As many GAA fans had expected, the Leinster Championship quarter-final between Dublin and Meath at Croke Park yesterday turned out to be a non-event.
Coming into the game as heavy favourites, it was thought that Dessie Farrell's side would win comfortably and continue their march towards a 14th consecutive provincial title. Their opponents would manage to keep the score down somewhat in the opening half, but the Dubs would eventually run out as convincing winners on a scoreline of 3-19 to 0-12.
This was the latest in a long line of hammerings handed out by Dublin in Leinster, with serious questions now being asked about the long-term viability of the competition. Supporters certainly seem to be losing interest in it, with just over 20,000 showing up for yesterday's game.
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GAA: Flynn questions role of some counties in Leinster Championship
While the GAA provincial championships are something that could well be altered moving forward, some feel that other counties must accept some of the responsibility for Dublin's dominance in Leinster.
The Dubs clearly have far greater playing and financial resources than their rivals in the province, but some believe that the gap between them and other counties should not be as big as it is currently.
Speaking on The Sunday Game, former Dubs star Paul Flynn suggested that the likes of Meath and Kildare need to accept some responsibility for just how uncompetitive Leinster has become.
Meath have some major catching up to do on the Dubs, but Paul Flynn believes the Royals have the right people behind the scenes and a successful blueprint to follow.
#thesundaygame pic.twitter.com/bZzGtc1FMy— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) April 14, 2024
We have to look at the Derry blueprint now that is being shown to us. They have beaten Dublin in Croke Park in a league final.
The resources that Derry have are both in Kildare and Meath. If they both look at themselves and get people in the room to put a blueprint in place, they can absolutely go on a journey like that. But it takes a long-term vision, it takes getting the right people involved.
[Meath] have Sean Boylan and Colm O'Rourke there in that squad. Who else in Meath are going to lead something like that? They are the best people in Meath you could ask to lead it.
The whole structure thing is one part, but I think people need to look at themselves and put a proper strategy in place rather than giving out the whole time.
Dublin look on pace to win their 14th consecutive Leinster title over the coming weeks, meaning they would have won 19 of the last 20 editions of the competition.
While the likes of Meath and Kildare may have underperformed in recent seasons, questions must be asked about how long the GAA can persist with a competition with that kind of competitive balance.
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