by James McMahon
It’s time for reflection now that the dust has settled. From those who frequent the many GAA function rooms, to the carefully parsed and analysed reflections of ‘yer man’ on the bar stool, while not forgetting the taxi drivers and the scribes, many opinions will abound as to the quality on offer from May to September.
It certainly was a season that ended with unlikely champions. That may sound a little far-fetched, but for long periods of the summer, Kerry seemed to wallow in a mire of discontent. Their supporters turned up in Tullamore on 26 July for their qualifier match against Antrim to witness a wake for this current squad.
After that was the expected funeral on the August Bank Holiday Monday when Dublin, who saw off Kildare in a cracking Leinster final, were tipped by many to push on and leave a Kerry rabble in their slipstream. How did we get it so wrong? We should have known that the Kingdom with the sun on their backs at Headquarters in August would be a different animal. Yet we refused to believe in their powers of recovery.
The Dubs certainly felt the force of their new found venom, as O’Connor’s side ripped them to pieces – leaving Pat Gilroy to label his team ‘startled earwigs'.
Kerry’s All-Ireland success, and the manner in which they achieved it, was very much against type. If anything, Cork played the best football of the Championship, while Tyrone, in cruise control for most of the summer, found that the Rebel cause had a greater engine come the last four.
Division 4 teams enjoyed some fruitful days with Antrim reaching the Ulster final, Wicklow winning three Championship games, Sligo nearly sneaking past Kerry in Tralee and Limerick, who will be in the bottom tier in 2010, just running out of gas against Cork in the Munster final.
Then there was Wexford and Westmeath, who hit rock bottom in 2009, while Meath found something within to rise above the nadir of their previous campaign.
Mayo and Galway will feel as if they underachieved, and then there were those counties stuck in first gear – Laois, Down, Armagh, Fermanagh and Cavan - while others remained in neutral and sadly do not appear to be going anywhere fast.
In any event, here's the list -
1 Kerry: The Kingdom now have a manager to rival Mickey Harte and all the tactical nous the Tyrone supremo possesses. The way Jack O’Connor reshaped his team throughout the campaign, while getting the best out of Paul Galvin, the returning Mike McCarthy and 'newcomer' Tadhg Kennelly, is a glowing tribute to the Dromid native, who clearly saw that a new path had to be taken after the Cork reverse by the banks of the Lee.
Make no mistake, Kerry will fancy their chances of reaching a seventh consecutive September decider in 2010. And how they would love the Red Hand of Tyrone to be their opponents!
2 Cork: Despite losing the All-Ireland final, Conor Counihan will feel that his side are on the right track. Failure to push on when five points up against their rivals cost them dearly. Two or three scoring forwards with an eye for the posts would greatly enhance their prospects, and so compliment a strong half-back line and midfield sector.
At least Cork will have the winter to get over the disappointment of another final failure – enough time you would think for Counihan and his backroom team to come up with a different plan of action.
3 Tyrone: Seán Cavanagh’s absence from the start against Cork in the All-Ireland semi-final was a huge blow for a team who couldn’t handle the strong running game that the Rebels employed. Tyrone were a well beaten docket long before the end. Indeed, the warnings signs were there in the quarter-final, as Kildare also ran at them all too easy.
Only a fool would write off their chances of them challenging for Sam next year even if Brian Dooher and Brian McGuigan were to call it a day. After the loss to Cork, Martin McHugh rattled off the names of certain youngsters who could step up to the plate.
And who better than Mickey Harte to blend them into a unit who, on their day, could emerge into an irresistible force.
4 Kildare: I know that Dublin beat Kildare in the Leinster final, but the better showing by McGeeney's side in the All-Ireland quarter-final, has them one rung higher up the ladder. Kildare played some sparkling football in this year’s Championship – a far cry from the ragged display that saw them fall to Wicklow in May of 2008.
Against Dublin they went six points down after five minutes, yet recovered to lead by one at half-time. However, they lost their momentum after the break. A similar scenario befell them against Tyrone, and another narrow loss was their lot. The Geezer knows his crew can mix it with the best and they should now aim to break Dublin's monopoly in Leinster.
5 Dublin: I suppose you could call in Dr Phil to explain why a team has capitulated in August for the last two years. And this was after producing some swashbuckling football, albeit against some woeful opposition, namely Westmeath.
However, in the real world it is up to Pat Gilroy and his selectors to pick up the pieces. Dublin are not as bad as the whippings handed out by Tyrone and Kerry, but neither are they as good as they would like to think they are.
Going down the qualifier route may harden their resolve, but ultimately the boys in blue still don’t look like a side who can win Sam anytime soon.
6 Mayo: Let's start with the positives. John O’Mahony's side did play some sparkling football in regaining Connacht and saw off Galway more decisively in the final than the one-point winning margin. In Aidan O'Shea, they have a talent who certainly has an eye for the posts and will prove a handful for many full-back lines in the years ahead.
