Why is everyone so cold on Mayo?

The words “with all due respect” have entirely lost their meaning in the GAA world after these past few days.

There is a sense ahead of tomorrow’s Ulster final between Tyrone and Donegal of a wheel having come full circle, of a new cycle about to begin and of this latest clash between neighbouring counties being a cusp game.

Galway caught Mayo off guard but Roscommon will present a very different challenge, writes Dara Ó Cinnéide.

Jack McCaffrey is a hell of a fella. Just as all of us in the football world are consumed by the thought of the Dubs bursting forth into the province of Leinster tomorrow, McCaffrey will be in the departure lounge of Dublin airport awaiting his flight to Zambia.

It will probably hit us when Martin O’Neill announces his panel for Euro 2016 on Tuesday night next. Only then will it actually kick home to those of us in the GAA world that we are once again locked into a battle for the hearts and minds of sports fans in what is going to be a fairly busy summer on pitch and on screen.

In the seven weeks since their last competitive game (a six points defeat against Armagh), have Derry come up with something that will put Tyrone on the back foot?

If the bookies are to be believed, and if the Allianz League is to be as trusted as a barometer, we may as well tell Dublin not to bother handing back Sam this summer...

If there was one lesson Kerry learned from their tussles with the Tyrone team of the last decade it was no two games are ever the same against a great rival and in order to come out on the right side of the tie, the game must be played without fear.

‘We want them to be the cleverest little team of all time with the ball in hand. And we have been working on that day in and day out’.