Leinster’s lean times starting to look like a thing of the past

LEINSTER COUNCIL chairman Liam O’Neill has launched a strong defence of football in the province and results from this year’s All-Ireland championship certainly back up his argument.

It is now seven years since a Leinster team (Meath) won an All-Ireland title, five since one (Meath again) appeared in a final and four (Dublin) since the province was even represented among the last four sides standing.

Part of the problem has been that, apart from Westmeath in 2001, Leinster teams have been by and large slow to warm to the qualifier route.