This season's Tailteann Cup got underway this weekend, with 17 teams set to take part in the competition over the coming weeks. It's fair to say that the 2022 edition was a success for the GAA.
Some were unsure how seriously a second-tier championship would be taken by the teams involved, but the scenes that unfolded at Croke Park after Westmeath won last year's competition certainly put those concerns to bed.
Still, some outside of Gaelic football circles seem to be selling the competition short. That includes Donal Óg Cusack, who recently questioned on The Sunday Game why Tailteann Cup fixtures were being shown on terrestrial television when provincial hurling games were broadcast on GAAGO:
The GAA schedule has two provincial football finals and the start of the Tailteann Cup, which if you haven't heard of it, is a sort of Gaelic football Grand National for disappointed also-rans.
Those comments have not gone down well, with Paul Flynn among those to criticise them earlier this week.
Some of those involved in the competition have also given their opinion.
GAA: Colm O'Rourke dismissed Donal Óg Cusack comments
It's fair to say that Meath did not enter 2023 with ambitions of playing in the Tailteann Cup, although they have ended up in the competition after disappointing league and provincial championship campaigns.
Despite this, they will be doing their best to make the most of the situation in the weeks ahead. Colm O'Rourke's side performed well in their opening group game, defeating Tipperary on a scoreline of 1-19 to 0-11 yesterday.
After that game, O'Rourke was asked about the opinion put forward by his former RTÉ colleague in regards to the Tailteann Cup. It's fair to say he isn't giving it too much thought.
The gentleman involved, I wouldn't pass the slightest remark on what he'd say about anything,.
So I didn't find it in any way insulting. I thought it was a reflection of him, rather than anything else.
The Tailteann Cup is a great competition. It did a lot for the likes of Westmeath last year and we saw Cavan and so many other teams taking it seriously.
We didn't want to find ourselves in this position. Finishing in sixth position in the second division, we thought we'd be in the top group. But so be it, this is what the competition is about now. We're fully immersed in it and our players are taking it very, very seriously.
As I said after the Offaly game, our history and tradition of winning is no guarantee of success now and I don't suffer from any delusions of grandeur. Neither do any of the fellas involved. We'll give total respect to the Tailteann Cup and try to win it if we possibly can.
You certainly get the sense that Colm O'Rourke will not pay to much heed to the opinions of Donal Óg Cusack when it comes to discussing Gaelic football.
He's not the only one that would fall into that camp.
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