Eyebrows raised beyond the Pale

Elsewhere in these pages today, you’ll read of Dublin GAA’s new car deal.

Off the field anyway, it marked a fine few days for the capital county after the sod-turning of what will effectively become their new training home in west Dublin. Officially, the GAA’s new facility on the National Sports Campus (NSC) is a national centre of excellence but chief residency will belong to the boys in blue, who intend centralising all their county panels at the Blanchardstown venue.

Dublin chairman Andy Kettle wasn’t exactly pitching a “no trespassers” sign in the front lawn, but his intentions were clear when he spoke of neighbouring counties already having centres of excellence.