COMMENT: A lot at stake in crazy cramped GAA season

Cheltenham is done and dusted. Fairyhouse and Aintree Grand Nationals are over for another season. All that means is that Punchestown is on the horizon, five days of the best racing at the iconic venue that attracts folk from home and abroad. Something to savour.

And while the National Hunt Season of 2026 will end on the final day of the Festival, the GAA season, the real GAA season – the Championship – is kicking in, indeed has already begun last weekend. So with the leagues settled for another season, all thoughts turn to championship. But what a packed calendar we have once again this season.

Many, in fact most, believe that the calendar is so packed in such a short space of time the GAA are the big losers, unlike in former times when the championship was run practically over the entire summer culminating in the All-Ireland finals in September. All but a distant memory now.

There was an attempt to push back the All-Ireland finals by a few weeks, that idea was firmly rejected at the February Congress, well in fact the motion never even made it to the floor of congress, as the motion was withdrawn without being discussed, such was the opposition to the idea.

Withdrawing the motion does leave space to have another look at the entire fixtures set-up but, and despite Uachtarán Jarlath Burns insistence he would oversee the finals being pushed back, he had to give way on this one and with his term of office due to expire come February 2027, it certainly looks like now that what we have at the moment is what we will have for the next number of seasons bar there is a major U-turn on that front.

Last weekend alone there were no less than 18 championship games played from Leinster Senior Football, Munster Senior Football, Connacht Senior Football, Ulster Senior Football, not forgetting the Lory Meagher, the Christy Ring and the Joe McDonagh Cups. What is the rush I wonder to myself. And remember the underage competitions in all provinces, are well under way at minor and U20 level, hurling and football.

When you see up North, Tyrone’s provincial championship has come to an end and we are hardly into the second week of April, it is bordering on mind boggling.

And remember Tyrone will not now be back in action until the All-Ireland series commences in the middle of June, it really makes one wonder have the GAA made a monumental blunder (again) with this new fixture calendar.

Yes, of course, there is much to look forward to in the coming weeks and months, it just seems so early, and with the winter we have experienced the ground conditions are not what we expect, or want, never mind the club action, but especially for inter-county fare.

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Nevertheless this coming weekend is one to look forward to from a Kildare perspective at least. Kildare hurlers are up with the big boys – and deservedly so – and on Saturday evening at Cedral St Conleth’s Park, the Yellowbellies come to town.

Yes, Wexford, including the mercurial Lee Chin, will be gracing the turf of St Conleth's as they come face to face with Brian Dowling’s side in Round 1 of the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship.

Who would have thought that was possible a few seasons ago?

That game, 6:30pm throw-in, should draw a big attendance and it will be very interesting to see how The Lilies cope with this opposition. These sides met a few short weeks ago in Wexford Park, a game won somewhat handsomely by the home side. However, one would like to think Kildare left a bit in their locker for this week’s clash.

The boys in white, we hear, had a few days under the Portugal sun recently, a spot of warm weather training, hopefully it will give them that extra bit of whatever they were hoping to achieve. They have also been taking in a couple of high-profile challenge games, one in particular was a very satisfactory outing against Waterford, as their first big game in Leinster approaches.

The following day from that big hurling clash, the footballers take centre stage, again at Cedral St Conleth’s Park, when they take on Laois, who defeated Offaly 3-12 to 0-12 last week in a preliminary Leinster Championship game.

Big, big game for The Lilies this one.

After what can only be described as a disastrous League campaign which ended in relegation to the dreaded Division 3 come 2027, they now set out on a provincial campaign that has even more at stake following that drop down a division.

No doubt injuries have played a major part in Kildare’s league performances and it will be interesting to see what team Brian Flanagan goes with, will he bring in some additions to the panel, or stay with his league squad for the championship?

To retain their place in the Sam Maguire come 2027, Kildare must reach the provincial final this season, or else it is back to Tailteann, big ask with Meath on the same side of the draw. For though now all focus is on Laois, a game that can have a huge bearing on how the season of 2026 pans out.

Leinster looks like being a very competitive race this time around and after Dublin dominating for years on end, Louth crowned champions last term, and Meath gaining promotion to Division 1 while not forgetting The Dubs.

At the moment the Metropolitan boys are without a manager, Ger Brennan handed a 12-week ban that will not see him returning to manage the side until the middle of June, if an expected appeal fails, that means, or is supposed to mean at any rate, no contact, with the players, no attendance at training and no input good, bad or indifferent.

That in itself will be interesting. Maybe Newbridge resident 'Jimmy The Dub' might step in to lend a hand!

But for now the focus for Kildare is on hurling on Saturday and then the football on Sunday.

Bring it on!