We’re back in the capital ahead of tomorrow’s All-Ireland semi-final and although, for me, it’s been a case of waiting until the minors made it to Croke Park before going to see them, because we travelled up from Mayo ourselves today it feels like we’ve made the trek up just for the match itself. There were plenty of MO registered cars heading eastwards this afternoon as we made our way back to Dublin and I’d say that there should be a fair bit of support for the minors tomorrow in what’s going to be a packed Croke Park.

Tomorrow will also be the first time that myself and the little buck will head off to HQ together with me in my Mayo jersey and him bedecked in his Dublin clobber.  We’ve signed a non-aggression pact for the day and have agreed to shout for each other’s teams so it’d be great to see a Mayo-Dublin double.  We’re both up against it but, despite what the bookies are saying, I wouldn’t rule out either of us.

Tyrone’s minors have shown superb form in the championship so far but we’ve been okay too and the form lines at minor aren’t as strong as they can often be at senior. As a result, Tyrone’s overwhelming favouritism in the ante-post market might not count for much once the action gets underway.

In the senior game, the Dubs will need to work at least as hard as they did against Tyrone and hope that Cork’s forwards are as profligate in front of the posts as the Red Hand were in the quarters. Kerry have, however, already shown how to beat Cork in this year’s championship and so if Dublin play a high pressure game and all that blue starts to affect the Rebels, then the Jacks could well do it.

It has the making of a fascinating day’s football and I’m hoping that both of us will depart from HQ in good spirits late tomorrow afternoon.  Ah feck it, we might even invade the pitch if both results go the right way.  After all, we have travelled across the country just to be there.