27-04-2025
Louth and Kildare the main event off Broadway
There may be some eye-catching games on paper this weekend in the football championship, but the most consequential one will take place off Broadway.
Meath v Dublin - one of the great GAA rivalries - has lost most of its lustre in the last 15 years, but a neutral venue and a changing of the guard with the Dubs means there appears to be a greater chance of a competitive outing.
Up north, the All-Ireland champions Armagh's quest to land provincial honours takes them to Omagh and what promises to be a robust encounter with Tyrone.
Losing with honour will suffice for now in both those fixtures, but that won't be the case at 2pm in Tullamore where Louth and Kildare battle for the right to take the 16th and final position in the All-Ireland football championship.
Louth, who consolidated their Division 2 status despite a raft of injuries and are bidding for a third Leinster final on the bounce, start as favourites against a Kildare side, who despite achieving promotion from the third tier, lost three of their final four games and only barely got over Westmeath in their Leinster opener.
Quite where the Lilywhites are at under Brian Flanagan (pictured below) is difficult to gauge.
Speaking on the RTÉ GAA podcast, former Tyrone player Enda McGinley says that while the Tailteann Cup is an important competition for teams at a certain level, for those hovering between it and the All-Ireland series, the motivation can only be to remain in the top 16.
"To go down to the Tailteann Cup would feel like a sucker punch for them," he says.
"For these two teams, it would certainly be against their long-term project aims, it would be a backwards step."
Kildare make two changes in personnel, with Ryan Burke replacing the injured Harry O'Neill, while Ryan Houlihan gets the nod ahead of Kevin Flynn at wing-back.
A Leinster final appearance could set them back if it is against a Dublin side in the groove, but victory over Louth is imperative if they are to finally lay some building blocks under new management where a big result would breed confidence among the players.
"For teams at a certain point in their development, I don't think the Tailteann Cup is a booby prize at all," McGinley adds.
"For Kildare, there is always this sense of them trying to gain momentum. It has been so tough for them to do that. Brian Flanagan is in and got them promotion to Division 2, but even that was done so without any great form. It tailed off where they lost three of their last four games, to their most meaningful opponents, Clare and Offaly (twice).
"Against Westmeath, it was brilliant from a resilience point of view, but unconvincing from a form point of view.
"You would feel that losing this, while it wouldn't be disastrous to lose to a good Louth team, well respected and probably seen as the second team in Leinster, to go into the Taliteann Cup would have them wondering if they are making any progress.
"Sense of progress is key for the Kildare project."
Last year Kildare won three from three in their Tailteann Cup group before exiting in in the last eight at the hands of Laois.
Former Dublin footballer Paul Flynn takes the view that a return to the same competition would help to put a string of results together.
"A run in the Tailteann Cup, whether they want it or not, could be a good thing for them and potentially even going into that and winning it could be the momentum they need," he says.
Given Louth were among the final eight teams in last year's shake-up, Tailteann Cup was never part of the dream for Brennan and his charges.
The crippling injury list is easing - Tommy Durnin and Craig Lennon came off the bench against Laois - and talisman Sam Mulroy looks set for his return from injury after being included in the starting team.
It's a repeat of last year's semi-final, where the Wee County punished a wasteful Kildare to cement their place as the best side in Leinster outside the Dubs. You have to go back more than 100 years for the last time they reeled off three successive provincial final appearances.
Flynn takes the view that defeat would be more of a hammer blow to Louth after incremental progress over the last few years.
'Must-win' is a much-hackneyed phrase in sport, but whatever way you slice it up, defeat on Sunday will seriously halt any progress or momentum for Louth or Kildare.