On the debit side was their failure to kick on when four points up against Meath with 20 minutes to go in the All-Ireland quarter-final. Okay some crucial refereeing calls went against them in the second-half – but that only masked the capitulation that left Mayo fans at home and abroad feeling very frustrated.
O’Mahony will be in place for another year. He obviously feels the talent is there to mount a serious challenge. Whether that view has universal acceptance is debatable.
7 Meath: Eamonn O’Brien deserves much credit in getting Meath through to the last four of the Championship. They are a hard-working, resilient bunch, who benefited from a relatively easy run through the qualifiers and Mayo’s brittleness, to set up their meeting with the Kingdom.
However, the Royals still lack quality in many sectors, although the experience of this year should stand to them. Getting promotion to Division 1 of the Allianz League would be good starting point to launch another productive summer campaign.
8 Galway: Why bother looking back now that Joe Kernan has been installed as the new boss. He will be keen for the current squad to stay in place, while also having an eye out for new players. Many are of the opinion that Kernan will add an extra bit a steel to bolster the Galway challenge in 2010.
If that happens, and the team can unearth one or two more scoring forwards, while also playing the free- flowing football that would have Purcell and Stockwell smiling up in heaven, then Big Joe could be on to something.
Ok maybe it’s too much to ask in the first year, but seeing how the project develops will be interesting.
9 Donegal: From the low of losing to Antrim to the relative high of beating Derry and then plummeting again when rampant Cork played puck – it has been a funny season for Donegal. The situation was not helped when manager John Joe Doherty had to banish a couple of players from the squad.
The performance of Karl Lacey in defence and the talented Michael Murphy up front were bright spots in an all too muddled season for the 1992 All-Ireland champions. Consistency is the key, as the current Donegal squad are good enough to win Ulster, if Tyrone have an off day, or want to take the scenic route again.
10 Limerick: The Treaty county have made the top 10, courtesy of their spirited performance in the Munster final which certainly had Cork rattled. Prior to that, Mickey Ned’s charges had seen off Tipperary and Clare, and approached the provincial decider in confident mood.
A bit more poise in front of the posts would have seen them over the line, and a quarter-final showdown would not have overawed them. If the panel can stick together, they have the ability to ruffle a few more feathers next year, although a spring campaign in Division 4 of the League will not be the ideal preparation.
11 Antrim: All involved with football in the Glens will look back on the season with a fair degree of satisfaction. Michael McCann getting an All-Star nomination was also well deserved. While Antrim never looked like beating Tyrone in the Ulster final, they certainly asked enough questions of Kerry the next day out in the qualifiers.
Building on the success of this year will be the next task, and the fact that they have already sampled the limelight will leave Liam Bradley and Co wanting more in 2010.
12 Wicklow: The Garden County garnering two All-Star nominations says much for their contribution to the 2009 Championship. They should have beaten Westmeath in the Leinster quarter-final, but yet they took to the qualifiers with much relish, seeing off three Ulster sides, before bowing out admirably to Kildare.
Some criticism has come Mick O’Dwyer’s way for not making more use of the bench, but the Waterville legend is shrewder than most, so it’s best not to dwell on it.
Getting to a Leinster semi-final would represent another step forward for Wicklow next summer, assuming, of course that Micko is still in charge.
13 Derry: Another season of disappointment for the Oak Leaf men. They looked poised for a quarter-final berth after their impressive victory over Monaghan in the qualifiers – a marked contrast to the dour contest involving both counties in the Ulster championship.
However, they fell to a Donegal side, of whom they thought were vulnerable and could be picked off with ease. Derry have a forward unit that can chalk up big scores – it’s just that they don’t do it often enough.
14 Sligo: Kevin Walsh’s entry into management revitalised a Sligo side that were a shambles in ’08. They could have taken the scalps of Galway and Kerry, despite lacking any real potency up front. David Kelly and Mark Breheny stand out in their forward division, but the Yeats county need a few more players who have the confidence to shoot when the opportunity presents itself.
They are certainly not lacking when it comes to grit and determination and will not fear meeting any of the big two in Connacht in 2010.
15 Down: Had chances to end the Wicklow odyssey in Aughrim, but they could not deliver the knockout punch. New manager James McCartan has promised to search the county for new talent. It’s fair to say, Down need a new impetus with too many tame championship exits the legacy they have left in this decade.
16 Monaghan: Seamus McEnaney has opted to stay on and with Paul Grimley also on the ticket, Farney fans are entitled to believe that a new dawn is on the horizon. On their day, Monaghan can play good football, as evidenced by their display against Derry in the qualifiers.
That sense of purpose, allied with the doggedness that has been their trademark in the 'Banty' era, may make them somewhat easier on the eye over the next few years.
