Leinsters Progress and Ulsters need

By GAAme Thoughts

Leinster on the up

Wins for Wexford and Offaly – now there was a double nobody would have backed. Nobody outside of Wexford, and many from inside, would have seen a 6 point win in Cusack Park on the horizon. Lee Chin’s return coincides with potentially their best win for a number of years. His importance cannot be underestimated but this will be a result that will please Keith Rossiter more than most – he has toiled in the backroom and at underage for number of years so no doubt he will be aware of the potential for the county. Unfortunately while I give them hope in Chadwicks Park v Galway I think its still likely to be Division 1B in 2026. But there’s hope there now that they could yet make a mark in Leinster and the All Ireland series.

Clare’s league position is spoken across the podcast world with less concern than I would have. Yes they have games to win that would see them stay up, yes they are dealing with injuries and timed returns from some of the squad, and yes they are the number 1 team in the country. They may well time the run to championship and take Munster by storm winning their first since 1998 and have a really good crack at retaining Liam. But what for 2026? A trip to Cusack Park for Kildare and Carlow and away trips to Down and Laois or Antrim. That’s not good in the long term and while most will look to 2025, it’s hard not to see that 2026 would be a concern in some quarters already.

Antrim or Laois look favourites to slip down the ladder. I feel its more important for Antrim to stay up but Laois will not fear going to North Antrim to get a win. They will also still have Dublin at home when Antrim will have played all games, so could still have a chance that day to save themselves while Davy’s men are forced to watch.

Win of the weekend has to go to Donegal. They have taken quite a scalp in beating Kerry. In 2024, Kerry going into the Liam McCarthy and the permutations of provincial championships was being seriously debated and tied down. Donegal won a McGurk Cup, the Ulster hurling pre-season competition. They are now clearly the 3^rd team in Ulster and could yet be playing Antrim next year in league. But I’m not ruling out Derry having a say on the last weekend.

League thoughts

The structure of this years league has certainly tightened the gaps between promotion, safety and relegation. Any of five could yet make the Division 1 final. Division 1Bhas four challengers to be promoted in Dublin, Waterford, Offaly and Carlow. While the other three will be worried about relegation, although Laois are still mathematically capable of promotion.

Division 2 is almost as tight although I am going to put my neck out now and suggest it’ll be Down and Kildare to make promotion. London, Wicklow, Louth and Fermanagh will be the others to jump up the divisions at this rate.

My current only downside to the league so far is the weekend off for some teams and the effect the split season has on the games taking place. Pitches are under so much more strain now than before. While Semple Stadium and Corrigan Park both looked in great order for the live hurling games at the weekend we have to remember there’s not many could hold out like they did after having football played on Saturday afternoon. You have seen the effect on the game in Salthill a few weeks ago between Clare and the hosts. Nowlan Park couldn’t hold out the weather this week and other down the divisions suffered the same fate. It just squeezes the calendar that little bit tighter. The training weekend or free St Patrick’s day with the family was lost for a number of teams.

Have I the answer? No. But I would suggest maybe moving the All Irelands back to line up with the Bank Holiday weekend at the start of August, and alternate the codes each year. And while we are at it why not consider moving the club finals back to the Saturday/Sunday of St Brigid’s day. (St Patrick’s Day has never recovered from losing those fixtures, and there was always something closer to the heart about playing that day.)

Ulsters need

Finally the reason why I feel it is more important for Antrim to stay up than Laois and why Donegal’s win was so important is down to one term – Geography. Laois can travel an hour and play seven Division 1A or B teams. Galway played Tipperary two weeks ago on a Thursday night without having to break speed limits or take time off work.

For Antrim to play the closest other Division 1 team they must travel 1hr 45mins to Dublin, which in itself then has traffic issue no other area of the country has to consider. And that is the only option within 2 hours for the Saffrons. Those from the hurling heartlands of the Glens (11 of Sundays starting 15) would add 45-60mins onto that journey.

For hurling to prosper in the north of the country the more teams at a higher level the better. Antrim need access to the top tier to keep challenging themselves and have access to those levels of games. Realistically who from below Dublin and Westmeath is taking a 3 hour day trip across the border for a single game when they could play a choice of 4 or 5 others within 60 mins away? With Down, Donegal, Derry and Tyrone all in Division 2 the quality of challenge for those counties are becoming easier to find – and the higher the level they play, and more regular games at those levels can only help. As the levels in Ulster lift, Antrim need to stay up and hope Down join them, and maybe in a few years there will be talk of Donegal winning the Ulster Championship, not the pre-season cup.