When Meath shimmied in from the verges of obscurity and irrelevance with their win over Kildare a few weeks back there was something in their game that felt different.

For the first 42 or so minutes of this game all pre-match talk of a more urgent, more direct game from Kerry seemed liked wishful thinking on the part of the Kingdom faithful who were well represented in Cusack Park yesterday afternoon.

Martin Carney’s contention that last month’s defeat to Cork marked “the day the music died” for a generation of Kerry footballers will be tested for the first time in Mullingar tomorrow.

Clare must limit the Cork forwards to have any hope

Of all the championship games this weekend, this evening’s game between Donegal and Tyrone in Clones is the only one which could be described as a cusp game.

In his three All-Ireland winning seasons as Kerry manager Jack O’Connor was forced to show his imagination and resolve in adversity.

“The old year’s gone away to nothingness and night,” wrote John Clare many years ago and much of the focus ahead of Dublin’s championship bow at Croke Park tomorrow centres on how much they have committed the pleasant memories of the old year to nothingness and night.

Both Kerry and Tipperary have some serious questions to answer

“It’s hard to find a chip on the shoulder when everyone’s patting you on the back” — Tony Kernan, March 17, 2012]

There was a theory in Galway last month before they played Kildare in what turned out to be the final league match of the season that Galway would be better off not winning.