The good weather puts everyone in better form and it has helped to build that championship fever this week.
After a miserable couple of months, it’s fantastic to see the sun out and county and club teams throughout the country will have been enjoying training this week.
You have the bounce on the pitch again and no need for gloves – players love those conditions.
It looks like the weather will get warmer for the weekend and that should really lead to a super day in O’Donnell Park on Sunday when Donegal take on Down.
It’s 75 years since O’Donnell Park last hosted a game and I know the St Eunan’s club are putting in a massive effort to make sure everything runs smoothly.
I was driving past the ground on Tuesday and the pitch looks in brilliant shape.
There’s a big scramble for tickets and I know clubs are disappointed with their allocation. Hopefully some more will become available before the weekend is out.
Unfortunately some people will miss out but it should be a cracking atmosphere with a full crowd.
As has been well documented, Donegal haven’t had a great record in the National League at O’Donnell Park but that has started to turn over the last couple of years.
Donegal beat Mayo comfortably in Letterkenny back in February and they’ll be confident that they can get a result.
Donegal were in a good spot after the National League and a training camp in Portugal is only going to help things.
Players are returning from injury and everyone wants to play so I’m sure the training has been tough.
Donegal struggled against Down last year in Clones but never looked like losing the match.
But when I look at who is going to be playing in the middle of the field, I think Down will do really well to compete in the aerial exchanges.
They will try and bring the ball to ground and compete for breaks but Donegal will be alert to that.
I got a look at Down in Newry with Fermanagh earlier this year and they beat us by three points but it was a game that we could have got something from.
They do have strong players in the middle third and young Ronan Burns is a good goalkeeper who likes to go short.
However, like the Division 1 Final, I think Donegal will put their speedsters on the front line of the press and force Down long.
The one thing you would always have said about the Mourne county is that they have a knack of scoring goals.
They didn’t manage it last year but they did have their chances.
For me, if there’s to be an upset in this match then Down will need to raise green flags.
However, I can’t see any complacency seeping in from the Donegal camp.
They know it’s a big game and they will want to start strongly and get in front and make Down come out and attack them.
I think it will be a home win by five or six points.
Fermanagh
Fermanagh have a big game on Saturday evening as we take on Armagh at Brewster Park.
We knew from when the draw was made that it was going to be a tough one against either Armagh or Tyrone.
It was the Orchard men that came through after extra-time and they are a serious side.
I have been impressed with them throughout the league and they are a top three team in the country.
We are strong underdogs but it’s a challenge that the boys are up for.
I have been involved in the Ulster Championship since the mid-eighties and you always get that buzz in the lead up to the weekend’s match.
I feel the boys have trained well and I just hope they can give a good account of themselves now.
Hopefully we can get the right performance and see how we go from there.
Surprising
It was a lively weekend of action last week.
There were surprising scorelines coming through and that’s what you want in championship football.
Few gave Westmeath much of a chance against Meath but you have to hand it to Mark McHugh and his team.
They were brave and went for it and scored four goals as they took the win.
I fancied Meath to win the Leinster Championship this year but it shows you have to bring it every day. Robbie Brennan and his management team will be very disappointed I’m sure.
Dublin were also almost dumped out of the championship in Aughrim.
If you had said ten years ago that Wicklow would push the Dubs to two points, people would have said you were mad.
But that’s the way it played out and Dublin were fortunate that Mark Jackson had an off day with his shooting.
Jackson is generally one of the most reliable long-range free-takers in the game but he just didn’t get them right last week and I think he had seven wides.
Even with that, Wicklow had a great goal chance late on that they didn’t take.
The whole Ger Brennan episode seems to be weighing heavily on Dublin and Louth will fancy their chances against them in the semi-final.
Westmeath and Kildare will meet in the other semi-final and both of those sides will see a real opportunity for themselves now.
It’s like the early noughties once again with teams thinking they have a chance to win the Leinster Championship once again, and it will be interesting to see how it plays out from here.
In Ulster, Derry had too much for Antrim as expected.
Monaghan won the derby with Cavan and the Farney side had a stronger look to their team last week.
Cavan didn’t get going until it was too late really but they did miss a penalty and other goal chances.
Monaghan will take confidence from that win and another big performance could take them through to the Ulster Final.
Connacht
There’s no doubt where the big game is in the country this weekend.
Mayo and Roscommon meet in Castlebar and it could be a really good game.
The real pity is that Daire Cregg won’t be playing after getting sent off in New York.
You’d have to feel for Cregg as it looked innocuous enough. These players are smart and they know not to strike out. My read of it was just that Cregg was defending himself but obviously the officials didn’t see it that way.
Cregg will be a huge loss to Roscommon and I’d imagine Ben O’Carroll will come into the team now.
We’re always talking about how the Rossies have good forwards but they will need everyone to chip in.
Kobe McDonald scored a sensational goal for the Mayo Under 20s against Galway last week.
It would be great to see him play for the seniors this weekend and I think Mayo might just come through it, but it will be close.