WHAT'S ANOTHER YEAR? No one has told me but I am prepared to bet that Tony Hannon was among many Wicklow people in Croke park on Sunday. If he was then he must have been watching with more than ordinary interest as Kildare player Richard Kelly lined up the kick that could have ended Down's interest in the All-Ireland. A year ago Tony was in the same position in Aughrim and is not likely to forget the scenes when his kick sailed between the posts to sent the Down packing.

That also left Micko the only Kerryman to savour the sweet taste of victory over Down in the championship. A year is a long time in football.

THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Mick Hagan almost got the results he needed to sail on calm waters into the closing stages of the SFC. Bray Emmets were the fly in the ointment. They caused a minor surprise by holding Baltinglass to a draw. Two factors may have prevented that from being a major upset; one was the cool head and accurate boot of John Paul Kelly; the second was that the young Bray forwards may have got carried away by the ease with which they got through for the early goal and continued to go for glory in the second-half when simple points were there for the taking. You may beat Quirky once but you seldom beat him twice in the same match.

Most unlucky team of the lot had to be Kiltegan who came so close to getting a result.

That final free would have been chicken feed for John Keogh in the past but a year in Australia has took its toll. We have that replay between Baltinglass and Bray Emmets to look forward to and then two very attractive semi-finals.

Yes, this championship is certainly moving along nicely towards a thrilling climax.

THE HURLING

The hurling championships are also moving along nicely with the two quarterfinals of the SHC fixed for the coming weekend. Bray Emmets are the only club now left in the running for the big double. A win over the Rocks on Saturday would put them into the SHC semi-finals. However, it also puts that bit extra pressure on some of their young dual players.

MICKO'S THE MAN?

The one question I have been asked more than any other during this long hot summer has been 'any word on Micko yet?'. In the last week or so that trickle of questions became a flood. County Chairman Andy O'Brien addressed both a management and a County Board meeting on Monday night in Aughrim but still the exact possition on the great Kerry man had not been made clear. Had he decided to give it one more year or was this the end? It was well known that Micko had kept in touch with members of his own backroom team at all times and that those closest to Micko were expecting good news all the time. Even when the speculation in the media was at its highest people like Martin Coleman and Andy O'Brien still remained confident. It has to be remembered that the well publicised departure of Micko to pastures new was for the most part media driven.

At no stage did Micko say that he was leaving Wicklow. His name was linkerd to every post that came vacant all summer and while as always he gave interviews to every pen pusher that came along and sent them away with a notebook full of comments he still never said that his days in the Garden County were over.

In the aftermath of that disastrous day in Breffni Park in Cavan the reaction around the county was, to say the least varied. Understandably the fans were disappointed and in a lot of cases were looking for scapegoats. It was not so much losing to a team that had been for so long the Kings of Ulster football that triggered the shockwaves, it was the manner of the defeat.

Let's face facts; Cavan are a proud county and in good times or bad do not like losing in their own Breffni Park. They have won five All-Ireland titles, a record not surpassed by any team in proud Ulster yet, over 40 Ulster titles, the last in '97 and even as recently as 2004 held a Tyrone team on their way to an All-Ireland title to a draw in the Ulster semi-final.

Even though a Wicklow team, under the guidance of Micko, had beaten the Breffni men in Aughrim in 2009 it would have come as no surprise, nationwide had Tommy Carr's men won by four of five points on their home ground this year.

Another thing that no-one took into account was that in 13 years Cavan had lost only one match in the qualifiers in Breffni Park. Nor did we take into account just how much on-field leaders like Mervyn Travers and Paudge McWalter were missed on the day and cost us dearly, in particular when things started to go wrong in the second -half.

Travers had proved himself not just a great goalkeeper, probably the best or second best in Leinster, but a great onfield leader and organiser of his defence. A young and inexperienced goalie replaced him, and lets face facts again, noone in Wicklow had ever saw him play a championship match for club or county, he was thrown in at the deep end and was exposed on the day. McWalter, and again face facts, had become, in a short time the cornerstone of our defence was another that it was always going to take time to replace.

Whether Micko stays or not we would still have to look at his record over four years in Wicklow. In year one it took what we now know was an emerging Louth team three matches to beat us in the championship. And even then he was able to lift the team enough to win the Murphy, and Treacy Cups.

In year two we had our first ever win in a Senior championship match in Croke Park when we beat Kiaren McGeeney's Kildare with plenty to spare on the sacred sod, another monkey off out backs.

Year three was definitely the best ever in Senior championship football in Wicklow.

We beat Longford in the Leinster Championship before losing narrowly, and unluckily to Laois in the quarter-final. And then that marvellous four-match run in the Qualifiers when among others we beat Down, and look at where they are now a year later.

Micko did not arrive in Wicklow with a magic wand that was going to cure all our ills with one stroke. Most of all what he did was got players believing in themselves in a way that they had never done before.

