Eleven counties will set out to win the Delaney Cup. However, there is only one genuine contender and it would be astonishing to think that Dublin won’t be heading up the steps of the Hogan Stand to collect an 11th provincial title in 12 years on 17 July.
Those hoping for a bit of romance will be disappointed. There will be no Leicester City story here or no ‘Devon Loch’ moment to throw the cat among the pigeons.
In the years preceding the start of Dublin’s domination in 2005, Offaly, Kildare, Meath, Laois and Westmeath all had their days in the sun. Wexford were good enough in more recent times to give the Dubs a run for their money. But as we approach the start of this campaign, Jim Gavin’s side have well and truly left their provincial opponents in the slipstream.
The June Bank Holiday weekend sees the defending champions open up with a game against either Laois or Wicklow at Nowlan Park. Many would argue, and rightly so, that the Dubs should play away from Croker. The Kilkenny city venue should provide a fitting backdrop for an evening throw-in.
Along with the meeting of Laois and Wicklow, other preliminary round games this weekend sees Carlow take on Louth and, for the third year on the trot, Offaly and Longford will do battle.
Kildare, who on paper would be fancied to reach a Leinster final, take on Wexford at the quarter-final stage at Croke Park on Saturday week. Meath, who interrupted Dublin’s provincial dominance when winning in 2010, face the winners of Carlow/Louth in their opener.
Last year’s finalists Westmeath will await the winner of Longford/Offaly, and after dropping down to Division 4 in the league, Tom Cribbin's men will be anxious to resurrect their season.
Both Leinster semi-finals are scheduled for Sunday 26 June at Croke Park, with the final three weeks later at GAA HQ
CARLOW
It’s 1944 since Carlow footballers triumphed above everybody else in Leinster. A fourth-place finish in the bottom tier of the league was respectable after a poor start.
Turlough O’Brien’s side will be keen to make amends for the 13-point defeat handed out by Louth in March when the sides meet in Portlaoise on Saturday.
Indeed, Carlow’s last win in the Leinster Championship was against the Wee County in 2011.
DUBLIN
The all-conquering and all-powerful Dubs embark on a quest for more silverware. Leinster is a given and there are those who feel that September glory is also in the can at this remove. However, the smart talk would suggest that the Dubs will have to earn another Sam Maguire when the championship pressure cooker is turned up later in the summer.
The next couple of months will see them look at more options to fill the gaps left by Rory O’Carroll and Jack McCaffrey, while also seeing whether the likes of Con O’Callaghan can add further fuel to a rampaging forward division.
Looking ahead to their trip down the country on 4 June, manager Jim Gavin told RTÉ Sport: At this level, once the ball is thrown in, the venue doesn't have much effect on the game,"
Another day, another game to be won at that time of the year for Dublin.
KILDARE
As expected, they achieved promotion from Division 3 in the spring, though their elevation was far from impressive and they will feel a little cross that they allowed Clare pip them in the decider.
Getting to the Leinster final and making another All-Ireland quarter-final would represent a more than satisfactory first season in charge for Cian O’Neill.
A boost for the manager is the return to the fold of Hugh McGrillen and Morgan O’Flaherty, while Kevin Feely has made a decent impression up front after returning from a soccer career in England.
LAOIS
Just one win from their seven games in the league saw Laois make the drop to Division 3 and manager Mick Lillis has a number of injury concerns ahead of their opener against Wicklow.
Former Galway hurling manager Anthony Cunningham has been brought in by Lillis to bring a “freshness” to the set-up, as the county target a crack at the Dubs.
The midlanders need a decent summer after a spring of some mediocrity and will be wary of what the Garden County will bring this weekend.
LONGFORD
Manager Denis Connerton and his backroom team have voiced their unhappiness at their number of club games that were scheduled in the county in advance of their opener against Offaly.
Speaking to the local media on the issue, Connerton said: “At this stage we feel we are unable to beat Offaly in the first round on 15 May and we are preparing for the qualifiers.”
We’ll see this weekend as to what shape Longford are in as they strive to complete a hat-trick of wins over the Faithful. With the likes of Barry McKeown, Brian Kavanagh and Robbie Smyth in their attack, the side is well served in terms of a scoring threat.
LOUTH
The Wee County’s rise from the depths saw them gain promotion from Division 4 and then for good measure they accounted for Antrim in the final itself. Getting over Carlow on Saturday evening sets up a date with Meath in the quarter-final - a clash where Colin Kelly’s side won’t lack for motivation.
MEATH
The Royals didn’t cut much of a dash during the league and the nature of some of their defeats and capitulations was worrying. They should be good enough to secure a date with Dublin in the semi-final and will be looking for a performance that leaves them in good order to tackle the qualifiers.
Getting to the last 12 would be progress considering the attacking options at their disposal. In his fourth year at the helm, there is also pressure on Mick O’Dowd to generate something more positive in the months ahead.
OFFALY
After a solid showing in Division 3, Pat Flanagan’s Offaly are making progress and will quietly fancy that a provincial semi appearance is within their reach. After letting it slip late on against Longford last season, the Faithful will be keen to make amends this weekend when the pair renew their rivalry.
It’s 2007 since the county last won a match in Leinster – a statistic that his hard to fathom considering their tradition.
WESTMEATH
After the joy of last season’s first championship win over Meath and getting to a Leinster final, 2016 has so far brought misery for Westmeath fans as the league saw them drop to Division 4.
Those within the camp have come out and said that a good summer campaign will put a different gloss on things. Getting over Longford or Offaly could see Tom Cribbin’s side build some momentum in their pursuit to reach another Leinster decider. That said, question marks remain until Westmeath enter the fray on 12 June.
WEXFORD
The Slaneysiders will be disappointed they didn’t gain promotion from Division 4 after an impressive scoring haul of 10-104 from their seven games.
They certainly won’t fear facing Kildare on Saturday week at Croke Park. It’s a venue where Wexford have acquitted themselves well in recent seasons.
WICKLOW
After decent showings against Meath and Armagh in last year’s championship, Wicklow will be hoping to improve on that and pick up a win in this year’s campaign.
Manager Johnny Magee would love to bring Wicklow into battle and his native Dublin and you’d imagine that he’ll have his troops well geared up for the trip to Laois on Saturday. Don’t be surprised if the visitors come away with the win.
