2 weeks till it all starts

[his holiness nb]

So its 2 weeks from this weekend and it all begins 

How do you think your county will do?

Dublin...
hurling - first round exit despite recent improvements.
football - AI semi final / final.

[realredhandfan]

Tyrone Ulster and ALL Ireland foootball champions.
Hurling Nick Rackard cup - eh group stages.

[tyroneboi]

Tyrone . . .

Hurling - no idea!
Football - fully fit team and we will win it!

[thejuice]

Meath:

Football: your guess is as good as mine.
Hurling: Win a few games but wont challenge for trophies


RTE Schedule of Games:
http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/features/sundaygame.html

[Kerry Mike]

Countdown begins to 2007 Football Championship
27 April 2007


There's still more than two weeks to go to the start of the 2007 Bank of Ireland Football Championship but excitement is building as the 33 participants continue with their preparations for what will, as usual, be the biggest sporting show of the Irish summer.
 
Westmeath v Longford, Cavan v Down and New York v Sligo will launch the exciting campaign on May 13 and between then and All-Ireland final day on September 16, over sixty games will be played in the provincial, qualifier and All-Ireland series.
 
Up to 1.5 million people will attend the games while millions more will watch on TV as the exciting action unfolds all over the country. This will be the 14th year that the All-Ireland football championships are sponsored by Bank of Ireland, making it one of the longest link-ups in Irish sport.
 
Defending All-Ireland champions, Kerry will be seeking their 35th All-Ireland title in what is Pat O'Shea's first year as manager, having replaced Jack O'Connor who steered them to success in 2004 and 2006.
 
 
BANK OF IRELAND SFC SHORTS

*Can Kerry win the All-Ireland football title for the second successive year? The last county to achieve the double was Cork in 1990. Prior to that, Meath won the double in 1987-88.
*A total of 19 counties have won the All-Ireland football title, leaving 13 still trying to make the breakthrough. The following is a province-by-province breakdown with All-Ireland winners in capitals.
Connacht: GALWAY (9), MAYO (3), ROSCOMMON (2), Leitrim, Sligo, London, New York.
Leinster: DUBLIN (22), MEATH (7), WEXFORD (5), KILDARE (4), LOUTH (3), OFFALY (3), Laois, Carlow, Longford, Kilkenny, Wicklow, Westmeath.
Munster: KERRY (34), CORK (6), TIPPERARY( 4), LIMERICK (2), Waterford, Clare.
Ulster: CAVAN (5), DOWN (5), TYRONE (2), ARMAGH (1), DONEGAL (1), DERRY (1), Fermanagh, Antrim, Monaghan,   

*Since the All-Ireland championship system was changed in 2001, Galway (2001), Tyrone (2005) and Kerry (2006) have won the title via the qualifier route while Kerry (2002) and Armagh (2003) reached the final through the same route but lost to Armagh and Tyrone respectively.

* Armagh will be bidding to win the Ulster title for a fourth successive year, a feat that hasn't been achieved since Cavan in 1942 when they completed a four-timer before going on to make it seven-in-a-row in 1945.

* Seven counties have won the Ulster title in the past 20 years. Monaghan, Derry, Tyrone, Down, Donegal, Armagh and Cavan have all lifted the Anglo-Celt Cup. In the same period, six counties have won the Leinster title - Meath, Dublin, Kildare, Offaly, Laois and Westmeath. Galway, Mayo, Roscommon and Leitrim have shared the Connacht titles while Kerry, Cork and Clare have shared the Munster titles. That means that 20 of the 32 counties have won provincial titles since 1987.
 
