Tadhg Furlong and Kevin Doyle pundits for championship preview

Conan Doherty

They take their championship previews seriously in Wexford.

Four weeks out from throw-in, the heat is being turned up on the south east of Ireland. Davy Fitzgerald already had his whinge about Wexford’s championship odds in the bookmakers, sure they might as well not show up, but now he can put his money where his mouth is.

Come May 20, Pat Gilroy and Dublin will be in Wexford Park, the Leinster senior hurling championship will be well underway and the time for talking long gone. Come May 20, nobody will really give a shit about what went before but Wexford will have four provincial games to really test their mettle. Four games in four weeks.

Wexford v Dublin (May 20)
Offaly v Wexford (May 26)
Wexford v Galway (June 2)
Kilkenny v Wexford (June 9)

They’re a passionate GAA folk, the Wexford Gaels. Irish Grand Slam winner Tadhg Furlong, for example, is still one of the county’s biggest supporters.

He talks a lot about his days as a no-nonsense full back, playing football and hurling with his local club Horeswood and representing Wexford with the stick in his hand too.

He was playing rugby from no age as well but his roots are as a sportsman, a Wexford man.

The Furlong Shimmy pic.twitter.com/r8x8Iwtfq4

— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) April 20, 2018

And, next Tuesday night, on May 1, the Leinster and Ireland rugby superstar will sit down to pick apart Wexford’s chances.

Along with former Republic of Ireland international Kevin Doyle and current senior hurling manager Davy Fitz, Furlong will run the rule over the county ahead of the challenges of Dublin, Kilkenny, Galway and Offaly.

Throw in Matty Forde to that panel too, just for the craic.

A lot of counties lay claim to having a close-knit unity but there is something greater in Wexford that holds them all together and instills a pride of place. Next Tuesday night, you’ll see that in full force with some legends of Irish sport united simply by a love of their county.