The build-up to the meeting of Mayo and Donegal keeps getting spicier and a Limerick Leader headline that fails to inspire.
From the post-match comments of Jim McGuinness before the draw was made on Saturday, to the Mayo press night on Sunday, to the to-and-fro between the teams on Twitter since, there is a real edge to the big quarter-final at Croke Park on Sunday.
Any meeting of past All-Ireland finalists the following year usually is but this enmity is brewing up very nicely indeed, and may go on for a few years yet.
The latest oil on the fire comes from Donegal legend Declan Bonner. In an interview in the Irish Examiner, the 1992 All-Ireland winner reckons that James Horan has made a mistake by talking about Donegal’s ‘physicality’.
“It probably stems back to last season when James Horan was of the opinion that Mayo didn’t get the credit they deserved,” he said. “At the end of the day, you do your talking on the park.
“He’s brewed up another storm now and there’s no love lost between him and Jim McGuinness. But it’s foolish on James Horan’s part.
“Going into the Ulster final, Donegal were missing that bit of hunger but after what Horan said I’d say their gander will definitely be up for Sunday.
To be honest, we reckon that Donegal would be pretty up for this game anyway but if they needed an extra push, this might just help.
Interestingly, Bonner has a different view regarding McGuinness’s comments, claiming his mention of players being targeted was “mostly tongue-in-cheek” according to the flame-haired former forward.
Guess we shouldn’t be surprised…
Headlines are hard
Thinking of snappy headline scan be a tiring business and somebody in the Limerick Leader today just wasn’t in the mood, instead deploying the most basic GAA banner we’ve ever seen.
Anyway, the preview of the Limerick SHC is worth a read, so click here to do so, just ignore the top of the article.