I was one of a number of people that believed from the start that to achieve anything really worthwhile Micko had to stay at least five years in the Garden County.

That is why everyone in Wicklow, but in particular the growing army of followers that got behind the team over the last four years must put the bad memories of Breffni behind and for another great year under a man that has proved himself the greatest in the land.

Andy O'Brien got the full backing of his management committee when he asked them for a little more time on Monday night.

When the Chairman addressed a full County Board meeting later in the County Buildings the delegates backed his stance on the matter and voted unanimously for an extension to Mick O'Dwyers contract.

JAMES BYRNE CUP

The annual Juvenile tournament for the James Byrne Memorial Cup was staged by the Baltinglass club in St. Joseph's Park on Saturday and once again was a brilliant success. Almost 80 boys and girls from U-8 to U-10 years took part

They were broke down into eight teams, each team a mixture of eights and tens and boys and girls. The managers were either past or present day players or prominent club members and there was hot food for everyone when the action was over.

First of all the James Byrne Cup was put up by the Byrne family in memory of their son a great young lad and a lover of all sport. He was a boxer, a footballer, a hurler and took part in any other sport that came his way.

It was a great morning for football; the first shower came just as the final, final whistle sounded and the presentations took place in the safe confines of the new stand.

Ciarán Burke, Chairman of the Juvenile Club, was the MC and congratulated the big organising committee and called on Mr Jim Byrne to present the cup to the winning captain. I had the honour of presenting the medals myself before we all adjourned to the revamped clubhouse which was opened by President Christy Cooney this time 12 months ago.

The ladies of the Club, backed up by ace caterer Eddie Cashin, took over from there and everyone, players, mentors, spectators and guests alike went home, dry, happy and well fed to reflect on what a GAA club can look like at its best, and that is when it is looking after the youth of the area.

The eight team manager/coaches were Raymond Danne, Ben Kirwan, John Bookle, Colm Carty, Parsy Barrett, Thomas Furlong, John Timmins and Brendan Kelly.

Overseeing the action were people like Club Chairman Con Murphy, Hugh Kenny, Paudge Doody and Ciarán Fleming,

RAY DANIELS MEMORIAL CUP

Aughrim-Annacurra beat Coolakenno in the last of the matches in the league section of the Daniels Cup on Wednesday evening. That result saw AughrimAnnacurra, Tinahely and StratfordGrangecon locked in a three-way tie at the top of the table.

The Chairman of the Board Jimmy Birchall made the draw needed to sort out the problem. Aughrim-Annacurra first out and they go into the final with Tinahely and Stratford-Grangecon meeting in a semifinal.

That match will be played in Kiltegan on Friday evening at 7 o'clock.

LACKEN TURN THE FIRST SOD

The Lacken club is one of the latest to have entered the property market as they bid to establish a permanent home of their own. Gerry O'Neill, Timmy Broe and their committee purchased 25 acres of land at Rathnabo, a big undertaking at any time but by selling off about 11 acres and shrewd management of their assets already have their debt down to a five figure sum. It's now full steam ahead to develop playing pitches and put in place the necessary buildings. Timmy, who spoke to the Wicklow People this week said that they fully realized the size of the task they have taken on but with a hard workinmg community and the whole community behind them they are quite confident that they they will succeed.

Meanwhile, Gerry O' Neill told us that they were very grateful to JP and M. Doyle who have provided them with an excellent playing field down the years and that field would be still available to them.

They plan to turn the first sod on the coming weekend. And doing the honours will be none other than the great Mick O'Dwyer. Micko has told them way back that no matter what happens or where he is in the meantime he will be in Lacken on Saturday evening at 5 o'clock to turn the first sod. Well done to all involved

DONARD'S NEW VENTURE

Another club to purchase new property recently is Donard-Glen. They took over what was once their playing field at the Blackmoor from the West Wicklow Athletic Club.

In fact it looks a good deal for both clubs. The athletic club has got out of their financial difficulties while still having the use of their facilities at the venue.

At the same time the GAA club have got themselves more badly needed playing space.

The club now caters for two adult football teams and a full range of underage sides; they have a very active camogie club and at ladies football club so a second playing pitch was needed. Congratulations to all involved.

VALLEYMOUNT REOPENS

Valleymount had their first match of their revamped Lakeside pitch last week. The playing pitch itself got a makeover while a new fence was erected, making it now one of the few enclosed pitches in the county.

And of course its location right on the banks of the lake makes it unique in Wicklow.

Just for the record, in the first match on the new surface Valleymount beat Stratford in a match in Division 4 of the County Senior Football league - 4-11 to 2-6.

KICK FADA

A reminder to all footballers, particularly goalkeepers that fancy themselves as long and accurate kickers. Why not have a go.

The All-Ireland Kick Fada takes place in the Bray Emmets grounds on Sunday week

This is the only national event on the GAA calendar to take place at a Wicklow venue. It has been a tremendous success to date but we would all like to see more local support.

- WITH PETER KEOGH