Visiting the provinces - With July upon us the quest for the Sam Maguire intensifies. Provincial honours are up for grabs but is it a benefit or a hindrance to carry the tag of Provincial Champions into the Quarter Finals? In recent years the eventual All Ireland winners fell at this stage, only to bounce back with a sting in their tail. Despite the fact that many are questioning the merits of a provincial title it will not detract from the colour and atmosphere at these games. A combined total of over 150,000 spectators will pay good money to see these finals. Some teams will have their eyes firmly set on the bigger prize and, for the likes of Tyrone and Kerry in particular, defeat at this stage is not a disaster. These two teams will have the strength in depth, know how and most of all, the self confidence to emerge from such a scenario unbroken. For the likes of Sligo and Monaghan defeat could mean their season is virtually over. These two teams will be treating their provincial finals like an All-Ireland Final and a defeat would be a major blow. It has taken Monaghan 19 years to get back to an Ulster final. 1988 was their last appearance when Declan Loughman, Nudie Hughes and co led the Farney men to victory over guess who? - Tyrone. I remember that day well as I helped the Tyrone minors to lift the Ulster crown against Cavan. Back in '88 Tyrone entered the game as hot favourites but in a physical, competitive game Monaghan emerged as victors. Seamus McEnaney will no doubt remind his players of the'88 final and would dearly love to get one over on Tyrone. Seamus has gone head to head with Mickey Harte on many occasions in recent years, including an Ulster U21 final and a Dr Mc Kenna Cup final. In terms of finals he will hope it is third time lucky. At a pre-championship chat show held in Dungannon back in April I had the pleasure of sharing the platform with Seamus. At one point the panel members were asked to give their predictions for the Ulster championship. Art McRory, Benny Tierney and I all fancied Tyrone. The 'Banty' in a bullish manner predicted his own men would beat Tyrone in the final. Whilst I fancied Tyrone strongly against Donegal, I believe that Monaghan will give them a much sterner test. McEnaney's men are extremely fit, they are there on merit after convincing victories over Down and Derry. Their style of play is based on a work ethic similar to Tyrone but most importantly, they cannot be labelled as a one man forward line. At the start of the year I would have questioned their proficiency in front of goal. Tommy Freeman's qualities are well documented but now Stephen Gallogly, Paul Finlay, Rory Woods and the dynamic Ciaran Hanratty are not only playing well as a unit but scoring freely also. Tyrone will have to match Monaghan's honesty and enthusiasm if we are to see Brian Dooher hoist the Anglo Celt cup. In Connacht we will have new champions as well. Like Tyrone, Galway will enter this game as raging favourites. Their victory over Leitrim came without the same dash and flair as we witnessed against Mayo. Galway will be well aware of Sligo's style of play and will have their strong runners targeted. Against Roscommon, Sligo's fitness levels were impressive and they displayed a greater desire for victory with their never-say-die attitude. Once more they will look to Sean Davey and Eamon O'Hara for inspiration but their forward line does not pose the same threat as that of the Tribesmen. Up front, any one of the Galway six are potential match winners and it is this level of class which will carry them through. In Leinster and Munster there's every possibility that both the reigning champions could be dethroned - indeed it has just happened down south. In Munster it was very difficult to assess accurately the current standing of Cork and Kerry as they have not gone out of second gear. Both teams not only had easy victories but also had to wait four weeks between semi-final and final. During the League, defensive frailties in the Kerry defence were highlighted on more than one occasion. The Munster final will provided the first real opportunity to find out if Kerry could cope without Seamus Moynihan and Mike McCarthy. Kerry still possess Dara O' Se however. Although they are dissimilar in stature, O Se represents to Kerry what Dooher is to Tyrone. If O' Se performs Kerry normally win. He is the inspiration in the Kingdom. The Leinster Championship has been by far the most enthralling to date. Firstly, there was a promising emergence of Wicklow. Longford's all action attacking approach was entertaining to watch and their two displays in Leinster would give them much confidence when competing in the qualifiers. The Meath-Dublin games were a throw back to the 90's. Two highly charged, totally committed sides launching themselves at each other in pursuit of victory. Despite all the criticism regarding their second half collapses, Dublin stood up when most needed and brought the saga to an end with a flurry of scores. Dublin's opponents in the final will be Laois, whom I believe have the capabilities to dethrone the Dubs. This Laois side have still to realise their full potential. They have superb fielders in the middle of the park and a forward line that is lethal when given the space. More importantly, the Laois players still remember the mauling they received from the Dubs last year. They have a score to settle and this will surely motivate them to greater things. Eamon Coleman Last month saw the GAA lose one of its greatest characters. Eamon Coleman's passing will not only be sorely felt by Colette, Gary and family but by all Gaels throughout Ireland and further a field. With Eamon it's fair to say you knew were you stood. Tyrone and Derry participated in many great battles in recent years, in which both myself and Eamon were involved. He seemed to have no difficulty in transferring this enthusiasm and intensity to his players. When Coleman was in charge of Derry a Tyrone team knew what to expect. On many occasions when tempers flared, Eamon found it difficult not to cross the line - he wanted to join his troops in the trenches- and many times he did. Off the pitch Eamon was good company. He seemed to be at his happiest when telling tales of games and players gone by. His post match interviews were a treat to watch. You never knew what Eamon was going to say or who was going to get a 'dig'. Passion was a word Eamon used regularly and he expected his players to perform with this on the pitch. The truth is that many tried but very few if any were able to match his passion for the game he loved so well. The death of Eamon Coleman coincided with the launching of the 'Spirit of Paul McGirr Trust'. To commemorate the 10th anniversary of Paul's death, his friends and the young people of Dromore decided to set up a group called the spirit of Paul McGirr. The group aims to supply both funds and volunteers in support of communities in Lusaka, Zambia. Paul's death (when playing for Tyrone minors) has had a profound influence on many, none more so than a number of the current Tyrone senior panel. The Trust is a living memorial to Paul and something I know will be well supported by Gaels not only in Tyrone but across the world. For more information go to www.thespiritofpaulmcgirr.com Tweet

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