This coming weekend, the 1998 season gets under way in earnest with the first full programme of National Football League matches and the first set of All-Ireland club semi-finals, which take place in Thurles and Mullingar.
More attention will be focused on the meeting of Clarecastle and Birr in Semple Stadium, but there is always a bit of a tendency to overlook the semi-final involving the Ulster champions.
Such a tendency will be nothing new to Antrim champions Dunloy, who have established a formidable record in recent All-Ireland semifinals, winning two in the last three years. If the 1995 victory over Athenry required an injury-time goal to make the difference, Kilkenny's Glenmore were certainly well warned 12 months later. Nonetheless, they too were beaten - and even more convincingly.
Accordingly, the fact that some bookmakers are quoting Dunloy at 2 to 1 has to raise eyebrows and nowhere more so than around Wexford where the Ulster champions spent a training weekend under the supervision of All-Ireland winning manager Liam Griffin. Included in their programme was a challenge match against the county team, which Dunloy won by four points and in the process impressed Wexford manager Rory Kinsella.
"They were very eager, very fit and very well-organised. Their play was fast and they moved the ball around quickly. And they'd go through anything to get the ball. I was impressed by their work-ethic, how they worked completely and utterly for each other. "Their shooting wasn't great, but Alastair Elliot (Dunloy and Antrim attacker) is a brilliant forward. I think they'll be hard to beat. Some of our fellas thought the game was a Sunday morning puck-about. After 15 minutes they realised it wasn't."
Wexford also played Clarecastle and beat them comfortably, although Kinsella is at pains to point out that the victory was achieved with a stronger team than had faced Dunloy. Sarsfields of Galway will doubtless take note.
In the aftermath of Sunday's Railway Cup success, perennial Ulster manager Brian McEniff made the usual (positive) points about the competition. He was also asked the usual question about his future intentions. Next time around would be his and selector Art McRory's 17th year in charge.
McEniff was uncharacteristically forthcoming on the subject as he tends to approach the subject cautiously. Whereas his words weren't a ringing declaration, they added up to an earlier-than-usual expression of interest in keeping the show on the road.
"Well I don't know. The boys were talking about going to Toronto (a reference to Ulster captain Peter Canavan's contribution to the "victory-speech-as-plea-for-travel" movement). If we were going to Toronto, maybe. It's hard to say. I've a great gra for it and I suppose I'd consider it if offered the post."
With a strike-rate of better than one title every two years, the offer is likely enough. It would be accepted, surely?
"That's very possible. I won't talk about it at this stage. I'm going to enjoy the evening with the boys."
On the subject of the Railway Cup, Tyrone's Chris Lawn, injured in the final, hopes to be fit to take his place at full back in Sunday's league clash with Kerry. His absence would be a severe blow to Tyrone's attempt to inflict a second successive home defeat on the All-Ireland champions, but Lawn said the injury is not as serious as at first feared.
"The back has been giving me trouble for a couple of weeks, and it came to a head on Sunday, but I should be okay for the Kerry game if I get some rest and some physio treatment," he said.
Dublin football manager Tom Carr and his selectors picked the team for Sunday's league opener with Monaghan at Parnell Park, but will not name it until tomorrow night after informing the players. Long-term absentees are Paul Bealin, with a groin strain, and the suspended Paul Curran.
Jason Sherlock will also be missing as he is in Florida at the New England Revolution's soccer trial. Carr will be talking to Erin's Isle players about their availability, in the light of Sunday week's All-Ireland club football semi-final against Castlehaven. "We would hope to use some of them," he says, "but we'll see what can be worked out."
Tipperary senior hurling manager Len Gaynor will receive the Person of the Year Award next Friday in Manchester from the local Tipperary Association. He is the 12th Tipperary person to receive the award and other hurlers honoured include Jimmy Doyle, Liam Devanney and Babs Keating.
. Every club in Kilkenny last night pledged it would join the fight to get DJ Carey to reverse his recent decision to retire from hurling. "We retain the hope that the situation can be retrieved," said Kilkenny County Board vice-chairman Ned Quinn when he brought up the issue at last night's board meeting.
Quinn brought up the Carey affair as the second item on the agenda, and he was the only one who spoke on the matter. He said hurling followers everywhere had enjoyed many magic moments from Carey, who is surely one of the greatest players of all time.
"We are extremely proud of him and we hope to have him back playing again," he said.
When he finished his remarks he asked that there be no further debate on the issue.
