With the league ending the way it did, it sets the summer up just
nicely. In the football there were impressive campaigns for Derry,
Galway and Donegal in Division 1, while in the second tier Monaghan and
Westmeath will have something to say on the shake up of this year’s
All Ireland Football Championship.

It’s no surprise that current All Ireland Champions Kerry are
installed as favourites at 6/4 and no one would bet against them being
crowned Champions for the 36th time.

Their League campaign has not been their most convincing but come
June 8th there will be no mistake in seeing them flying out against
Clare.

Dublin are at 9/2 while 2003 and 2005 Champions Tyrone are not far behind at 7/1. The counties that
performed well in the league are not seen as major threats to the big by Boylesports bookmakers.

Derry, Galway and the Monaghan are all at 20/1 after their
impressive league campaigns. The finalists for the last two years, Cork
and Mayo, are priced at 11/1 and 16/1 respectively. The wild card of
this year’s Championship has to be Armagh. Their destruction of the
Dubs shows that they are just coming to the fore at the right time and
are at the best price of 20/1.

Provincially it looks to be straight forward. Kerry look to have no
trouble winning the Munster title and Dublin again look too strong for
Leinster. However, Ulster may not be so easy to predict with Derry and
Donegal meeting the first round and Tyrone and Armagh coming strong at
the moment. While there may not be a fairy tale in Connacht with Galway
and Mayo looking too strong for Sligo this time around.

In 1983, Dublin were relegated to the second division of the league
but went all the way that year to win an All Ireland Title. In 1977,
when Vincent’s won their Club All Ireland title, the Jacks went on to
win the Championship in September of that year. After Mick Whelan’s
side went all the way this year there is hope in Dublin that history
will repeat itself this year around.

With no real surprises popping up in the league there should not
really be any come the summer time. The Dubs maybe some obstacle to
overcome within Leinster but outside of that they can’t really be
seen as real contenders to make an upset.

It’s the usual suspects when it comes to the hurling this year. Kilkenny, Cork and Waterford in 1A while
Galway,
Tipp and Limerick were there or there about. Come September the bookies
seem to think that it will be no different to recent years.

Kilkenny are installed as 4/5 odds on favourites while Cork,
Waterford and Galway are all 13/2. The nearly men of Tipp and Limerick
are at 9/1 to and 22/1 respectively.

- Dermot Milton