GAA in 2022: What we're looking forward to seeing in the new Gaelic games season

As 2022 dawns, a new GAA season comes into view.

With two calendar years dominated by the Covid-19 pandemic now in the books, GAA members, fans, players, managers and indeed all stakeholders in Gaelic games look ahead to the new year with optimism.

So what are we looking forward to over the coming 12 months?

A wide-open All-Ireland Football Championship

The felling of Dublin in the 2021 All-Ireland semi-final breathed fire into the Gaelic football landscape. The Sky Blues' stunning and unprecedented dominance was eventually ended by Mayo, who subsequently lost to Tyrone in the decider.

But the men from the capital will be eyeing an instant bounce-back. Kerry will be gunning to return to the summit, and Mayo will come again.

Meanwhile, Tyrone will be bidding to retain the Sam Maguire Cup for the first time in their history.

Donegal, Monaghan and Galway are among the counties who will feel empowered by the Red Hands' shock 2021 triumph.

The intercounty top table is shaping up nicely.

Who will challenge the Limerick hurlers?

A 16-point All-Ireland final victory. A record 12 All-Star awards. A third Liam MacCarthy Cup success in four years. All is rosy in the Limerick hurling garden right now.

But who is primed to challenge them?

Waterford are perhaps the best-placed contender, coming into their third year under Liam Cahill.

Despite their All-Ireland final tanking, there are many reasons for optimism in Cork after successive U20 All-Ireland titles.

Brian Lohan and Clare will feel they are a match for any team, while Tipperary and Galway start afresh with new management teams.

But if any county is to challenge the Treaty, they have significant ground to make up.

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Full stadia

The Aviva Stadium welcomed a full capacity for rugby and football games in the latter stages of 2021. But the GAA's intercounty season came too early for Covid-19 restrictions to allow full attendances.

Over 40,000 in Croke Park for the All-Ireland finals was a welcome development given the context of the previous 18 months, but the atmosphere still lacked the punch of 82,000 in attendance.

Bring back Clones packed to the rafters on Ulster final day, big Munster hurling matches in Semple Stadium full to capacity, and a brimming Croke Park.

Indoor intercounty matches

Matches in the National Leagues or indeed in pre-season competitions called off due to weather may become even more of a rarity, thanks to Connacht GAA.

The western province's new dome structure in Bekan, Co Mayo provides a state of the art facility.

The 2022 FBD League will take place in the NUI Galway Connacht GAA Air Dome, with the first indoor intercounty match taking place between Sligo and Leitrim on January 4, followed by Mayo vs Galway (January 7).

The return of the provincial hurling round robins

The withdrawal of the provincial round robins from the hurling championship over the past two years was a cruel blow to hurling fans. Following the format's introduction in 2018 and 2019, the tournaments in both Munster and Leinster threw up incredible drama.

It fell by the wayside in 2020 and 2021 due to time constraints.

There are some tantalising showdowns in store this season when they return. Not least, Henry Shefflin taking charge of Galway against his native Kilkenny, or the best in Munster taking cracks at the all-conquering Limerick on consecutive weekends.

Bring it on.

A football championship restructure?

After months of debate, 'Proposal B' achieved a majority but fell short of the necessary 60 per cent at October's Special Congress. Nonetheless, a restructure of the All-Ireland Football Championship will once again be considered by the GAA's decision-makers in February.

There is a clear appetite for change, but will the format that is presented to Congress be palatable to over 60 per cent of delegates?

How will the Tailteann Cup be received?

The brainchild of former GAA president John Horan, the Tailteann Cup will finally take place in 2022. Third time lucky for the second-tier competition.

When it was pushed through, there were assurances made that it would be given significant promotion and support.

Already, it has been confirmed that the final will not take place as a double-header with the All-Ireland final.

Its success will be measured by the interest afforded to it by the counties involved and their fans. But support is needed for it to avoid following the path of the Tommy Murphy Cup.

Club games in summer months

The split season was a byproduct of the GAA's reaction to Covid-19. Now fully installed in the Gaelic games calendar, the remainder of the year will be handed to the club season following the conclusion of the All-Ireland finals in mid-July.

It has been a slow journey to this point, but club players are now offered certainty as to the commencement date of their season, rather than sitting tight and waiting for their county to exit the championship.

The club game can only benefit from a summer billing. And its slot taking place following the conclusion of the intercounty season means county managers will not be demanding access to their players for training.

Cynical fouls will be tackled

The new rules to eradicate cynical fouls had their teething problems. The decision to award Tipperary a penalty after Clare's Aidan McCarthy fouled Jake Morris near the sideline in the Gaelic Grounds last summer caused significant chaos. But as the summer progressed, a greater understanding and consistency developed across both hurling and Gaelic football.

The penalty rule was only applicable to intercounty level in 2021, but will now be extended to all grades.

Referees and indeed defenders will grow more accustomed to the new rules, which were introduced for the betterment of the sports.

Will hurling's gap be narrowed?

The gap behind intercounty hurling's top nine teams remains significant.

Adding a sixth team to the Leinster Championship avoids the yo-yo effect for teams promoted from the Joe McDonagh Cup.

But is the gap reducing? Antrim made real progress in 2021 with National League results against Clare and Wexford, Laois were sporadically competitive but will hope to build in their second year under Seamus 'Cheddar' Plunkett, while Westmeath will be hoping to kick on after their McDonagh Cup title.

Meanwhile, hurling's sleeping giants Offaly are making strides under Michael Fennelly. A return to Division 1 will provide a litmus test, before they attempt to achieve back-to-back championship promotions.