The longest close-season in memory continues this weekend and by the time the full Church & General National Football League resumes next week, there will have been only one top-class fixture, last Sunday's Leinster club final replay, in the last two months.
A couple of hurling fixtures will attract attention with the National Hurling League due to commence in a fortnight. The South East League final takes place in Walsh Park between Waterford - beaten in last year's final by Cork - and Tipperary, unbeaten to date under the new management of Nicky English.
Meanwhile, Kilkenny and Wexford meet in a Walsh Cup semi-final in Mullinavat. Both teams blend new faces with more familiar, recalled names. Kilkenny's attack includes double All-Ireland medallist John Power whose career - apparently over last year - has been resuscitated by new manager Brian Cody, and Henry Shefflin, whose scoring exploits have been a feature of Waterford IT's Fitzgibbon performances in the last couple of years.
Wexford bring in Darragh Ryan at centre back and Sean Colfer at midfield while Eamonn Scallan returns to the team after an absence of two years. On the club front, Scallan intends to move into senior ranks with Ferns and leave his current club Liam Mellows. Declan Ruth and Mitch Jordan are also reported to be moving to Rapparees. The other semi-final, between Offaly and Laois, is also on tomorrow, at Birr.
The Football League resumes activity after the break with a full programme in Division Two A. This is by a distance the more competitive of the divisions' two sections and is nicely poised after the first half of the regulation matches.
Wicklow's pre-Christmas victory over Roscommon, conquerors of Kerry on the opening day of the season, has opened up the race at the top of the table. Tomorrow's meeting between Wicklow and Louth in Drogheda will be a further test of the visitors' credentials. With Kerry still ahead of them, Niall Rennick's men will need a win to emphasise their claim on one of the promotion places.
With their big guns back on board after last week's defeat by the same opposition in the O'Byrne Cup, Wicklow may well gain swift revenge and move ahead of Louth, who are currently joint-leaders of the division, one of four counties on six points.
Elsewhere, Kerry make the unusual trip to Kilkenny and will maintain their presence at the top of the table. Roscommon, the other side on six points, sit out this weekend's action. The other two matches see Westmeath, after last week's narrow defeat by Dublin on the O'Byrne Cup, favoured to take both points against Limerick and Antrim likely to send London home still pointless at the bottom of the table.
