As the new inter-county season begins in earnest, one county is hogging all the silverware.
The club season was magnificent for the most part - even if some of us are only slowly recovering from it (literally).
Daingean Uí Chúis's run to the club title was incredible to witness, as much for the quality of the games as the scale of their repeated comebacks.
The All-Ireland senior final underlined again how much the rules have improved the sport as a spectacle, although the woeful intermediate club final was a serious dampener.
The only upside of it was that Glenullin were soundly beaten in the end and got zero benefit from their self-defeating tactics - a lesson there for others as we head into the second campaign under the new rules.
At the end of it all, Kerry have had a year to trump all others.
Already, you're hearing the odd snippets of talk that they could own Sam Maguire for the next few years and that everyone else will struggle to keep it kicked out. I'm not sure I foresee a reign of dominance akin to Dublin in the 2010s.
But, clearly, they're in an excellent position and are justifiable favourites. Their age profile is excellent and several players are right in their prime. Jack O'Connor will be hungry to win a first back-to-back as a manager - I know he completed the first leg of their last back-to-back before stepping away for a couple of years.
The rules are obviously perfectly tailored for them, particularly when coming up against the Ulster teams.
It's funny but no one really twigged as much until late June last year. But I do remember Colm Cooper saying to me late in the league, "the ground is getting firmer, Lee. Watch Kerry ramp things up."
Perhaps the worst thing that could happen from anyone else's perspective is if they're on the wrong side of a Meath-like upset such as they suffered in Tullamore last year.
That seemed to fuel their anger and defiance for the rest of the season. And when Kerry bring that snarl and that fury, they're nearly impossible to stop. The only snag is that's hard to replicate unless it's organic and genuine, ie, unless you've had an actual setback and the critics are taking pot-shots.
As far as taking them down in the new game, Donegal's approach in the All-Ireland final looked to me like an abject lesson in what not to do.
Teams are understandably inclined to gather defensive reinforcements around David Clifford, but sitting back in a defensive shell is a recipe for a handy beating. You just have to put heat on Kerry's playmakers out the field, or else Paudie Clifford or Seánie O'Shea will pull the strings and they'll easily work the space for two-point opportunities.
When Dublin were in their pomp, the only way to unsettle them was to defend aggressively and play at a high tempo. Standing off just allowed them the space and time to methodically work scores. The rules may be altered but it looks much the same scenario with this Kerry team.
Jacko likes to rack up doubles but my suspicion is that they could take or leave the league. They won it last year almost by accident.
The last couple of rounds of the league were massively distorted by the fact that the championship was looming so close, which impacted the Ulster sides especially given the nature of their provincial championship. Every team, bar Derry, converged around seven or eight points and, lo and behold, somehow Kerry and Mayo wound up in the final.
Last summer was a pretty miserable one for Mayo but there seems to be a new bounce in the step in January. A lot of it is down to Andy Moran's infectious enthusiasm. With Ger Brennan back on the sideline, it could feel like a reunion from 12, 13 years ago when they do meet in Castlebar.
A few of Mayo's old guard have flooded back to the panel - Cillian O'Connor, Robbie Hennelly and James Carr. The news broke this week that Conor Loftus is back in the set-up after a couple of super seasons with Crossmolina, where the won an All-Ireland intermediate last year.
I've worked hard to wipe the 2025 Mayo county final(s) from my memory but I'm told Evan Regan had a good game in the replay. Casual outside observers might be surprised he's not in the mix for a spot on the county team but he's actually involved - as the nutrionist.
Certainly, they need to jettison the safety-first approach that they'd slumped into for much of last year. The weaknesses were obviously up front in 2025 - the stat that David Clifford scored more two-pointers in the All-Ireland final than Mayo did in the entire championship tells us everything. Andy has made clear that developing the attack is his priority.
Sunday's game in Salthill looks well teed up for Mayo, with Galway missing Damien Comer, Shane Walsh and Matthew Thompson.
If realistic optimism best describes the mood in Mayo, then it's again a case of All-Ireland-or-nothing for Galway. On paper, their forward line is the only one to rival Kerry's at the minute, though Walsh and Comer are into their 30s and have probably only a couple of years remaining at their peak.
Comer offered a tantalising glimpse of how destructive he can be in that cameo against Meath, where he almost dug them out of a hole. His current injury is supposed to clear up in three to four weeks, though we've been here before.
It's really anyone's guess who wins Division 1. I'm wary of offending our neighbours (again) but it's hard to see Roscommon staying up after what was a flat campaign last year, despite promotion. Monaghan have a chance though I'd still be inclined to play it safe and tip them for the drop. Armagh do look vulnerable given their absentees, Rian O'Neill obviously being the most high profile.
Division 2, given its implications, will be another grim dogfight and they'll be no easing off. I'd be shocked if Tyrone didn't come roaring back into the top tier at a rate of knots. That they got relegated at all was a bit freakish. A couple of senior players, like Peter Harte, have stepped away, but they're collapsing under the weight of underage trophies, so plenty of young players are arriving.
Meath will be itching to get into Division 1 and build on the huge momentum generated in 2025. Leinster is surely a realistic prospect for them this year, something we haven't been able to announce at the start of the year since the early '10s.
Derry are coming off a winless campaign but they were highly competitive in the Group of Death. Under Ciarán Meenagh, I reckon there's another kick in them. The opener against Meath will be crucial. I'll give them the nod to take the second promotion spot.
At the other end, Kildare simply have to consolidate the progress from last season. Two Under-20 All-Irelands in the last decade indicates the material is there and I fancy them to achieve safety. I suspect Offaly and Louth might fall through the trap-door but Cavan may also be vulnerable.
In Division 3, Down look too good for their surroundings on the evidence of last year and Westmeath will probably come back up with them. But who's to know? As ever in the league, attitude and conditioning is key.
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