AS THE GAA season steps up a gear, Wicklow has its hurlers and footballers involved in home and away games this Sunday.

Mick O'Dwyer's footballers travel to west coast Clare to take on the home side in what will be a tricky and testing opening match of the 2010 national league campaign.

At the same time Casey O'Brien's hurlers will be involved in a home semi-final in the Kehoe Cup Shield against Longford at Arklow, with good prospects of making it to the final.

Clare will have to field without players from county champions Kilmurray-Bricken, who are concentrating on the All-Ireland semi-finals of the club championship, but nevertheless the Banner men will provide formidable opponents.

The fact that their champions have reached the last four of the All-Ireland Club, which includes winning the Munster title where the Cork and Kerry champions were contenders, gives some indication of the strength of Clare football at the moment.

While Wicklow beat Clare in last year's league, they will be keenly aware that their trip to Clare two years ago brought no joy. Another defeat on Clare soil is not what Wicklow need to start their league sojourn, especially if they entertain hopes of gaining promotion from the basement division four, as it would leave them playing catch-up for the remainder of the league campaign.

However, Wicklow were less than impressive in their two opening games of the season, losing out to Louth and Carlow in the O'Byrne Cup and shield, and nothing less than a win in Sunday will suffice to get their league run off on the right note.

The league is also good preparation ground for the championship, a time when players stake their claim for starting places on Micko's first fifteen.

Furthermore the expectations of supporters will also be high this year after the great run in 2009, so a lot will be expected from the players and team this year.

Meanwhile, one would expect Casey O'Brien's hurlers to have it much easier at Arklow on Sunday when they take on Longford in the semi-final of the Kehoe Cup Shield.

Longford play their hurling in the Nickey Rackard Cup, lower than Wicklow, and would not have the same rating as Roscommon who were put to the pin of their collar to eke out a one point win (1-10 to 0-12), ten days ago in the Kehoe Cup.

Over 30 players are turning up to training at each session, an indicator of a resurgence in hurling at inter-county level following a disastrous season for Wicklow hurlers in 2009.

- MARK KENNEDY Sports Reporter