Kerry

At the start of the championship, Kerry had a promising attack and a number of problems at the back. By the postponed end of season, the defence had knitted together with Seamus Moynihan improvising brilliantly at full back and the attack had proved its mettle in trying circumstances. The team in general showed resilience in overcoming its own insecurities to see off Armagh in the semi-final replay, the match of the championship, and Galway in the replayed final.

Crossmaglen Rangers:

Although they succumbed to the inevitable fatigue of long-distance championship runners last month, the Armagh champions created a record in March with their third All-Ireland club title in four years. Previously the club hadn't given its best performances in All-Ireland finals, but this year's display against Na Fianna was fluent and decisive. At inter-county level, the McEntees and Oisin McConville at last did themselves justice on the game's highest stage.

Limerick U-21s:

Unlike their hurling counterparts, the footballers had no tradition behind them. They may not have gone all the way, but to have won the county's first Munster title at this level was a major achievement and the provincial final against Waterford, despite the nerve-wracked occasion, was an affirmation of the progress made by the smaller footballing counties in Munster - ditto the All-Ireland semi-final with its Limerick-Westmeath pairing. Victory there followed a provincial win over Cork and the team gave a battling display in the All-Ireland final against Tyrone.

Football reform:

After a gruelling, countrywide tour had failed to persuade congress of the need for its radical changes, the Football Development Committee had the vicarious satisfaction of seeing the cause of reform advanced just six months later. Next year's championship changes mightn't be as extensive as the FDC's, but they're a start and without the committee's work, it's impossible to imagine that any changes would have come about.

Losers:

Sligo

Even if we diplomatically set aside the deep freeze against a fired-up Galway in the Connacht semi-final, the season was an unfortunate one for Sligo. Back in April, when the county had a National League semi-final within its sights, they travelled to lowly Clare who beat them by three points. The same afternoon Jody Devine kicked a point to extend Meath's lead against Kildare to seven and push Meath's scoring average to .01 ahead of Sligo's. What would have been a great breakthrough for Sligo became a millstone around the All-Ireland champions' neck.

Meath

Having qualified by accident for the NFL semi-finals in which they had the satisfaction of wiping Kerry's eye, the All-Ireland champions got snagged by Derry in a disastrously-extended final during which they lost momentum and the services of Graham Geraghty, suspended after being sent off in the drawn match. Then, in the first round of the championship, they were caught napping by the clever tactics and intense commitment of Offaly who faced down Meath deep in the champions' own territory for the final 10 minutes.

Jarlath Fallon:

A hard-working league behind him, the 1998 Footballer of the Year looked in shape to have another influential championship. Once the perfunctory preliminaries against New York were completed - he scored Galway's goal that day - that focus was sharpening, but in a club match Fallon ruptured his cruciate ligament and at a stroke was ruled out for the remainder of the season. His talents were sorely missed by Galway and Ireland in the International Rules series. Off the field, balance came with his wedding day in October.

Ireland

New manager Brian McEniff knew that the series wasn't shaping up well when two of the best performers in Australia a year ago were ruled out. Ja Fallon and captain John McDermott were eliminated from consideration at an early stage. The failure of Croke Park to pay attention to the implications of an All-Ireland replay meant that a host of other proven influences were lost as Seamus Moynihan, Michael Donnellan and Sean de Paor became unavailable for the first test. The chaos was exploited by a seriously prepared Australia who edged the first test and ran away with the second.

Hurling - Winners

Kilkenny

Under the severest pressure a team could face, the defeated All-Ireland finalists of the past two years found deliverance in style. Although perhaps assisted by the unexpected exit of Cork, they nonetheless dealt so comfortably with all-comers that it is unlikely the defending champions would have managed to derail Kilkenny. Manager Brian Cody unveiled an awesome attack which went on to achieve an average winning margin of 12 points throughout the championship.

Limerick U-21s:

With the senior management opting for a greenfield-site redevelopment, the county needed some encouragement about the future. A couple of good performances at senior level by some of the under-21s notwithstanding, their chances weren't initially fancied, even in Munster where Clare's All-Ireland winning minors of '97 were maturing and Cork were able to field senior All-Ireland medallists. Limerick took them both - Cork by a cricket score in the replayed Munster final - before consigning Galway to a now annual All-Ireland defeat in this grade.

Derry

It wasn't so much the county's first Ulster title in over 90 years - for all its historic connotation that was not unexpected - but that it was followed up with Ulster's most creditable display in an All-Ireland fixture for nine years against eventual finalists Offaly. Not to be outdone, the county's women returned to Croke Park in September and avenged last year's All-Ireland junior final defeat by Cork for a first camogie championship in 22 years. And just a few weeks ago, Swatragh reached the All-Ireland camogie club final.

Athenry

The Millennium club championship was a special event. Four of the previous five All-Ireland winners were present and correct in the semi-finals. Athenry won a tight showdown with Birr in Thurles before gaining revenge over defending champions St Joseph's Doora-Barefield for the previous year's defeat and its controversial point-that-was-never-awarded. Well on top in the St Patrick's Day final, the Galway champions convincingly settled all arguments about the best club in the country.

And losers...Clare

The curtain came down on the most remarkable five years in the county's hurling history. The portents were there with the departure last year of Ger Loughnane's original selectors, Tony Considine and Michael McNamara, and the grinding to a halt of Doora-Barefield's campaign to retain their All-Ireland. Fatigue, faltering desire and Tipperary's hunger all contributed to Clare's most comprehensive championship defeat in six years. The architect of the county's Golden Age then stepped down, leaving Cyril Lyons to take up the reins.

Matt Murphy:

For the second time in his management career, the unfortunate Gort man found himself dumped after winning a League and posting a competitive - if unsatisfactory - display against the ultimate All-Ireland champions. Unlike four years ago, Galway recorded a major championship victory. The All-Ireland quarter-final defeat of Tipp was the first such win in seven years. In the light of Kilkenny's season, Galway didn't have a bad year but that didn't save Murphy.

Ken McGrath:

Desperately unfortunate year for the accomplished Waterford hurler. Most consistent performer during the league, he hit the championship running and gave Tipperary's Philip Maher a nightmare opening quarter. Fate intervened with McGrath going over on his ankle and breaking it. He hobbled on as best he could, but Waterford's best hope of catching fire had been doused. After rehabilitation, he captained Mount Sion's drive for a Munster title, but his under-achieving colleagues posed no match for Sixmilebridge in the final.

Cork

The youngest All-Ireland holders in history and the future of hurling, Cork were blindsided by Offaly in the All-Ireland semi-final. The champions' free-flowing attack dried up in a panic-stricken second half and the masters of the unexpected picked off their winning total. The result denied the public a competitive All-Ireland final and seemed to rattle Jimmy BarryMurphy so much that it became rapidly apparent he would step down after completing one of the biggest rehabilitation jobs in hurling. His long-time assistant Tom Cashman took over.