GAELIC SPORTS WORLD Issue 28 – June 20, 2015 | Page 52

LET THE BATTLE
COMMENCE
– TOMMY MORAN
JUNE 18, 2015

It seems a long seven weeks ago since the first ball was
kicked in the All Ireland Football Championship a long
three thousand miles away in Gaelic Park, New York City.
The losers on that day, New York, are the only side out of
contention for the Sam Maguire Cup. That is in theory of
course, as the old favourites are still the names on everyone’s lips, with no sign of a dark horse emerging.

format in which they had a realistic chance of winning?
However, the Qualifiers remain for the moment and
there was intense interest in the draw, with prayers being offered on the double for reasonable opponents and
a home venue. Some were happy, others felt they pulled
the short straw.

DONEGAL IMPRESS
REALISM
This stage of the championship would be the ideal time
to make the cut.
Let the sixteen teams from Division III and Division IV
of the Allianz League take a step sideways and play a second tier championship, on an open draw basis, sixteen,
then eight, then four and then the two last standing trot
out on to Croke Park on All Ireland Day. What could be
wrong with that? If the sixteen counties are honest with
themselves they must realise they have zero chance of
contesting seriously for Sam, this year, or next year, or
possibly the year after. Would it not be easier to motivate
players and supporters to be playing in a championship

52

Last weekend’s games provided a few talking points, the
main one being the ease with which Donegal brushed Armagh asid H[