*There's a slight change in the format for this year's All-Ireland qualifiers. They have been cut from four to three rounds and will not include counties who will be in Division For of the National Football League next year, unless they lose a provincial final this season.
The teams in Division Four are: Offaly, Clare, Carlow, London, Wicklow, Antrim, Tipperary, Waterford
 
                       


BANK OF IRELAND SFC 2007  THE PROGRAMME
 
LEINSTER
May 13: First round: Longford v Westmeath, Pearse Park.
May 20: First round: Louth v Wicklow; Meath v Kildare, Croke Park.
June 2: Quarter-final: Laois v Longford/Westmeath, Tullamore
June 3: Quarter-finals: Wexford v Louth/Wicklow; Dublin v Kildare/Meath, Croke Park.
June 24: Semi-finals: Wexford/Louth/Wicklow v Westmeath/Longford/Laois; Meath/Kildare/Dublin v Carlow/Offaly, Croke Park.
July 15: Final, Croke Park.
 
ULSTER
May 13: Preliminary Round: Cavan v Down, Kingspan Breffni Park.
May 20: Quarter-final: Fermanagh v Tyrone,
May 27: Quarter-final: Donegal v Armagh, Ballybofey
June 3: Quarter-final: Antrim v Derry, Casement Park.
June 10: Quarter-final: Monaghan v Cavan/Down
June 17: Semi-final: Fermanagh/Tyrone v Donegal/Armagh.
June 24: Semi-final: Antrim/Derry v Cavan/Down/Monaghan.
July 15: Final.
 
CONNACHT
May 13: Quarter-final: New York v Sligo, Gaelic Park, New York.
May 20: Quarter-final: Galway v Mayo, Pearse Stadium.
May 27: London v Leitrim, Ruislip.
June 17: Semi-final: Roscommon v Sligo/New York; Dr. Hyde Park.
June 24: Semi-final: Galway/Mayo v London/Leitrim.
July 8: Final
 
MUNSTER
May 20: Quarter-finals: Waterford v Clare, Dungarvan; Cork v Limerick, Pairc Ui Chaoimh.
June 3: Semi-finals: Kerry v Waterford/Clare; Tipperary v Cork/Limerick.
July 1: Final
 
 
ALL-IRELAND QUALIFIERS
July 7 - Round 1
July 14  Round 2
July 21/28 - Round 3
 
 
ALL-IRELAND CHAMPIONSHIPS
Aug 4: All-Ireland quarter-finals (2)
Aug 11: All-Ireland quarter-finals (2)
Aug 19: All-Ireland semi-final, Croke Park.
Aug 26: All-Ireland semi-final, Croke Park.
Sept 16:  All-Ireland Final, Croke Park.

[Jinxy]

Meath

Football: I'll stick my neck out and say we'll win Leinster.
Hurling: Tip away like we always do.

[ziggysego]

Tyrone

Football: Ulster Champions and All Ireland Semi-Finalists.
Hurling: Wouldn't know, but I think they will be respectable for the level they're at, considering the performance of the NHL campaign.

[Hank Everlast]

Armagh
hurling - not sure
football - AI semi final from the back door.

[maddog]

The orchard,
all ireland 1/4 via the scenic route (exit to Donegal)
hurling - dunno

[full back]

ARMAGH
Football: All-Ireland quarter or semi through the backdoor
Hurling: Playing in a complete new arena, hopefully it wont put them off-hope they put in a good performance in Ulster

[BallyhaiseMan]

Cavan
Football- Ulster Finalists and win a game in the qualifiers.

Hurling-to actually win a game in the Nicky Rackard Cup would be nice.

[SLIGONIAN]

Sligo

Football
Connaght Finalists and qualifiers round 4.

Hurling
Rackard cup finalists

[lurganblue]

Armagh

Footbal: All Irleland Quarter Finals via the backdoor - exit to tyrone
Hurling: dunno

[The Bottom Brick]

Tyrone . . .

Hurling - no idea!

Armagh
hurling - not sure

The orchard,
hurling – dunno

Armagh
Hurling: dunno

Real GAA people up there, no doubt about it.

[Shamrock Shore]

LOngford

Football: Leinster semi-final
Hurling: Final of Rackard Cup