Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Kevin McStay, Mickey Harte, and Jack O'Connor.INPHO Talking Points Harte and O'Connor keep winning, Mayo's concern, and what's the future for league finals? The main items to digest from the weekend’s action in Croke Park. 6.46pm, 31 Mar 2025 Share options 1. Offaly the latest to benefit from Harte guidance The showpiece game may have been Kerry against Mayo, but in truth the story with more entertainment and colour yesterday in Croke Park, was penned in the curtain-raiser. The Division 3 final was played at a snappier pace, saw the teams trade quality points, and -had the supporters more engaged by the fare on offer. Offaly’s win over Kildare provided validation for the work put in by the county’s football stakeholders in developing the collection of young talents that lifted the All-Ireland U20 title four years ago. The spring results has provided an injection of positivity for Offaly after a 2024 campaign where they appeared to have regressed. And at the tiller, they have the steadying guiding hand of Mckey Harte, who added another winning chapter to an extraordinary managerial career. Consider Harte’s record in terms of league output alone. During his lengthy Tyrone tenure he won Division 1 and 2 finals, 13 years apart. Since he moved on to embark on roles in different counties, Harte claimed Division 3 and 4 titles with Louth, lifted the Division 1 trophy last year with Derry, and has now added another Division 3 success with Offaly. A remarkable run keeps on going. Offaly players celebrate their victory.James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO 2. The future for football league finals The championship is hurtling into view with an array of football showdowns across the four provinces this weekend. But before we turn to that April fare, it is salient to look at the end of the March action and wonder what is the future for the football league finals? Taking attendance figures as one metric, it was striking to notice Saturday night’s games only breaking the 11k mark, while yesterday’s double-header drew a crowd of just over 21,000. A congested fixtures programme and the rising costs associated with every facet of the matchday experience are naturally compelling fans to be more selective in what games they go to. Advertisement Should the GAA be wedded to the idea of every final in Croke Park? Would Cavan for instance have been a better Saturday night fit for Roscommon against Monaghan, or Limerick to host Kerry and Mayo yesterday? Is the concept of finals no longer relevant for the league and the winner should be whoever tops the table in the regular series? Or is the creation of a greater gap between the end of the league and start of the championship the solution to restore some value to the secondary national competition? The low-key feel to the day in Croke Park certainly felt like a call for action. 3. Jack’s winning record in Kerry “Now, I wouldn’t be giving us too much kudos. I thought we were average at times but we managed to raise our game then when we needed to.” Jack O’Connor’s public summations saw him move into downplay mode after watching his team win the Division 1 final. But the theme of his private conversations with his Kerry managerial crew as they headed south-west last night, would have been one of satisfaction. Things looked awkward for Kerry when they lost two of their first three games and when they had lost three of their first five. Glancing anxiously at the bottom of the table, they found form when it was needed most. Stitching together victories over Armagh and Galway, ensured qualification for a league final that had seemed improbable. Then once they landed into Croke Park, they were in authoritative form. Once Paudie Clifford made the hard yards to release Paul Geaney for a 12th minute goal, Kerry never looked back on the scoreboard. Lifting the league trophy in the year it has been renamed in honour of Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh, adds another layer of meaning for figures across Kerry football. For O’Connor it was his fifth time as manager winning a Division 1 final. The four previous seasons (2004, 2006, 2009, 2022) were all rounded off with a Sam Maguire triumph as well. Jack O'Connor and David Clifford after the game.Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO 4. Mayo scoring concern We know Mayo have more important business to take care of. For all their concentration they put on the challenge of Kerry, it was impossible to escape thoughts of Sligo landing in Castlebar next Sunday. Two years ago they hoisted the league trophy into the air and a week later were shunted off the Connacht track by Roscommon. This latest defeat will be moved aside as a discussion point, if they deliver a strong winning display against Tony McEntee’s side. And yet watching Mayo struggle in attack was a concerning reminder of a Croke Park issue they face. Half their forward line was subbed off yesterday. Aidan O’Shea impressed with three well-taken first-half points and Ryan O’Donoghue continues to shoulder the burden of making things happen up front. But as a collective, Mayo’s recent scoring rates are not high enough when they enter headquarters. Their hite flags tallies at the venue read: 12 v Kerry in 2025 13 v Dublin in 2025 11 v Dublin in 2023 14 v Galway in 2023 13 v Kerry (twice) in 2022 13 v Kildare in 2022 11 v Dublin in 2022 They hit the net in three of those games and did claim two victories, but the sense that their attacking output needs to go up a notch if they return there this summer, is hard to shake off. They’re not scoring enough to celebrate in Croke Park. Mayo players Aidan O'Shea and Paul Towey after the match.Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO 5. Saturday night delight for Monaghan and Limerick The value of league finals may be debated, but that could not conceal the delight in the Monaghan and Limerick camps at the outcome on Saturday night. Monaghan’s time spent in Division 2 has been fleeting. A swift return to the top level will please the Farney football faithful, but the manner in which they outscored Roscommon 1-6 to 0-1 in the last quarter of Saturday’s decider was even more satisfying. To watch scores fly over from sources like Rory Beggan, Jack McCarron, captain Micheál Bannigan, and Andrew Woods was a boost for a squad in their first season after the departure of the talismanic Conor McManus. Limerick manager Jimmy Lee and Emmett Rigter celebrate after the game.Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO And for Limerick the Division 4 trophy will be treasured, their happy knack of finding the net proving integral to their victory over Wexford. Having arrested a pattern of league defeats over the previous two seasons, promotion and silverware have made this a productive spring as Jimmy Lee’s crew get set to play Cork next Saturday night. Fintan O'Toole Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Harte and O'Connor keep winning, Mayo's concern, and what's the future for league finals?”. 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