The Mayo ladies take centre stage for us when they take on Kerry this Saturday in the All-Ireland semi- final in Thurles. This will be a testing encounter for them as Kerry will be full of confidence and expectation after defeating All-Ireland champions Meath in their quarter final.
Michael Moyles' team have showed great composure and character throughout the year especially in the quarter final win over Galway when they looked like they were in danger of losing.
They will need all their big players to shine and perform to their best to have a chance of beating Kerry. The Kingdom ladies are warm favourites at 4/9 while Mayo are priced at 9/4. Don't rule out an upset here.
Limerick cemented their place in the record books by becoming only the third team in history to win the All-Ireland hurling title four years in a row. Despite insisting that they only concentrate on their next game, I firmly believe they will want to equal if not better Dublin’s six in row football achievement.
They really are a remarkable outfit who have had to deal with a series of season ending injuries to marquee players down through the years and yet they still managed to find a way of ending up as champions.
I for one thought they would be in real trouble this year with the loss of Sean Finn, the best corner back in the country over the last six years and inspirational captain and centre half back Declan Hannon.
To their credit and their manager's credit, they just got on with it and played the game at a frantic pace, on their terms. They looked to be in a spot of bother in the first half when Kilkenny raced into a six point lead.
From that juncture they outscored Kilkenny by 25 points to 1-07 in what was a sensational turnaround. Their second half display was as good as it gets and that was without raising a green flag.
Some of the points scored were absolutely outrageous. It's not often you have a team going for four in a row that you actually want to win. They carry themselves in such a special way that you only want the best for them. Their manager John Kiely resonates all that is good about them.
It's hard to believe on Sunday the mens inter-county season will be over for the year, unless we have a draw of course which could easily happen.
Dublin take on Kerry in what hopefully will be a mouthwatering clash. This is the final the neutral has been waiting for, obviously we would prefer if Mayo were involved.
This will be a proper grudge match. Jack O'Connor will be desperate to achieve back to back All-Irelands while anything other than a victory for Dublin will be deemed a massive failure for Dessie Farrell.
It's only last year that Sean O’Shea's monstrous last ditch free decided an epic semi-final in what was the best game of the championship. There are plots and sub plots aplenty to savour none more so than the David Clifford dilemma and what tactic Dublin will use to stifle his obvious influence.
This is the acid test for Dessie Farrell's tactical nous. I'm astonished how Clifford delivers in almost every game he plays. The fact that opposing teams are well warned in advance of his capabilities and that the best man markers in the game are assigned to track him, he makes a mockery of the lot of it.
Look what he did to Chrissy McKaigue and Derry in the semi final. I know down the years Mayo have pulled rabbits out of the hat using David Brady and Aidan O’Shea at full back to ruffle Kieran Donaghy but Clifford is a different animal.
This will be one of many intriguing aspects. I still fancy the Dubs to win. I feel they have a better all round team and a much better bench than Kerry. Kerry are slight favourites with the bookmakers.
Lastly but by no means least I have to congratulate the Charlestown LGFA u14 team and management on what can only be described as a weekend for them that Roy of the Rovers would envy.
Last Saturday the team blitzed their way to a Connaught Community games title playing two games, a semi final and final in very testing conditions. They will now represent Mayo and Connaught in the All-Ireland series. Then on Sunday morning the same girls had an epic battle with Westport in the division 1 championship final winning out by 2-07 to 1-07. It was edge of the seat stuff played by two terrific teams.
That final win represents Charlestown LGFA's first “A” title in ladies football. The mind boggles how they had to play three games in 24 hours. It was a testament to their fitness, dedication and ability that they won everything they took part in. Well done everyone.
