Upping the Away Game
It’s all about upping the Away Game these days. Kerry winning going back to Gold in their away jersey up in Mayo. Tyrone in their impressive new red hand away jerseys recorded a tight fought win on the road against the Lilywhites last weekend, also wearing their slick away strip although at home. Donegal put on a stylish display in Croke park under lights with their own away strip the subject of much jealous attention as they returned to the retro style of green jerseys with a yellow band last seen regularly in the early nineties.
Of course back then the green and yellow number was the standard Tír Chonaill kit, but during the successful ’92 All Ireland campaign, they wore the green kit in the Ulster final, then switched to a yellow shirt for the semi final against Mayo due to a potential clash. So much did they like the strip that O’Neills designed that it was retained for the final and has pretty much remained their primary home colours since.
The strip was also famous for the sleeve flashes that had just come into fashion thanks to some new technology in Strabane which upped the jersey game in the nineties and marked another era in O’Neills one hundred year history.
There’s something about away jerseys, the fans like them and they offer a bit more creativity than a typical familiar home jersey, no matter how attractive our design. We’ve even seen Down adapt their goalkeeper jersey this season and have a full numbered set run up to operate as their change strip. Innovation or what? These alternative colours may become the trivia quiz questions of the future. We’ll keep you posted as more classic emerge or make a return!
Hurling in Focus
Fitzgibbon level hurling has been in the headlamps for the last couple of weeks as DCU progress to their first ever Fitzgibbon Final against UL. A fantastic season for the north Dublin uni, who have already past Sigerson successes on the Roll of Honour.
With the recent rise of Mary Immaculate and the emergence of Carlow IT to challenge the so-called traditional powers, the hurling landscape at third level is probably more level than ever. It is arguably offering more evenly matched teams than sister competition the Sigerson Cup. Both competitions are feeling the pressure, or rather players that choose to play both are feeling the pressure as these games are squeezed into mid week slots. The weekend format has now gone on the grounds that playing two high-octane games in consecutive days is a non-runner from a sports science and welfare perspective. There is still considerable quality on show form all panels as evidenced by the ninety minute thriller that UCD and Ulster served up the other evening at Iniskeen. The competitions can’t be lost to us, but an anchored position in the calendar needs sorted.
In the hurling league, this weekend Waterford and Kilkenny resume neighbourhood rivalries in Walsh Park. What is astonishing to read is a few keyboard warriors proclaiming the end of Brian Cody two rounds into the league. Utter nonsense. With returning players, Cody is surely right in introducing lads and seeing how they adapt and survive in Division 1. He’s not trying to recreate the golden eras and teams from the last seventeen years, but proceed on integrating players the best way possible. Tipperary and Wexford could be a feisty affair ahem… certainly last year’s encounter led to Davy Fitz’s sojourn in the Gazebo in the stand and the introduction a Congress motion on the definition of a melee. That’s Saturday night sorted on Eir Sports. Sunday afternoon in front of the TV watching Cork and Clare in Ennis Park on TG4 should show the progress of both teams. Many think Cork could be darks horses in 2018, the Munster derby should let us see if there is merit in that claim.
Club Semi final
The first of the AIB All Ireland senior club finals is on Saturday where a fancied Corofin side take on Moorefield. Moorefield overcame St Loman’s in a gripping fashion in Leinster whilst Corofin’s campaign has taken them to London for a refixed tie with the impressive Fulham Gaels. Unfortunately on Saturday the vagaries of the fixtures calendar come into sharp relief when Liam Silke of UCD and Kieran Molloy of NUIG are both set to miss the SIgerson Final due to their Corofin commitments. Corofin may be considered favourites based on past exploits but Moorefield had come through a tough Leinster campaign and it will be very tight. The other semi final featuring Nemo Rangers and Slaughtneil is on the following Saturday due to the Derry club’s dual demands.
In Ulster the McKennas and Donegal and Tyrone supporters will be out in force to watch the McKenna cup final in Armagh. It looks like Mickey Harte is playing his cards close to his chest with the sides due to meet again in the league in a few weeks. But whatever personnel take the field, the temperature will be red hot at the Athletic Grounds on Saturday night.
Where will you take in the action this weekend?
SATURDAY 17 FEBRUARY
AIB GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Club Championship
14:00 Semi-Final Corofin v Moorefield
Allianz Hurling League Roinn 1
19:00 Tipperary v Wexford Broadcasting on Eir
Allianz Hurling League Roinn 1B
19:00 Limerick v Dublin
19:00 Laois v Antrim
Allianz Hurling League Roinn 2A
14:00 Meath v Westmeath
SUNDAY 18th FEBRUARY
Allianz Football League Roinn 1
14:30 Monaghan v Kerry Broadcasting on TG4 (Deferred)
Allianz Football League Roinn 2
14:00 Cavan v Meath
Allianz Football League Roinn 3
14:00 Derry v Offaly
14:00 Sligo v Fermanagh
Allianz Hurling League Roinn 1
14:00 Clare v Cork Broadcasting on TG4 (Live)
14:00 Waterford v Kilkenny Broadcasting on TG4 (Deferred)
Allianz Hurling League Roinn 1B
14:00 Galway v Offaly
Allianz Hurling League Roinn 2A
13:00 London v Carlow
14:00 Kildare v Kerry
Allianz Hurling League Roinn 2B
13:00 Wicklow V Donegal
13:00 Derry v Mayo
14:00 Down v Armagh
Allianz Hurling League Roinn 3A
12:30 Roscommon Longford
12:30 Monaghan v Tyrone
13:30 Louth v Warwickshire
Allianz Hurling League Roinn 3B
13:00 Lancashire v Cavan
14:00 Fermanagh v Leitrim