DIVISION 1 MAY be the elite class of Gaelic Football, but the second tier will arguably be the most exciting competition in this year’s league.
The second coming of Jim McGuinness with Donegal, the bids for promotion and the race for the top four spots that guarantee safe passage to the All-Ireland championship, ensure Division 2 will be an absorbing watch in 2024.
Let’s look closer at some of the themes that are likely to arise as the competition gets underway this weekend.
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1. Donegal and Jim McGuinness 2.0
The new season is barely a month old and Jim McGuinness is already making his presence felt in his second go as the Donegal senior manager. He’s had a brush with the GAA law after he was handed an eight-week suspension for allegedly fielding an illegible player in the Dr McKenna Cup. Then he had that suspension overturned in just a few days
Earlier this week, he was in spiky form on Highland Radio, lashing out at those “hellbent in talking down the provincial championships,” and that the Ulster championship is the “number one competition” for his troops.
Donegal struggled last year in the wake of All-Ireland winners Michael Murphy and Neil McGee slipping away to retirement. They were relegated from Division 1 after picking up one win against Kerry while also suffering some heavy beatings against Mayo (1-17 to 0-9) and Roscommon (0-21 to 0-9). The Roscommon loss was a real low point, manager Paddy Carr departing shortly after.
Aidan O’Rourke assumed control for the rest of the season which included a shock defeat to Down in the Ulster championship and Tyrone dumped them out in the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals.
McGuinness revolutionised football when he delivered All-Ireland success for Donegal in 2012. He brought them to another All-Ireland final two years later. That sets the bar high for what he can achieve in his second go as he aims to pick his county up off the floor.
2. Armagh hunger for return to Division 1 after relegation
Along with Donegal, Armagh are considered frontrunners for promotion.
And this is another case of bouncing back up to the honours class after suffering the drop last year.
Armagh were in contention to remain in Division 1 right up until the final round of games last year. But a defeat to Tyrone, coupled with Monaghan’s great escape against Mayo, nudged them over the edge. Falling the wrong side of the fine margins has been a way of life for Armagh in recent years.
Defeat to Galway in the 2022 All-Ireland quarter-final after extra-time and penalties. The same fate awaited them in the 2023 Ulster final against Derry. And then Monaghan condemned them to a third bout of penalty heartache in the All-Ireland quarter-final.
One major plus for the Orchard County is the return of Oisín O’Neill from a lengthy battle with injury. Another is the retention of Kieran McGeeney as manager for a 10th season. A return to Division 1 will certainly be a big goal for the longest-serving manager in the game.
3. Cork pressure to seal one of the Sam Maguire spots
If Donegal and Armagh do manage to claim the promotion spots, that leaves just two places remaining for teams aiming for the Sam Maguire championship. Cork will be a top candidate for one of those spots, particularly since they finished fourth in Division 2 last year.
And of the teams who were also in the same tier last year, Cork defeated Meath and Kildare in their outings. They lost out to Louth, but the Wee County may encounter difficulties this year on the back of their acrimonious split with manager Mickey Harte.
There is an additional pressure on John Cleary’s side to ensure they have a place in the All-Ireland championship before the provincials begin. Clare, Waterford or Tipperary will be one of the sides contesting the Munster final this year. Meanwhile, Cork are on the same side of the draw with Kerry and Limerick this year. The Kingdom’s presence mean they cannot rely on reaching the Munster final as their Sam Maguire safe pass.
Conversely, Kildare have avoided Dublin’s side in the draw for the Leinster championship. They face either Wicklow or Westmeath on 14 April, and will take on the winners of Louth/Carlow/Wexford in the semi-finals.
4. Cavan coping with key absentees
Cavan are Division 2 newcomers after winning the Division 3 final last year in a run of back-to-back promotions. They have a new manager this year following the appointment of Raymond Galligan, who was their first choice goalkeeper, but will now aim to build on the progress achieved under Mickey Graham.
But that sense of freshness in the backroom team will be tempered with the loss of key midfielder Gearóid McKiernan and experienced defender Conor Moynagh. McKernan has been a crucial player for Cavan since making his debut in 2011. He was instrumental to their charge for Ulster glory in 2020, kicking two frees in the final against Donegal. He capped off the year by picking up an All-Star nomination.
Moynagh also earned an All-Star nomination in 2019 but was unfortunate to miss out on Cavan’s first Ulster success since 1997 as he was away travelling.
Cavan will be in a similar boat to Cork, as the Ulster championship is tough terrain. A trip to Kildare for their league opener will be a tricky assignment to get their Division 2 journey off the mark.
5. Meath approach with All-Ireland place assured
As Tailteann Cup champions, there’s less pressure on Meath to seek out Division 2 supremacy. Of course, there is the natural desire to end their four-year exile from Division 1. In fact, they’ve spent 15 of the last 17 seasons in the second tier.
But with the split season in mind, perhaps more caution should be observed for the Royals.
Colm O’Rourke’s side must travel for both games against promotion hopefuls Donegal and Armagh, while they must also get on the road for their meeting with Cavan. Injury prevention will be important to factor in with those fixtures, particularly since Ronan Ryan, Jordan Morris and Jason Scully all look set to miss most of the league.
Meath have been draw to play Longford in the Leinster championship, and should they overcome that hurdle, Dublin await in the quarter-finals. Balancing the short-term priorities with long-term goals will be important for Meath in 2024.
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