By Peter Canavan

The abundance of championship football (and hurling) in recent weeks has produced every type of result possible and has induced the full range of emotions of all those involved. Heartbreak, elation, surprise, amazement, pride, anger, humour - we've had them all.

The dreary days of winter football are long forgotten and the sacrifices made in January are all worth it now for those teams fortunate enough to progress.

Of the eight teams left standing Roscommon is the only one whom very few would have predicted to be there at this stage. Their surprise inclusion though is welcome and merited.

As I reflect on recent events I will also give my guarded predictions for the quarter final results.

Mention of Roscommon brings back the wonderful memories of the Connacht final and their epic battle with the then hot favourites Sligo. This in turn brings back those thrilling performances that Sligo produced while underdogs against Mayo and Galway. Certainly one of the most memorable Connacht championships in years. One remembered fondly for the majestic performances of newcomer Donal Shine and the mercurial Padraig Joyce. One remembered sadly for the loss of one of Roscommon's, Connacht's and Ireland's finest sons - Dermot Earley.

Although Dermot had an honoured and distinguished military career in which he proudly served his country - Lieutenant-General and Chief of Staff of the Irish Defence Forces - it was through his football career that we in GAA circles will remember him fondly.

Despite his haul of honours (two All-Stars and several Connacht titles) the All-Ireland medal that he richly deserved did elude him but he leaves a rich legacy behind him and it can be no coincidence that Roscommon's recent title was won just weeks after his death. A true gentleman and a great loss to his family, friends and country.

Unfortunately, I believe Roscommon's journey will be a short one. The telling factor in their encounter with Cork will surely be their lack of experience at this level. This Cork team has weathered a couple of very heavy storms together and, though battered and bruised, they are still sailing along fairly steady. Fergal O'Donnell got his tactics right for Sligo but then he knew the enemy well and his players would have felt pound for pound at least equal to Sligo. They now face a different beast and while a Roscommon victory would be heart warming it just doesn't seem practical.

If there is to be a shock in the quarter-finals then it could occur in the Kerry-Down clash.
James McCartan is in the middle of building this Down team and while he is doing an excellent job I feel that this game with Kerry may have come a year too soon. I am sure the men from the Mournes would like to have drawn Roscommon and indeed I think they would have progressed had that been the case. However, this can be a vital stepping stone for James and his team. Win or lose these are the games that shape and build a team and sometimes a defeat against superior opposition can have its rewards in the long run. If Down's injuries clear up from the Sligo game they will cause Kerry bother but I doubt if their defence can cope against Kerry's talented forward division.

The Leinster final is one we will not forget in a hurry. A surprise pairing of Louth and Meath was expected to throw up little in the way of fireworks but how wrong can you be! Unfortunately the debacle at the end of the game has overshadowed what was a thrilling final and one where Louth produced a great performance of football. Scoring, tackling, guts, determination - they displayed them all. The adjective heart-breaking has sometimes been overused and exaggerated but this is one time when it aptly applies.

They were robbed of their title by a refereeing mistake - one that Martin Sludden readily admits - and I believe that Meath compounded the situation by denying Louth a second chance via a re-fixture.

Referees are human and constantly make mistakes. Martin Sludden would have been happy with his performance up until the closing seconds but his insistence on laying down the law cost Louth a deserved title. The injury time allocated had just been played yet it appears he was penalising Louth for time-wasting when he awarded Meath the goal.

In fairness, his umpires did not give him much assistance and here is on issue that the GAA can readily address. It would not be too difficult to ensure that all umpires at county championship games were officiating referees and thus men would be in place that would have the confidence to make these difficult calls hence taking some pressure of the referee.

Meath had a difficult decision to make with regards to a replay but I believe they made the wrong one. There are five main reasons why I feel they erred on this occasion:

- Louth were the better team on the day and lost because of a refereeing decision (of course they should have had the game wrapped up before that)

- Louth would never have been able to rise themselves to the level that they had been at that day

- Meath must surely have believed that they could have played much better and would like to have won the game on merit

- Another competitive game would have been of tremendous benefit to the winner (Meath would surely have believed they would win)

- It would have been morally correct and uplifting if they had offered a replay

I know it is easy to make these moral calls while not directly involved and handing back a provincial title would not be an easy call to make but I think they took the wrong decision.

The aftermath of the final should have little impact on the Meath's encounter with Kildare other than it is a chance for them to prove that they are entitled to be there. Both teams will feel confident in their own ability to win this one but Kildare seem to be making all the right moves at the minute. Their main concern of course would be their ever-increasing wides tally though I don't think Johnny Doyle's low-scoring spell will last too long. The old saying prevails - form is temporary, class is permanent. Kildare are strong in all the right places and, as I have referred to earlier, last years defeat to Tyrone will prove of great benefit to them now. Meath's deficiencies were evident against Louth and will have been doctored over these couple of weeks but they won't develop into a unit in such a short space of time. Kildare to progress.

Tyrone and Dublin will have brought great colour to Croke Park once again and hopefully another exciting game of football along with it. All the ingredients are there for another classic. Tyrone have been talked up after their back-to-back Ulster titles while Dublin have recovered from their shock defeat to Meath and shown some good form in their last outings.

Dublin have clearly shown this season that they are vulnerable at the back but when they are focused and confident then they are quite a potent force and could beat any team in the country. A packed Croke Park will bring out the best in the Dubs and my fear is that there is one big performance lurking in this team and it could be unleashed at any minute.

Tyrone have looked formidable, particularly in the Ulster final, and are playing well as a team. Backing each other up, supporting each other, constantly working and moving - playing like champions. All well and good, but the standard of the opposition is continually rising and more questions will be asked. The eventual demolition of Monaghan came after two fine saves from Packie McConnell and after being wiped out in midfield for a good part of the first half. The saves were crucial but even with Monaghan enjoying success in midfield and creating chances Tyrone always seemed to be in charge. Their forwards were allowed room and were winning most of the ball coming their way though they failed to convert some good chances. The Tyrone rearguard was quite superb throughout and their control of the ball was a joy to watch at times.

The questions that Monaghan didn't ask Tyrone will be asked in Croke Park but I think the leadership of Conor Gormley, Dooher and Jordan and the athleticism of the McMahons and Sean Kavanagh will bring Tyrone through.

Arguably the four best teams in the country should contest the semi-finals - Kerry, Cork, Kildare and Tyrone. Who'll lift Sam? Well, that's for another day. But for now we can reflect on a championship that has brought a great mixture of excitement and joy to many Gaels over the country.

The one abiding conclusion that can be taken from our competitions once again is the importance of retaining our provincial championships. Yes, we can highlight some faults with the structure of such a system, especially at times when there is a tendency for one or two teams to dominate a province, but how else could you generate the passion that is evident throughout the country year after year. What would there be in an open draw to compensate for the loss of 34,000 patrons at Clones on an Ulster Final day? Or Thurles on a Munster Hurling final day when the hair stands on the back of your neck as Amhran na Bfhiann is being sung in unison and a sliothar hasn't even been struck?

Ask Roscommon or Waterford or Tyrone what a provincial title means to them and you'll get a pretty direct answer? Ask Monaghan would they like a crack at another Ulster final. Ask Louth. Tweet

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