17 Tipperary: After going down by a point to Sligo in round two of the qualifiers, manager John Evans was still a happy man. His side had gained promotion to Division 2 of the league and had managed to win a Championship match for the first time in six years. Much interest will be on how Evans’ charges operate in a more rarefied atmosphere from next spring.
18 Laois: After Laois won Leinster in 2003, many thought that they could push on and grace the big stage at the business end of the championship with regularity. Sadly for supporters of the O’Moore County, they have been let down more often than not.
This campaign was a case in point. Laois struggled past Louth in Leinster, before Kildare blew them away with ease. Against Down in the qualifiers, they did not look interested. Sean Dempsey has been ratified for another year, and will hope that his side are at least competitive when serious action resumes.
19 Roscommon: 2009 saw signs of recovery with the patient that is the Roscommon senior football team. The trauma of recent years has taken its toll, and a serious relapse looked likely after a heavy beating by Mayo in the Connacht semi-final.
However, the side found the resolve to beat Wexford after a replay in the qualifiers, before putting up a gallant showing in the defeat to Meath. The hope remains that a few of the minors from 2006 will step up and ensure that Roscommon get further redemption in the short term.
20 Longford: Glen Ryan’s first steps into management saw his side produce a spirited display against Kerry, that followed a hard-earned victory over Leitrim in round one of the qualifiers. In the Leinster Championship, they lost to Wicklow in a close encounter.
Add it all up, and Ryan has achieved well above the pass rate for his first year in charge. Immediate target for 2010 is to get Longford out of Division 4. It will not be easy as many teams will be vying for the two spots.
21 Armagh: The success of the minor side in winning the All-Ireland gave Armagh a much needed boost in a year the county will want to forget. Remember their match against Monaghan in the qualifiers. As forgettable an inter-county game one could imagine. We also had to endure extra-time.
A new manager will be expected to bring a difference to the way Armagh play the game as they have been far too predictable in recent seasons.
22 Louth: Eamonn McEnaney has moved on, no doubt thinking he has gone as far he could with the Wee County. A fresh voice will obviously kick start something, but whether it will be enough to make Louth any more competitive remains to be seen.
23 Fermanagh: A friend of mine had dreams of another Ulster final appearance when Fermanagh beat Down in the preliminary round. He didn’t see the listless display against Cavan coming, but neither did most observers.
Going to Aughrim after that in the qualifiers was never going to be easy and so it proved. It’s fair to say that Malachy O’Rourke and his team owe their supporters much in 2010.
24 Cavan: Facing into an Ulster semi-final against Antrim, the Breffni chant was of a date with Tyrone in the Clones decider. It’s a pity the players weren’t as driven, as they were a beaten team well before the final whistle. Tom Carr has been given another year in charge and his reputation and that of the players is very much on the line from here on.
25 Westmeath: I’m sure all football fans in the county will want to look ahead now that Brendan Hackett is in place as the new manager. 2009 was a truly miserable year in both league and championship. Hackett will no doubt want to make the side tough to beat again, while also trying to unearth a few more forwards to improve Westmeath’s average scoring return.
26 Wexford: The county board have kept faith with Jason Ryan as manager following a year he and his players will want to forget. It’s hard to see them reaching the heights of 2008 any time soon, but Wexford football is not as bad as what was presented in this calendar year.
27 Offaly: After the Richie Connor removal earlier in the year, Offaly went with Tom Cribben as manager. He presided over two championship defeats, although, at least his team played with a bit of heart. Cribben has already made noises about Offaly being a more serious force in 2010. We’ll wait and see.
28 Leitrim: The arrival of Mickey Moran as manager was greeted with much excitement. After his first year in charge, Leitrim failed to get promoted from Division 4, were beaten rather handily in the end by Roscommon in the Connacht Championship and are still searching for their first win in the qualifiers after another defeat, this time at the hands of Longford.
The loss of Emlyn Mulligan was a huge blow to the side, however, but Leitrim fans will still believe that they are due a break some time soon. The rest of the GAA family would not begrudge them that.
29 Waterford: Promising displays in the league have not transferred to the Championship and a new voice in the shape of John Owens will guide their fortunes in 2010.
30 Clare: They were not disgraced in going down to Limerick and Donegal in 2009 and should target the upcoming league to build up confidence.
31 Carlow: Luke Dempsey's side fought gamely in their losses to Louth and Donegal. The news that former minor star Brendan Murphy is returning home after a spell with the Sydney Swans will be a boost. It is also thought that Thomas Walsh will make himself available to Dempsey after a couple of seasons with Wicklow.
32 London: At least the Exiles are not getting a thumping every year and Galway were less than impressive when winning in Ruislip in 2009.
33 New York: The GAA fraternity in the Big Apple are keen to remain in the Connacht Championship and the respective Connacht counties are also eager to sample the bright lights in the month of May.
