Dublin Roll On Before 47,027 at Croke Park

Meath’s return to Division One of the Allianz League will accelerate their improvement as a football team but they were handed a painful lesson in how big of a gap they may yet face at Croke Park yesterday.

Dublin crowds traditionally time their arrival to the referee’s whistle and ten minutes out from game time yesterday, with a foul weather forecast to contend with the crowd was sparse enough.

By the time the action started though it had swelled to what became an official attendance of a very respectable 47,027.

That was likely one of the biggest sporting attendances in the world yesterday. France vs Brazil in the Women’s World Cup had a full stadium but only 25,000 while the number at a similarly packed Clones for the Ulster Football Final was still less than 30,000.

It wasn’t dramatic but we didn’t fully expect it to be. This for Dublin fans was a step along the road towards the history of five in a row All Ireland’s, something that has never been achieved in the men’s game.

There were only six points scored in the first half and it took Meath just under 30 minutes to record their first of the day but still, it was live sport and there were children in the ground who will have been witnessing their first Leinster title and will have had their own imaginations fired as a result, all for €5.

A harder than expected win for Kerry against Cork on Saturday night and a powerful performance from Donegal in the early game on Sunday means that the rest of the Summer is now in clearer focus.

Kerry and Donegal are on one side of the ‘Suoer 8’s’ or the All Ireland Quarter Final Round. They will potentially be joined by Meath or Galway or the sides that they face in the final round of the Qualifiers.

Dublin will take on Roscommon at Croke Park in the middle game of the Super 8’s after facing Cork, Cavan or a Qualifier that beats either of them at home in the first game on July 13th or 14th. The final game will be an away trip for both Dublin or Roscommon on the August Bank Holiday weekend.

The draw for the third round of the Qualifiers this morning pitched Mayo against Armagh, Kildare against Tyrone, Westmeath at home to Clare and Laois at home to Offaly. The winner of those four games will face Cork, Cavan, Galway and Meath for those final four places in the Super 8’s.