would make a massive difference to their scoring return up front.
Still, sitting here, in the last few days of December 2008, the smart money is on Cross to prove themselves once again over the next three months.
4. MAYO WILL WIN THE CONNACHT SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
John O' Mahony has been ratified for the next three years as Mayo senior football manager. That said, he is under massive pressure to deliver some type of silverware in 2009. His championship record since he arrived back as Mayo manager is in the Brian Cowen territory as regards how things have gone for him since being installed as Taoiseach.
O' Mahony though is a shrewd man and a real survivor. He should have a template in place at this stage for his team and with a few additions from the current minor squad and a few u-21s coming on board they have the nucleus of a good team.
The fact that Galway won last year's final down in McHale Park will give Mayo a humongous motivation to come up and spear the "Auld enemy" in Pearse Stadium if things pan out as expected in the other games.
5. ST MICHAEL’S WILL WIN THE
ALL-IRELAND INTERMEDIATE TITLE
The city based side has been in great form all year and are playing with great confidence and style. They are a highly organised outfit and have some top players down the spine of their team.
Few sides at intermediate level will have the likes of a Greg Rogan, Eddie Hoare, Alan Glynn, or a Robbie Hannon in their ranks.
Moycullen did the business last year and lit up the runway lights for other Connacht sides to follow suit and I expect St Michael’s to do just that.
6. THE GAA WILL HAVE SCRAPPED THEIR NEW RULES BY CHAMPIONSHP TIME
In the leagues in both hurling and football one yellow means you are removed from the field of play. It is a big step by the GAA to introduce such a measure and it has done so in an effort to cut out the systematic fouling that is ruining, in particular, a lot of football matches.
A few seasons ago we had the "sin-bin", but the concept was in the bin by May day. Once a few big name managers came out crying about its unfairness and how it was ruining the physicality of the game, the GAA folded up its tent and ran for home.
They know that path at this stage and I'd expect them to be down it again by this year’s congress
7. THE GAA WILL HAVE SCRAPPED THEIR
NEW RULES BY CHAMPIONSHP TIME
The current deal which allows the IRFU and the FAI to use Croke Park for its internationals comes to an end at the end of 2009. Already the opening salvos for that decision to be extended have been fired in the past few weeks.
With the economic outlook looking increasingly bleak, it would be financial lunacy of the GAA not to collect some rent from the two professional sports for their sell-out games. The GAA has already cut its projected expenditure by €6million for 2009 and it won't turn its backs on the easily collected revenue of allowing soccer and rugby into Croke Park for 2010 and beyond.
8. PORTUMA WILL BEAT BALLYHALE AND WIN THE ALL-IRELAND
A lot of people are already looking forward to the clash of Ballyhale Shamrocks and Portumna. I enlisted the help of a well known Offaly native and sports fan and regional manager for Goal in the west of Ireland Ronan Scully, for my prediction on this one and he assured me that Ballyhale were lucky to beat Birr in the Leinster championship.
He is adamant that Ollie Canning and company will beat the Kilkenny men and go on to collect the All-Ireland even though De La Salle Waterford are a dark horse down south.
9. YOU WILL NOT AGREE WITH ALL THE ABOVE
I am extremely confident many of you will not agree with some of the above. Despite that, I wish you all the very best for 2009 and hope the swirling winds of the current recession don't blow you too far off course.
