1. Laois up in arms over Nowlan Park venue
While we might not always agree with him, Colm Parkinson made some valid points on Newstalk’s Off the Ball last night.
Why, he asked, was Nowlan Park chosen as the venue for next year’s Leinster SFC quarter-final involving Dublin when Kilkenny don’t have a track record of championing Gaelic Football?
Why, after so much recent investment in facilities at O’Moore Park, was the Portlaoise venue overlooked?
Laois county board chairman has outlined exactly why Laois are so annoyed by the decision and it’s difficult to argue with him.
It appears that the greater seating capacity at Nowlan Park won the day for the Kilkenny city venue.
2. Dubs on the move for the first time since 2006
Dublin haven’t played a championship game outside of Croke Park since beating Longford at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park in 2006.
GAA HQ is a venue they are utterly accustomed to, with the Dubs totally in sync with their surroundings.
Nowlan Park is a big pitch in its own right, equal in fact to Croke Park dimensions, but will have a different feel to it for Dublin’s players.
It will take them out of their comfort zone but the freshness could well be a good thing.
Bernard Brogan spoke recently about his desire to play at a different venue – and now his wish will be granted.
3. Accommodation chaos
The weekend of the Leinster quarter-final clashes with the annual Cat Laughs comedy festival in Kilkenny city.
John Street will be a hive of activity and the real winners are the local pubs and hotels in the area, whose tills will hum nicely.
Dublin fans should get online and on the phones pronto, as accommodation will be a premium in the city.
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But for those fans wishing to make a day trip of it, it’s an hour and a half spin down the M9, or a round-trip of roughly 3 hours and 10 minutes.
Dublin fans regularly bring huge colour on their travels to various outposts during the Allianz League and Kilkenny businesses will reap the benefits of a bumper weekend.
4. The clamour finally ends
Dublin have been accused for so long of having a distinct advantage by playing all of their championship games at Croke Park.
There’s a certain degree of merit in the argument but ask the vast majority of intercounty players in the country where they want to play their hurling and football and they’ll say Croke Park.
Once it became apparent that Dublin would be pitted with Wicklow or Laois in the last eight of the 2016 provincial series, the clamour for them to go on the road began.
Now that it’s been confirmed, it will be fascinating to see how Jim Gavin’s men cope on their travels.
It’s interesting to note that Dublin lost two of their four away fixtures in the 2015 Allianz League – against Cork and Kerry.
But the Sky Blues scored comprehensive victories on the road against Monaghan and Mayo – and finished the campaign as champions.
5. Commercial sense at play
There are few sights in Gaelic Games better than a packed Hill 16 in full swing.
But if Dublin played Laois or Wicklow at Croke Park next year, it’s difficult to envisage a big attendance converging on the Drumcondra venue.
Instead, it’s expected that Nowlan Park will be packed to its 24,000 capacity, which will ensure for a terrific atmosphere at the venue.
When Tipperary played Kilkenny there in the 2013 hurling championship, Nowlan Park was full long before throw-in, with the air humming with anticipation an hour before the game.
There won’t be that incredible edge when Dublin play there next year but the novelty factor alone should ensure that the ‘sold out’ signs are up well in advance.
Dublin playing in front of a Croke Park vacuum may not have worked out at much better than a break even situation for GAA chiefs – but everyone’s a winner at Nowlan Park.
