This is it.
The Championship may have began officially last weekend in Ruislip, but with the Leinster hurling and football championships getting underway, but with Mayo taking on Galway in Connacht this time around and with the Joe McDonagh and Christy Ring cups ramping up, this really is what it’s all about.
We’re into the middle of May now. Championship fever is in the air, the grasses are cut, the sun will hopefully be shining on pitches all over the country from MacHale Park, Castlebar all the way to Parnell Park in Donnycarney.
Twitter will be put under serious pressure by GAA heads from Derry to Kerry furiously updating their feeds to find out the scores and results in the other games taking place.
This Round Robin thing in the hurling has the potential to be absolutely magical.
Anyway, we’ll be having a small tipple on a long shot accumulator. There’s no point in betting heavy because at the end of the day, the bookies always win, but a couple of euro on your fancies can add to the excitement if you let it.
Here’s our sixfold accumulator for this weekend.
Offaly hurlers + 11 against Galway @ Evs
There’s a kick in the Offaly hurlers. A couple of gritty displays in a League campaign where they showed to not only have the heart and courage for the battle, but crucially, they now have an influx of decent young hurlers coming through as well.
Belmont’s Oisín Kelly, Kinnitty’s Shane Kinsella have impressed up front and together with all the nous and explosiveness of Dooley and Bergin, the Faithful have the ability to hurt a Galway team who looked vulnerable in the League, and are often exactly that at this stage of the championship.
+11 is an insult to Kevin Martin’s men.
Kilkenny hurlers – 7 against Dublin @ Evs
Dublin never raised a gallop in the League campaign and though the sounds coming out of the camp have been boisterous leading into the Parnell Park showpiece, Brian Cody’s Kilkenny, reinvigorated by youngsters Leahy, Donnelly, Keoghan, Deegan et al and backboned by Reid have the ability to go to town on them, even in the fortress that is.
Galway footballers +1 @ Evs against Mayo
The titans will clash in Castlebar. Galway, cocky after their League heroics fancy themselves but Mayo always have faith. Keith Higgins and co. will be revved up for this one because they’ve lost to their neighbours in the last two championship years at this stage.
This time around, it feels like there’s even more at stake given the importance of getting through the front door to the Super8s.
It’ll be hard hitting, it’ll be furious, it’ll definitely be tight. We actually fancy the draw but with Galway to be had at Handicap odds of even money, it’s hard to turn that one down.
Cavan footballers + 3 against Donegal @ 10/11
Despite a crazy League final with Roscommon, this Cavan side are masters at keeping games tight. It promises to be a classic Ulster champinship day in Ballybofey and we reckon the Breffni can put the men from the hills to the pins of their collars.
Mayo hurlers @ 13/8 to beat Wicklow
The absence of Keith Higgins to the footballers is a huge blow but the Division 2A Champions but we still fancy the Yew County to shade it, like they did when the sides met earlier on this year in the League. Odds of 13/8 are a steal.
Derry hurlers @ 5/6 to beat London
On home turf, the Oak Leaf county, boosted by the availability of messrs Brendan Rogers and Chrissy McKaigue should have enough to topple the travelling Londoners.
This all adds up to 74/1.
Worth a euro or two.
