Pat Spillane: My GAA pecking order before the serious business begins

Sunday World

19-05-2025

The provincial championships have been a revelation and I can't wait for the next phase of the race for Sam
10 May 2025; Michael Murphy of Donegal in action against Jarly Óg Burns of Armagh during the Ulster GAA Football Senior Championship final match between Armagh and Donegal at St Tiernach's Park in Clones, Monaghan. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
11 May 2025; Louth players celebrate after the Leinster GAA Football Senior Championship final match between Louth and Meath at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
11 May 2025; Sam Mulroy of Louth scores his side's first goal, a penalty, during the Leinster GAA Football Senior Championship final match between Louth and Meath at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
11 May 2025; Bevan Duffy of Louth with his daughter Lydia, age 5, after the Leinster GAA Football Senior Championship final match between Louth and Meath at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
10 May 2025; Donegal manager Jim McGuinness, left, and Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney after the Ulster GAA Football Senior Championship final match between Armagh and Donegal at St Tiernach's Park in Clones, Monaghan. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
The 2025 senior football championship is the competition that keeps on giving.
Jim Gavin's Football Review Committee remit from Jarlath Burns was to make Gaelic football the most enjoyable amateur game to play and watch. And, boy, they are coming close to achieving that goal.
The smile is back on players' faces; they're enjoying it. While supporters keep telling me they've fallen in love with Gaelic football again. That's great to hear.
Early in the championship, we got a cracker between Kerry and Cork, the best game in the championship, and maybe the best match for a couple of years.
The following week it was bettered by Armagh and Tyrone. Two weeks ago, even better again in the Connacht final between Galway and Mayo.
And last week we wondered, just wondered, would the Ulster final throw up a great match. And it surely did. A classic. A really enjoyable game from start to finish. One of the best Ulster finals of all time? Perhaps. It is certainly a contender.
I could regurgitate what I've written in the last few weeks telling you what makes a great sporting contest.
But I will just use one stat from the final in Clones. Seventy-eight shots at goal in 80 minutes That's entertainment, that's a serious match.
Let's have a deeper look at that great Ulster final. I will start with the losers. Two weeks ago I said there were four counties in contention for Sam: Galway, Kerry, Armagh and Donegal. That hasn't changed.
Armagh lost nothing in defeat. They had a lot of positives to fall back on. Their attack got off seven more shots than Donegal in normal time, 36 to 29.
They showed great character coming from seven points down three times and going ahead on one of those occasions. They had huge impact from the bench with five points, so they are building a strong panel.
In the second half they played with a quicker tempo, and I believe this suits Armagh.
And remember, this is an Armagh team that didn't have Joe McElroy, Aaron McKay and Rian O'Neill, who will be available in the coming weeks.
They hit the woodwork three times and don't forget that stupid rule, where a goalie who touches a two-point effort negates it. It cost Oisín O'Neill a point which would have won the game for them in normal time.
They also left two goal chances behind them – yet only lost by a point.
The negatives? Three of Armagh's forwards didn't score from play. Playmaker Rory Grugan was anonymous. Their lack of goalscoring continues to haunt them, with none scored in the last two championship matches.
I am going to say this about Armagh, but it also applies to Donegal, and even Louth. Zonal defending could cost them in Croke Park. The lack of a kicking game in transition could come back to bite them in the big matches.
But would I rule Armagh out of retaining their All-Ireland? Not on the basis of their last result. They're still a serious bidder.
I looked at Donegal and wrote down two words – McGuinness and belief. This is a group that believes in their manager and the system, and that is what carried them over the line.
Michael Murphy catches the ball ahead of Jarly Óg Burns. Photo: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
I was particularly taken by their first-half performance, especially in attack. They showed more variety in their attacking play than normal. They went long to Michael Murphy. They were attempting more two-pointers. And they were carrying the ball through the centre.
Their shooting efficiency in that first half was top class – 75 per cent. Also impressive was the range of their scorers, 12 different names on the scoring sheet.
They are a team that works in bursts. When they get that strong midfield motoring and go at you, they hammer the hammer and make you pay.
In the first half they went on a burst, outscoring Armagh 0-7 to 0-1.
Likewise in the second half, just after half-time, they outscored Armagh 1-3 to 0-0. And, of course, Shaun Patton's kick-outs were hugely influential, like exocet missiles.
But you know, even though they retained the title, there was something about the latest performance that raised a few doubts in my head that maybe Donegal are not the finished article.
In the second half they stuck to the process and embarked on a pattern of recycling and recycling some more, and not taking the low percentage shot. They reverted to old habits.
It was very unDonegal-like too that they failed to see out the game in normal time when they were leading.
