Tomas O Se says Leinster Football is a Joke

I cannot really disagree with this comment. This is the most uncompetitive leinster championship in 130 years. Meath are having their worst decade since 1920s. Kildare are also having one of their worst decades ( along with the 1980s) since 1920s. Offaly are having their worst decade since 1950s , since before they emerged on the football scene. Laois are having their worst decade since 1970s. While louth are going up and down divisions 4 3 2 yearly. Wicklow are stuck in division 4 after a good decade in the 00s. While Wexford are back in div 4 after having their best decade since the 40s in the 00s.

Only Dublin with their greatest team ever, Carlow having their best period in 30 years, Westmeath are having solid period with their first ever consecutive leinster finals appearances in a row and Longford are also making solid progess.

But overall this decade is an all time low for leinster football. Dublin havent had to face strong division 1 opposition ( a team in division 1 year after year) since early 00s. Compared to early 90s when you had 4 top division 1 teams in the proviences all wining leinster titles and playing in national finals . Compared to every decade or era when you had at least two top division 1 teams in leinster winning leinster titles and winning or at least reaching an All Ireland final. Its 17 years since a leinster team other then Dublin reached a All Ireland final. That has never happened before. So Tomas is right there.

But the issue I have is Tomas seems to have forgot or ignored that you could also say Munster football has been in the same situation for generations as leinster is currently. Kerry have dominated Munster football pretty much for 100 years the same way Dublin r dominating leinster football at the moment. He says leinster teams are beating before they ever enter the field v Dublin. You could say the same thing about Kerry in Munster for 100 years. There is an aura surrounding kerry down South where the rest in Munster for generations dont believe they can beat the kingdom.

Yes Tipp and Clare are making good progress recently . But will they beat kerry in a Munster final in the next 4 or 5 years. Theres no gurantee they will. Tipp havent won a Munster title in 80 years, Clare have won 1 Munster title in 90 years and limerick havent won a Munster title in 120 years. Waterford havent won a Munster title in 120 years also their only Munster title. That doesnt make for a very competitive Munster championship since 1900. The Munster championship has been won by Kerry or Cork every year since 1923 with the exception of victories by Tipperary in 1935 and Clare in 1992. Watterford havent beaten Kerry in Munster championship in 60 years. Tipperary havent beaten Kerry in the Munster championship in 91 years. And Limerick havent beaten Kerry in the Munster championship in 120 years. Clare have beaten Kerry once in the Munster championship in 80 years.

Look at the below stats, look at Kerrys sucess rate in Munster

1920s: 6 for Kerry (1923-24-25-26-27-29)
1930s: 9 for Kerry (1930-31-32-33-34-36-37-38-39)
1940s: 7 for Kerry (1940-41-42-44-46-47-48)
1950s: 7 for Kerry (1950-51-53-54-55-58-59)
1960s: 8 for Kerry (1960-61-62-63-64-65-68-69)
1970s: 7 for Kerry (1970-72-75-76-77-78-79)
1980s: 6 for Kerry (1980-81-82-84-85-86)
1990s: 5 for Cork (1990-93-94-95-99)
2000s: 6 for Kerry (2000-01-03-04-05-07)
2010s: 7 for Kerry (2010-11-13-14-15-16-17)

Then you take Cork. Cork and Kerry is the biggest myth of a rivalry in GAA. Most rivalries both teams have periods of domination or sucess over the other. Kilkenny and Tipp have great battles where supremacy swings from one to another. Mayo and Galway is very 50 50 rivalry if u take out Galways All Ireland wins. Mayo are sucessful for years then Galway are sucessful. The same with Meath and Dublin. For 80 years Meath went toe to toe with Dublin until this decade. For years Dublin teams couldnt beat Meath teams year after year ( Late 40s , late 50s, 60s, late 80s, late 90s) and for years Meath couldnt beat Dublin teams ( Late 50s, Late 70s, Early 80s, mid 90s , 00s ). Meath won 7 All Irelands to Dublins 9 in that 80 year period. With Meath having the same sucess rate as Dublin in 40s 50s 60s ( 1 All Ireland win each in each decade) and Dublin being more sucessful in 70s ( 3 All Irelands) and Meath more sucessful in 80s and 90s (Meath 4 All Irelands to Dublins 2). A very equal rivalry until this decade.

But with the exception of the late 80s and early 90s Cork have been second best to kerry since Independence. Kerry were the dominate force in Munster football in the 1920s, 30s,40s,50s,60s, 70s, early 1980s and 00s and this decade. There is the odd Cork year of sucess in between eg 1973 but overall you take out late 80s and early 90s , and pretty much for 90% of the last 100 years kerry have been top dog in Munster. Kerry always play up how how Cork good are. And they need a Cork Munster final to prepare them for the championship outside Munster.

There is no love lost between kerry and Cork and a Munster final with Cork and Kerry in killarney or Pairc ui Chaoimh is always a grand occasion. But usually always kerry win. look at how Cork couldnt beat kerry in Croke Park in 00s. Cork is a masive football county. Has more football clubs then kerry. Yet for many Cork GAA people hurling is number 1. Been defeated kerry yearly probaly meant Cork hurling is held in higher esteem down south. Cork for all their resources should be on double the All Irelands at least and double the Munster titles. But kerry have had them in metal vice grip for generations. And at the moment Cork are at their lowest since 1950s. That was the last time they were in divsion 2 and been beating by Tipp in the championship.

So when Tomas O Se says Leinster foot all is a joke he is right. But if he puts the same criteria to Munster football, that teams in Munster are beaten before they ever enter the field v kerry. Is Munster football a bigger joke for a longer period. Are am I been harsh on Tomas and Munster. ( Who happens to be one of my favorite players the since 2000).

Also there also being periods when Connacht and Ulster were one sided and had lean years. From 1900 to 1960 with the odd Antrim victory , Cavan dominated Ulster . Winning 20 or so Ulster tiltles out of maybe 21. Cavan had the same aura , Dublin have at the moment were teams were beaten before they entered the field for half century v Cavan teams in Ulster.

Down changed that in the 60s. While in the 70s and 80s Ulster football was very uncompetitive when teams came out of the province. It must be said there was conflict , a war basically in the north so that made it almost impossible for Ulster teams to prepare properly. Since 1990s the best teams, best players, best tactics, best managers have come from Ulster and it has became the strongest provience. With Down Donegal Derry Tyrone and Armgh all winning Sam. However with 4 All Ireland wins in the 90s and 4 more in the 00s. Ulster has only won 1 All Ireland in this decade so far. So has the provience of Ulster somewhat declined in this decade so far.

In Connacht the 1970s 80s and early 90s, Connacht championship was seen as weak also. However particularly Mayo have risen Connacht football promience in the game in the last 20 years. And Connacht teams at the moment have 3 top division 1 teams with Mayo Galway and Roscommon. But the fact is in the last 50 years Connacht teams have only won 2 All Irelands to Ulsters 10 All Ireland titles and Munsters 21 All Ireland titles and leinsters 17 All Ireland titles in the same time period.

All the proviences have had very bad periods and lean years. leinster is just having its least competitive currently. But even though there is a less sense of togetherness in leinster then Connacht or Ulster in the GAA. This decade will show that Ulster have won 1 All Ireland, Munster have won 1 All Ireland and leinster have won 5 All Irelands so far.