Sports fans in Ireland are in for a treat this summer, with the prestigious GAA Football Championship taking centre stagefrom May to July.
The Provisional Championships are close to reaching their conclusion, and have provided some handy form pointers ahead of the big tournament.
Read on as we assess the chances of four of the main contenders to win the 2023 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship on July 30.
Kerry
Kerry are the bookmakers’ favourites to lift the trophy and it would be a brave move to back against them winning the title for the 39th time.
They are priced at 7/4 in the latest GAA betting and those odds will probably shorten if they beat Clare in the Munster Senior Football Championship final.
Kerry defeated Tipperary with contemptuous ease on their way to the Provisional Championship decider, scoring a whopping 25 points.
With key players returning from injury and a track record of previous success, it would be no surprise to see Kerry emerge victorious at the end of July.
Dublin
Dublin comfortably defeated Laois to reach the last four of the Leinster Senior Football Championship and look a good bet to progress to the final.
They have not lost against semi-final opponents Kildare in 23 years and it is difficult to see that run ending on this occasions.
Dublin would meet either Offaly or Louth in the final and a victory there would be the perfect preparation for the All-Ireland Championship.
Having won the title six years in a row from 2015 to 2020, the 30-time winners will be desperate to add another success to their tally.
Galway
Galway booked their place in the Connacht Senior Football Championship final against Sligo with a gritty victory over Roscommon.
Their opponents had surprisingly defeated Mayo in the previous round and caused plenty of problems in their semi-final encounter.
Roscommon edged into the lead in the second half, but Galway kept their composure to secure a hard fought victory.
They look a good bet to beat Sligo before turning their attentions to what promises to be a competitive tilt at winning the All-Ireland title.
Mayo
Mayo have suffered plenty of heartbreak in the big summer tournament, finishing runners-up eight times since the turn of the century.
Their last success came back in 1951, but many respected GAA pundits have backed them to end their drought this time around.
However, their quarter-final defeat against Roscommon in the Provisional tournament highlighted they would be well-advised to take nothing for granted.
Mayo had plenty of chances to win that game and will need to be far more clinical if they are to be crowned All-Ireland champions this year.
