19 March 1998 Edition
Sportsview: The West's awake
St Patrick's Day was the clubs' big day out at Croke Park with the finals of the All-Ireland football and hurling competitions. In the hurling final the 36,000 crowd saw Birr of Offaly capture the Tommy Moore Cup when they defeated Sarsfields of Galway by seven points.
Another Galway side in the football final - Corofin - took on Erin's Isle from Dublin. A five point win for the westerners sees the trophy go to Connacht for the first time in the history of the 28-year-old competition.
How the mighty have fallen
The weekend witnessed the finishing up of the National League Section tables. The biggest surprise of the whole campaign was the poor performances of last year's Ulster champions Cavan (although they went out in a flurry against Sligo), All-Ireland champions Kerry and Dublin.
All eyes were on a packed Parnell Park as we had the unusual spectacle of watching old rivals Dublin and Kerry battle it out for, above all things, the right to see who stayed in Division Two of the reorganised league next season. Kerry, for the first time in the history of the league will no longer be in Division One. A lively Dublin performance ensured they clung on to Division Two status by beating the lads from the Kingdom 18 points to a goal and three.
The quarter finalists from the sections were Mayo and Galway in one, Donegal and Derry in B, Offaly and Monaghan in C and Down and Cork in D. The whole idea of the `sections' with mixed teams has seemed to work. It was introduced to provide more of an even palying field for all counties for the return of the divisional system. Counties who benefitted from the changes of the last season were some of the lower divisional sidea: Offaly, Monaghan and Galway successfully made the jump to Division One from Division Three through the system.
Another Galway side in the football final - Corofin - took on Erin's Isle from Dublin. A five point win for the westerners sees the trophy go to Connacht for the first time in the history of the 28-year-old competition.
How the mighty have fallen
The weekend witnessed the finishing up of the National League Section tables. The biggest surprise of the whole campaign was the poor performances of last year's Ulster champions Cavan (although they went out in a flurry against Sligo), All-Ireland champions Kerry and Dublin.
All eyes were on a packed Parnell Park as we had the unusual spectacle of watching old rivals Dublin and Kerry battle it out for, above all things, the right to see who stayed in Division Two of the reorganised league next season. Kerry, for the first time in the history of the league will no longer be in Division One. A lively Dublin performance ensured they clung on to Division Two status by beating the lads from the Kingdom 18 points to a goal and three.
The quarter finalists from the sections were Mayo and Galway in one, Donegal and Derry in B, Offaly and Monaghan in C and Down and Cork in D. The whole idea of the `sections' with mixed teams has seemed to work. It was introduced to provide more of an even palying field for all counties for the return of the divisional system. Counties who benefitted from the changes of the last season were some of the lower divisional sidea: Offaly, Monaghan and Galway successfully made the jump to Division One from Division Three through the system.