GAELIC GAMES: This is the weekend it all starts - maybe not with a bang but tomorrow sees the first championship action of what the GAA will be hoping is a long and intriguing summer. Pride of place goes to the Ulster football meeting of Down and Cavan in Casement Park, Belfast.
It's an appropriate venue, as back in January the GAA emerged from hibernation to a startling attendance of 20,000 at Casement where Tyrone and Armagh played their McKenna Cup semi-final. Now the summer also begins at the west Belfast ground.
The Ulster championship has become the preserve of Armagh and Tyrone in recent years and you'd have to go back to 1998 to find the last time someone else, Derry, took the Anglo Celt Cup home.
Down are one of the chasing pack in Ulster, sharing that distinction with Derry, but at a sufficient distance to be available at 10 to 1 for the provincial title. Their opponents Cavan are, however, propping up the market and can be backed at 66 to 1 for the title.
This is something of an affront for the county that held eventual All-Ireland winners Tyrone to a draw in last year's championship but it reflects two substantial misgivings about Martin McElkennon's team, one the sensational home defeat by Waterford on the last day of the NFL, a reverse that scuppered Cavan's promotion drive, and a casualty ward of an injury list.
The team selection was delayed until last night and features no great surprises given the absence of influential first teamers Darren Rabbitte (cruciate), Nicholas Walsh (broken ankle), Michael Lyng (groin injury) and team captain Anthony Forde (suspended).
The news on the experienced attacking duo of Jason O'Reilly and Larry Reilly is mixed. The latter plays and is named at full forward but O'Reilly isn't considered fit enough to start the match even though he is named as a replacement.
"Jason will be on the bench," according to Cavan PRO Mark Gillick. "He's carrying a hamstring injury from a league match and has been struggling to regain fitness. He'll possibly play at some stage and is probably expected to be brought on but he's not seen as fit enough to play the whole 70 minutes."
In Forde's absence the team will be captained by Dermot McCabe, a survivor of the county's last Ulster win in 1997, who starts at centrefield. The only championship debutant starter is Anthony Gaynor at centre back, who featured as a replacement last year.
Elsewhere this weekend, the All-Ireland under-21 football championship is being played in Ennis tomorrow between Mayo and Cork.
The counties were also in opposition when Cork last won at this grade back in 1994. Mayo have to go back even further, to 1983, for not only their most recent under-21 but also their last elite All-Ireland at any level. In the meantime they have lost senior finals in 1989, '96, '97 and 2004, under-21 finals in 1994, '95 and 2002 and minors in 1991, '99 and 2005.
Finally the Ulster hurling championship also gets under way in what is an historic fixture because the eventual winners will not be contesting the senior All-Ireland championship. Both Antrim and Down have opted not to exercise their right to play-off for entry to the All-Ireland qualifier series and instead will contest the tier two Christy Ring Cup. Tomorrow sees holders Antrim travel to Ruislip for a quarter-final with London.
CAVAN: J Reilly; M Hannon, Pauric Reilly, K Fannin; M Cahill, A Gaynor, P Brady; D McCabe (capt.), C Collins; M McKeever, Peter Reilly, S Brady; G Pierson, L Reilly, S Johnston.
