Emmet Moloney writes for the 'The Irish Farmers Journal' and is a former sports columnist with 'The Kerryman'.

Well that’s the championship for you! Tipp beaten by 10 points? Emmet Moloney didn’t see that one coming. At all. At all...

What a great weekend of hurling that was. Cork are seemingly revived as the team of old and Colm Callinan’s amazing save in Nowlan Park on Saturday night won’t be beaten as stop of the year. Phenomenal reflexes. Wexford put it up to Galway and Antrim were on the brink of knocking out Offaly before the nerveless Dooley equalised. As cool as his father, Joe.

Down by the Lee, you could feel that something was going to happen. Páirc Uí Chaoimh (yes, Páirc Uí Chaoimh!) was buzzing before the throw-in. Watching the build-up it was obvious that Tipp would have to be fully tuned in because the Rebels had intent written all over them. And then there was Aisake.

Ó hAilpín the younger had a good few pundits – myself included – doubting his ability in the National League. He looked raw, naive and clumsy. But as the Tipp man sitting beside me said before the throw-in, some day he is going to get three goals. He didn’t on Sunday but he caused the three. He has that kind of potential and with this Cork team, once you add goals to their package, they are serious contenders. (Brother Setanta scored three goals for Carlton in Australia, making it a good weekend for Ó hAilpíns on both sides of the planet.)
Tipp haven’t become a bad team overnight. The qualifiers this year are also on the lightweight side. They will cruise to the last eight anyway. Then we will find out if their bite is back because they will probably have to play a team like Galway or Waterford.

In the meantime, Liam Sheedy will be hearing it from Tipp supporters. His decision to start the untried Brian O’Meara at full-forward backfired – hardly O’Meara’s fault on a day when the front six all wilted in the face of a resurgent Rebel defence.

The pressure on the players and management will not be the nice kind. The pressure leading up to an All-Ireland final is fine. This will be pressure of the “what’s wrong with ye” variety. But the back-door route has been done before and the only team this doesn’t suit is Kilkenny. They might be meeting a reborn Tipp in the All-Ireland semi-final – possibly the only day to beat the Cats. Watch that space.

This weekend
There are so many games on this weekend that it’s hard to know where to start. Cork and Kerry in the Munster football championship is the strangest of games. I wonder if Cork really want to win this. Every time they beat their old rivals in Munster, the Kingdom come back and kick their backsides in Croke Park. Does another Munster championship mean anything to either of them?

Contrast that with the Limerick-Waterford clash in Fraher Field. This is a huge game for both sides. No matter who comes out of the headline semi-final in Killarney, they will be there for the taking in the Munster final. Last year Limerick should have beaten Cork in Páirc Uí Chaoimh and won that elusive Munster title. Cork played poorly that day – a natural reaction following the high of beating Kerry. Limerick will be hoping the same applies, particularly as they could get that Munster final in the Gaelic Grounds.

This is not designed to dismiss the Déise, who have a great chance of being in both Munster senior finals. Their footballers have the tougher task as Limerick beat them in the Division 4 final a few weeks back and with this being a realistic chance of a Munster final appearance, there will be jitters. Limerick have unfinished business in Munster and they’re the pick, along with Kerry who might beat Cork by accident.

Sligo and Mayo play the first Connacht championship match on Irish soil on Saturday (the previous two have been played in New York and London). Surely Mayo will have taken solace in the Cork hurlers’ performance because recent history is littered with teams losing league finals with ragged displays before going on to enjoy long championship runs. Maybe my natural soft spot for Mayo is talking here, but I have a quiet fancy for them to make a real mark this summer. All the way? Perhaps not but the last four is far from beyond them. They will probably look ugly in doing it, but beating Sligo will be the right start.

One team that could play a leading role in the championship this year is Kildare. This is the make-or-break year for Kieran McGeeney. Earning your spurs somewhere else before taking over your home county is all very well, but you have show something along the way. The Lilywhites should beat Louth in Navan on Saturday night but this is the type of game that never shows them in a good light.

A Leinster championship is their ultimate goal and Dublin their immediate target. A man as professional as McGeeney will naturally be looking only at the Wee County, but supporters will not. They have expectations in Kildare and a comfortable win over Louth is only the beginning of aspirations.

Speaking of expectations, the Micko roadshow hits Tullamore on this busy weekend. Westmeath are the opposition this time and if Wicklow’s upward curve is still climbing, they can be overcome. What a pity that RTÉ didn’t decide to show this game live because Wicklow bring colour, atmosphere and excitement to the early stages of the competition – something we won’t see too much of in Casement Park – the 2pm venue for Armagh and Monaghan. Extra time might be required, but at least that won’t affect a hurling match!
Sunday’s hurling game of consequence is Laois and Dublin in Nowlan Park. This is a banana skin for the Dubs and a good draw for the Midlanders. Rigney’s Laois have some steel about them and won’t fear Dublin. I expect them to put up a hell of a fight before the class of Daly’s side wins out. Winning ugly would suit the Clareman here as they could then go at Kilkenny with reckless abandon and even less to lose. That’s what will happen.

Bank holiday Monday is an unusual day for hurling but Thurles will find us as witnesses to a routine Waterford win. Well, that’s the script. Davy’s teeth gnashing before and after about managing against his beloved Banner county might be the only drama we get. Much as I’d love to see it happen, I cannot see Clare pulling a Cork on it. We’re young, we’re green and we’re a year or two away from playing with the big boys.

That’s what the Déise are – the big boys. Fitzgerald’s managerial skills might not be much in the communication department, but on the pitch he has achieved. An All-Ireland final appearance and a brave display against the Cats last year. This year the Munster title is on the agenda again and with old foes Cork waiting in the final (let’s not patronise Limerick any more), the route to an All-Ireland final is looking attractive.

Waterford are good to watch. Let’s hope we see that team on show this Monday – not the one that gets dragged into niggly contests like the Déise side that only drew with Limerick in a soulless encounter twelve months ago at the same venue and stage of the championship.

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