It's a joke blockbuster battles don't have top billing

Would the All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals be rescheduled if they clashed with the Joe McDonagh Cup semi-finals (if such games existed)? Not a hope.

We're seeing the equivalent of that happening this weekend. Football people may say, 'the hurling snobs are at it again, thinking it's the only sport'. We don’t. We know hurling is not as popular as football on the island as a whole but how would the football world feel if it was the other way around?

Football people may also say that their game is much more competitive with more teams having a chance to win the ultimate prize, but since the turn of the century, seven counties have won Sam Maguire, while six have lifted the Liam MacCarthy.

Soccer people may say, 'will ya stop, soccer is the most popular sport in this country by a mile'. I can honestly say if soccer was the most popular sport in this country by that much, and all the best athletes we have on this island played it, we’d all be at the Euros in Germany right now shouting on the Irish team.

There will be some people that might venture out Friday night, indulge in a few beverages and by the time they wake up Saturday either Cork or Dublin will be out of the championship. Granted this could happen at any time, but you get what I’m trying to say here.

A funny story in relation to this and how good friends who are just not that into the GAA may not know what you’re at for the weekend.

We were on the way into the Gaelic Grounds to play Clare in a Munster final. The atmosphere was unreal, crowds along the Ennis Road, a packed house, a great spectacle. Next thing my phone rings. My good buddy Matt Fahy rang me and asked what was I up to for the day and had I any interest in a game of pitch and putt in Murroe.

I just said, 'not