Hill 16-Diary of a Dub. Kildare 2-12 V Wexford 0-11

I had a look at Kildare match yesterday and it seems clear that this will be the team that stands between Dublin and another Leinster title this year. Kildare are an extremely hard working team with a number of talented players. Although Kildare do not seem like the finished article they will give Dublin trouble if they meet.

Veteran Dermot Earley is playing as well as he ever has in a Lillywhite jersey. On present form a Dublin midfield of McConnell and Magee would stuggle to cope with him. Up front Smith and Cavanagh look a handful and our new look full back line will be tested. It has been argued that easy Leinster Championships have not helped Dublin in later rounds of the All Ireland in previous years. A potential Leinster Final against Kildare could stand to Dublin if they are to make a serious challenge for the All Ireland this year.

Outside of Leinster Cork's emphatic win against Kerry could spell a shift in the powerbase in Munster. Although you can never count the Kingdom out and with Donaghy to return into the team I still expect to see Kerry in the later stages of the All Ireland. Today is Westmeath V Wicklow when our opponent for the next round will be decided. I expect to see Westmeath to win this game but you never know what Mick O Dwyer has left in his bag of managerial tricks.

Hill 16- Diary of a Dub. Dublin 0-14 V Meath 0-12.

All adventures have to start somewhere and although this was not the performance Dublin fans were looking for it was the right result. My pre-match build up started with some pints in Smyths in Phibsborough. I didn't have the usual amount of pints I would have before a game as we had the pleasure of a double header on Sunday in Croke Park. The Dublin hurlers had their first game in the Leinster Championship against Antrim. Dublin hurlers ran out easy winners by ten points after a few nervous moments. Alan McCrabbe and David O'Callagahn were the star men for Dublin. The draw for the semi-final also went Dublin's way. They avoided Galway and Kilkenny and face Wexford instead. After the close games the teams had last year and the improvement in the Dublin team, they must fancy their chances. The crowd for the hurling match was very impressive. Although their wasn't a full attendance enough Dublin fans dragged themselves out of the pub to create a respectable crowd.

The main event followed. Dublin V Meath, the rivalry, the hatred, the passion, all the elements needed for a good Sunday of GAA. The atmosphere on the Hill was strangely muted considering the history of the clash. Maybe it was the unfamiliar look of the Dublin team or maybe the perceived weakness of the Meath team but the Hill magic wasn't there. My own theory was that the Dublin fans missed their ultimate hate figure Graham Geraghty. Geraghty, a fine player, had always riled up Dublin fans. When he punched David Henry in 2007 he only added gasoline to the fire. To be honest Geraghty was always a pantomime villain to the Dubs. The abuse that rained down on him from the Hill while sometimes nasty was mostly just funny. My personal favorite from 2007 was when after a tirade of pretty nasty abuse the Hill fell silent for a moment. From somewhere near the back a shout came out "Geraghty I know you have no tax on your car".

So to the match. The championship debutant's had a mixed day. Davoren was impressive until he went off injured. Heartbreakingly for him it was a cruciate ligament and he is out for the rest of the season. Apart from the Brogan's our forward line does not seem to be up to the task and our defensive problems do not appear to have been solved. Ger Brennan who starred for Vincents when they won the All Ireland Club Championship made his championship debut. Brennan is presently keeping Bryan Cullen out of the team and based on this performance I don't see why. Brennan gets forward and poses a threat but he was wasteful in possession far to often. Also his indiscipline should probably have led to him being sent off. If Gilroy can see past his club allegiance, Cullen should start in the Semi Final. There was never really a feeling that Meath could win the game although they pulled close to Dublin on a number of occasions. A two point margin probably flattered Meath a little but Dublin certainly did not impress.

The Dublin fans left Headquarters with many concerns about the Dublin team. Hopefully Gilroy will restore Cullen and Whelan to the team and our forwards will perform as a more cohesive unit as the championship progresses.

A touching scene I witnessed as I walked down the Clonliffe Road filled me with pride. A Dublin fan was walking in front of me with his child on his shoulders. The young lad couldn't of been older then 5. His Dad spotted a Meath fan walking towards him and said to his son "See the man in the green jersey laugh at him". The young lad pointed at the Meath fan as he walked by and shouted "Ha Ha". It was good to see a 'Father passing on his Dublin GAA heritage to his son. Next up is Weathmeath or Wicklow in the semi-final. I will be in Ibiza for a friends wedding for this match. Although I hate to miss a Dublin match, watching the match in a packed Irish bar in Ibiza in the summer sun will be a close second place.

Hill 16-Diary of a Dub.

Starting this Sunday I am going to use my Blog to chart my experiences following the Dublin football team on its quest for Sam Maguire. The summer odyssey for a Dublin fan is full of highs and lows. We come to the first championship game full of expectation. After the first win the hype builds. Talk begins in the pubs and the workplaces. As the Dublin hype machine slips into fifth gear we cancel all weddings, parties, holidays and life saving operations in the month of September. We need to keep All Ireland weekend free for our glorious return to the pinnacle of inter county football. Then it happens, our spirits plummet faster then an Irish bank's share price in a recession. We lose to Kerry in the semi final. For Kerry you can substitute Tyrone or Mayo or any decent team and for semi final you can substitute quarter final. You know the script we lose and the other 31 counties in Ireland laugh.

It's a long time since 1995 and the pain gets harder to take every year. So this summer I want to capture what it's like following the Dubs on an All Ireland run. The craic of matchday, the atmosphere of the hill and the passion of the fans. I want to reach out to my country cousins and ask why cant we all get along? What would you all do if you didn't have the Dubs to hate? So as Meath come to Croker on Sunday I welcome the Meath fans to our home ground (only joking I know it belongs to us all)and hopefully we get the right result and the Dub rollercoaster can start again. I think this is the year I can feel it.