In saying that this is the first really seriously competitive weekend in the GAA calendar, AFR is by no means seeking to denigrate the efforts of the many talented footballers and hurlers who took part in O'Byrne Cup, Kehoe Cup and Walsh Cup competitions. All these competitions saw some fine team performances, with the O'Byrne Cup being particularly noticeable. The 9,000 or so spectators who turned up in Mullingar on a cold and wet Sunday afternoon were a potent testimony to the capacity of so-called 'Cinderella' competitions to catch the popular imagination, once the teams involved are tightly matched and they make a full effort.
AFR knows well from his contacts in the Westmeath camp that they were sorely disappointed by the result. They had seemed the 'form' team of the competition and it's possible they were lured into over-confidence by the national 'meeja' who seemed to underestimate the strength and determination of Longford. The canny Longford lads, however, will not fall prey to the old Midlanders' failing of counting their chickens before they are hatched. However encouraging the signs, it's far too early yet to say if the current crop are worthy successors to the likes of Mick Hopkins and the lads of ཽ and ྀ. Certainly, the rivalry between these two teams augurs well for their Leinster Championship clash later this year.
The weekend sees the resumption of the National Football League, with some intriguing clashes in prospect. For An Fear Rua, though, the premier clash will be the Semple Stadium contest between Athenry and Birr. Not only does AFR think Birr will win this one handily, but he believes they will go all the way on Saint Patrick's Day, despite the best efforts of Clare's Saint Joseph's.
On the threshold of these fine games, there are many who would say that things have never been better in the GAA. There's a fine new stadium being built in Croke Park, many provincial grounds are being upgraded into stadia, attendances have never been higher, commercial sponsorship is at an all-time high (Allied Irish Banks - fair dues to them - managed to find IR£600,000 recently to fund their sponsorship of the All Ireland club championship), RTE have got down of their high horse of many years and are, essentially, begging d'Association.
All these things are good and welcome, accepts An Fear Rua, once they are kept in their proper place. That's the real trick today in the GAA - getting the right balance between progress and keeping what's at the core of the Association's astonishing success. In a worst case scenario, here's what we could be looking at in, say, five year time:
A small, elite, professional full-time group of inter-county players (mostly footballers)
A group of full-time, professional managers, assistants, physios, psychologists and the devil knows what else attached to inter-county teams (There's no doubt teams like Wickla', Westmeath or the Clare hurlers could benefit from a Feng Shui expert or two on the books. After all, they've tried Kung Fu for long enough and it hasn't worked too well for them!)
Part-time, paid 'scouts' will try to lure players from one county to another with promises of signing on fees and bonuses.
Huge sections of Croke Park and many provincial venues dominated by the 'corporate' sector (These are kind of fellas - and it's mostly men - who turn up in the 'box' on the New Stand, stretch their hand out for a drink and promptly turn their back on the play below to watch the tennis from Wimbledon… An Fear Rua witnessed this with his own eyes last June. AFR would be the first to acknowledge the many athletic and other charms of Anna Kournikova, but when fellas turn up in a corporate box in Croke Park of a Sunda' could they not at least go through the motions of watching the games?)
Provincial championships will be a thing of the past
The game of hurling will be 'tinkered' out of existence by ridiculous and uncalled for rule changes (like a puck out to start the game instead of a throwin)
Not a pleasant prospect at all, An Fear Rua contends. But even worse than the outcome at national level will be the effect these profound changes will have on the GAA at club and parish level. If they come to pass they will sound the death knell of the local club. In fact, the GAA will look not that that much different from professional soccer in Britain. Today, even the least skilful under-12 hurler or footballer standing in his parish ground can legitimately envisage progressing all the way through to his county team in Croke Park on an All Ireland Sunday. The creation of an elite, professional group of players will end all this. Indeed, for the 'elites' themselves it may not be great, because after they're finished in the full-time game will they be welcomed back by the parishes and clubs they have earlier abandoned?
This prospect of progressing all the way from parish to county to All Ireland - while remaining amateur - is one of the great strengths of the GAA. The day we take away the dreams of young boys is a day we will regret.
Somber thoughts perhaps, and thoughts that will be far from the minds of many players and fans this weekend. Still, be careful of what may be coming up. Enjoy the games while you may, but don't say you haven't been warned...