Gaelic football badly needs some sleeping giants to roar

Last month before his current charges Fermanagh played his native Down in a Dr McKenna Cup game, Pete McGrath gave a revealing insight into the Down psyche.

“Down players have uncles or neighbours who played on All-Ireland winning teams,” he’d say.

“It is like a smaller version of Kerry. It creates expectation. That is the environment. So the 21 years [without winning an Ulster title] will not dilute the confidence one bit. It is not arrogance. Nor is it science fiction. There is this belief that if Down get their act together, then they can do great things.”