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

The new year means new beginnings. Up and down the country there are teams in all codes thinking this can be their year. A couple of them are right. Alas, more of them are wrong. Emmet Moloney writes...

A team breakthrough is a great event for neutral supporters and the GAA, as usual, offers us the best opportunity. While I’m not overly religious, I always say a little prayer for the Mayo footballers around this time of year. As sleeping giants go, they are in the deepest slumber.

Methinks there’s quite a few prayers thrown Munster’s way these days, too. In two weeks’ time they could be out of the Heineken Cup before the knockout stages. It certainly looks that way but by this time next week we’ll probably convince ourselves that they can produce the requisite miracle.

That’s why we watch. That’s why in 2011 we’ll keep watching, in the hope that someone somewhere along the line will surprise us, will lift us. We need that. All the time.

My native Clare is perhaps the best example. Some bright student should really do his thesis on what 1995 meant to the county – economically, culturally and spiritually. An entire populace got a massive confidence boost. Sure there’s Claremen in every county now, spreading the hurling gospel. All of a sudden, we are the ones with all the expertise. Not a Kilkennyman in sight in Waterford, Antrim, Galway or Dublin, but Claremen welcome! All traced back to 1995.

Imagine if Limerick lifted the Liam McCarthy Cup in 2011. It would be a much-needed transfusion for hurling and the county. “Feck your national league, I have Liam McCarthy outside!” Mark my words. Their footballers would win a Munster title within three years of the hurlers. It’s a house of cards, once that first breakthrough is made, the second is much easier to accomplish. Donal O’Grady is the latest Corkman to try and get them there. Good luck to him.

Elsewhere in the hurling world, only Galway and Waterford look capable of the elusive breakthrough. The Tribesmen last won an All-Ireland in 1987, while the Déise have had longer to wait (1959). Both would be welcome additions to the roll of honour in 2011.
Football should be the easier code to master as the playing field is a little bit more level but, apart from Dublin, it is hard to look past the obvious again this year in Cork or Kerry. Kildare, Down and Sligo offer us hope, but of those perhaps only Kildare have the tools to worry the likes of the champions and the Kingdom.

But at least football does offer us the shocks. Saturday night qualifiers in places like Aughrim, short sleeves and sunshine, and Micko putting one over on the establishment teams. There is that to look forward to.

There is also Leinster to look forward to. With Munster fading, the boys in blue could be ready to start a dynasty of their own. They are a home draw in the semi-finals away from winning a second Heineken Cup and that would be a nice lift heading into a World Cup.

Yes, there is a World Cup on this year and although it is in far away New Zealand, we might actually surprise down there. A semi-final appearance would be a decent return and in Declan Kidney we have the master forward-planner. We might put some expectation eggs in that basket.

The GAA and rugby are the staples in Irish sporting life. This is where our community is connected the most. They live and play among us. We rely on them to entertain, thrill and pick us up. None of your namby pamby sports, thank you very much. Give me Paul O’Connell rampaging through a horde of Englishmen, or Tommy Walsh emerging from a forest of bigger men, ball in the hand and about to strike. Or, come to think of it, give me Tommy Walsh rampaging through the horde of Englishmen!

Either way, give us something this year. We want moments we’ll never foget. We want days that will always live in our minds. Special days. It’s not too much to ask for.

SPORTS QUIZ - Update
It’s been a strange Christmas. First of all, there was the big freeze. Cold like we never saw before. Then there was the water shortage. That’s still not right in my part of the world. Then you turn the television on one night and there’s a documentary about Paul Galvin. The Kerry footballer, if you don’t mind! Strange times we live in for sure.

For those of you who emailed me and phoned me about the quiz, yes, there was a mistake. Question 48 should have asked what two Limerick hurlers scored two goals each in All-Ireland finals in a LOSING cause. They were Eamon Cregan in 1980 and of course Damien Quigley in 1994. Sorry about that, lads. I even had one Limerick fella ring me and ask was it possible that Limerick had won an All-Ireland since 1973 and he’d somehow missed it!

There were a few other questions in there that got people thinking. A National Hunt trainer with three All-Stars was another one that stumped a few. There are quite a few hurlers and footballers involved with horses and people thought of the likes of Kildare footballer Willie McCreery, but those with older memories will never forget the brillance of Kieran Purcell. A killer number 14 who had Eddie Keher for company in the full-forward line, Kieran is a National Hunt trainer and has had quite a few winners to his name on the track as well as the medals he has for hurling.

The last Galway man to score a goal in an All-Ireland football final was Declan Meehan in the replayed final of 2000. A stunning goal in a game they eventually lost to Kerry. Galway won the title the following year, but scored no goal.

So, 49 out of 50 will do it for you. That’s enough hints!



To catch Emmet's latest column, get 'The Irish Farmers' Journal' every Thursday...