And with Murphy and Patrick McBrearty, I wonder will a lack of pace go against them in Croke Park. I'm not sure they will have the legs.
And again there is that nagging concern that applies to the other counties mentioned, the reliance on zonal defending which leaves the threat of being exposed. There is an absence of a kicking game in transition, the way Kerry move the ball, for example.
Donegal just about fell over the line, but they left me with more questions than answers. Even though I tipped Donegal to win, they are not, in my eyes, All-Ireland favourites.
And that brings me to the Leinster final. Boy, was I happy for Louth. It's karma after the injustice of 2010.
Seeing the tears of joy on the faces of the Louth supporters and their celebrations afterwards just emphasised how important sport is as an escape valve. How important it is as a means of uniting people in a county.
And I know it's an old cliche, but you can dare to dream and yes, dreams can come true.
It goes back to something I've said for years. There are 15 footballers in every county as good as the rest. If you get belief and commitment from them, then the sky is the limit.
I was thrilled for those Louth players.
Why did they win? Very simple. Experience, composure and game management.
You can never disregard how important experience is. This was their third consecutive Leinster final. They've played the likes of Kerry in the championship in the last two years. There's a lot of learning from those days.
Louth manager Ger Brennan and selector Niall Moyna. Photo: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
And there is no doubt that Ger Brennan and his team took those lessons on board.
But it was their composure and game management in the clutch moments and in the closing stages that really stood out.
They should have been beaten in the Kildare match, but when the game was level in the last five minutes, they outscored the Lilywhites 0-3 to 0-0.
The latest match was no different. Three points down with 25 minutes to go, they showed the calm needed to take control.
That was really noticeable in a fascinating period of the game which lasted seven minutes and 14 seconds.
It began with Louth forward Bevan Duffy forcing a turnover off Aaron Lynch. For the rest of the game, in that seven minutes and 14 seconds that remained, only one Meath player touched the ball again.
Louth strung together 81 passes and got three points in that spell. And in one sequence of play they kept the ball almost four minutes, strung together nearly 60 passes and took the ball into the tackle 13 times without losing it.
Now that's serious coaching. And it ended up with a Ciaran Lennon point.
But there were other factors. Defensively, they were very well organised. They got the bodies back in place and cut off the supply line to James Conlon.
But what I really liked was that they were innovative in defending outside the arc to stop Meath's two-point shooting, which was their forte in earlier wins.
Meath had 16 two-pointers in the championship going into the game but only scored one from play.
Louth's kick-outs, meanwhile, mined 3-7 out of their 3-14.
And then there was Sam Mulroy. Great teams and players never let the heads drop when things go wrong. And Mulroy was the classic example of that.
He kicked four wides after half-time and in his next three shots he scored four points. That is the performance of a class footballer.
But in statistical terms, here is the simple explanation why Louth won. In the first half, with 50pc possession, they got off a mere 10 shots. In the second half, they got off 18 shots.
Finally, there is an old saying, goals win matches. You look at the provincial finals in Munster, Kerry scoring four to none from Clare, Donegal netting twice compared to zero from Armagh, and Louth getting three to one from Meath. That's a big factor too.
And that brings me to Meath's display. They were only beaten by two points, but they didn't score their usual rate of two-pointers from play. Their lack of goals continues to be an issue.
But the most damning stat is just five scores in the second half and one score in the last 23 minutes. You are not going to win a provincial final with that.
It was a memorable occasion with Louth winning, a great atmosphere and what a crowd.
But let's not over-gild the lily. For long spells, notably in the first half, it was fairly pedestrian, dull and with a governing policy of safety first. For a game with little physical intensity, there were numerous turnovers coming from unforced errors.
Will Louth or Meath go on to win the All-Ireland? Sadly, no.
My rankings, for what they're worth before the serious business begins, are as follows: 1. Kerry; 2. Galway; 3. Donegal; 4. Armagh; 5. Dublin; 6. Mayo.
Cork are a dark horse outside of that top six – they won't win the All-Ireland but could cause a shock or two in the coming weeks.
Sadly, Louth and Meath are not in that company.
Normally, I have something negative to say. And we could pick out Leinster final referee Martin McNally, who had a brilliant performance, giving a handy free to Mulroy for that crucial late two-pointer.
And while the new rules have been a revelation, the scourge of hand-passing and keeping the ball is still there.
Lastly, the melee after the match in Clones was nasty and severe punishment must be handed out. There can be no place for that on any GAA field.
But you know what? I am going to be positive.
The provincial championships – shock-horror – have been a revelation. Three of the four finals have been absorbing – Ulster, Connacht and Leinster.
I can't wait for the next phase. Roll on the next few weeks because I believe it's only going to get better.
My glass is half full for the first time in many years. I'm on a high.