GAA: The All-Ireland under-21 football championship received a significant financial boost yesterday when Cadbury Ireland announced a sponsorship deal worth €1.5 million over four years. This includes the current championship, the final for which takes place on May 8th.
While being an obvious bonus for the compact competition, it also gives Cadbury a substantial piece of the GAA pie in the shape of television advertising and pitch side branding of their conspicuous purple logo.
"We're committing to about a million and a half (euro) in total and that's a fairly substantial investment," said Cadbury Ireland marketing director Michael Smith.
"That will be the minimum because we will release a lot of things into the market that will be associated with the under-21s and the GAA."
The under-21 All-Ireland semi-finals take place on April 30th with Connacht champions Galway facing the Munster winners, while whoever wins the Leinster final between Dublin and Kildare plays the winners of the Ulster final between Cavan and Down.
Considering both Leinster final captains, Bryan Cullen and Michael Foley, were drafted to yesterday's launch, the topic of conversation naturally switched to the repeat of last year's final, which Kildare won, this Saturday evening at Páirc Tailteann in Navan.
Cullen is playing his fourth year as an under-21 and, having made the senior centre back slot his own, faces into a hectic few months from now until Dublin's interest in the both competitions is complete.
"Hopefully, if we get a win on Saturday, we will be looking at an All-Ireland semi-final against the winners of Ulster.
"The seniors will be going into a fairly intensive training programme in preparation for the championship, whereas I'll be doing the complete opposite to prepare for an All-Ireland semi-final.
"But that's why you play. We all want to win medals. I'm quite happy to have another opportunity to win a Leinster championship - the more I can get the better."
The players were speaking from the edge of the recently relayed Croke Park surface, with only minor transgressions on to a pitch that clearly requires all of next week to be ready for the National Football League finals on April 24th.
Croke Park authorities insist there is enough time for the grass to grow.
Armagh are looking like strong contenders to make that date as Joe Kernan recalled Kieran McGeeney and Oisín McConville for Sunday's national football league semi-final against Mayo at Dr Hyde Park, Roscommon. With Tony McEntee still injured, twin brother John starts at centre forward.
Mayo manager John Maughan has left James Nallen out of the team, but there's an obvious reason. The centre back only returns from holidays in the Caribbean on the morning of the game so Alan Roche gets the number six shirt.
Monaghan team manager Séamus McEneaney has named an unchanged team from the last outing against Longford for the Division Two semi-final against Derry in Clones.
Monaghan haven't beaten Derry in league or championship fare since 1988.
TEAM SELECTIONS
MAYO: D Clarke; K Higgins, D Heaney; D Geraghty; C Moran, A Roche, P Gardiner; R McGarrity, BJ Padden; J Gill, C McDonald, A Moran; C Mortimer, T Mortimer, A Dillon.
ARMAGH: P Hearty; A Mallon, F Bellew, P McCormack; A Kernan, K McGeeney, C McKeever; J Toal, P McGrane; M O'Rourke, J McEntee, O McConville; S McDonnell, R Clarke, B Mallon.
MONAGHAN: S Duffy; G McQuaid, V Corey, C Flanagan; D Freeman, J Coyle, J Ward; F Duffy, J McElroy; P Finlay, T Freeman, S McManus; R Woods, R Ronaghan, M Daly.
