Depending on what route you take, it’s a journey of about four hours from John Evans’ native Killorglin to Aughrim, Wicklow GAA’s county ground.

John Evans' time as Wicklow senior football manager is over.

Football is at risk of being “destroyed” until such time as a fair and equitable

There was late drama as Wicklow footballers gave red-hot favourites Kildare a real fright at Netwatch Cullen Park this evening as the Leinster senior football championship got under way before an attendance of 3,800.

If John Evans didn’t know he achieved something special with Ardfinnan, he realised it when a one-armed Babs Keating, the club’s most famous son, channeled his inner David Pleat and invaded the Holycross pitch after the club’s county semi-final win over Loughmore-Castleiney.

Caltra and Crossmolina losing their senior status this month has sparked the question - how does it all go wrong for such powerhouse clubs? John Fogarty went in search of answers.

Cavan led throughout, as they delivered a strong performance, coasting to a 14-point qualifier win over Wicklow at Aughrim.

Sixteen counties have tumbled into the lottery drum that it is the first round of All-Ireland qualifiers and the records show that very few manage to find their feet in any meaningful way again.

Dublin 4-25 Wicklow 1-11

Wicklow 1-20 Offaly 1-15 (after extra time)

The prize for the winners of Sunday’s Offaly-Wicklow game is a date with Dublin, a take that John Evans likens to facing a ‘firing squad’.

Wicklow manager John Evans is holding out hope he may be asked to be part of a Kerry senior management team in the future.

Wicklow manager John Evans says the “appalling” decision to cancel their Division 4 game against Limerick does nothing for the promotion of Gaelic football in the county.

Roscommon captain Conor Devaney admits it’s hard to make sense of their long-standing dominance of Cavan.

The evenings are that bit brighter, all the hurt and disappointment of last year is long forgotten, hope is back in the hearts of supporters in every corner of the country. There is a road to some kind of glory for everyone. This could be the year.

Meath are eyeing up their first piece of silverware under Andy McEntee after cruising comfortably through to the last four of the Bord na Mona O’Byrne Cup.

Rathnew manager Harry Murphy has called on the Leinster Council to give Wicklow the opportunity to pull off their own Aughrim ambush next summer.

Regardless of the significant changes to next year's championships, last night’s 2018 football draw and release of the provincial hurling schedule was hardly heart-stopping stuff.

Former Cork coach and Laois footballer Billy Sheehan is being lined up as part of Offaly manager Stephen Wallace’s backroom team.

Former Roscommon manager John Evans admits he found the county’s rivalry with Mayo “vicious” during his time there, but was astounded by the booing of Andy Moran last Sunday.

It’s time to take the advice of the five men quoted below and double the guards, writes John Fogarty

If Éamonn Fitzmaurice thought Kerry’s backroom team was getting too friendly, he knew there was one addition who wouldn’t be slow to throw in a scud or two in the dressing room. In Liam Hassett’s lexicon, ‘beaten’ doesn’t exist...

John Evans has called on the GPA to intervene in Tipperary to end the “nonsense of Steven O’Brien sitting on his backside”.

Have you ever seen the 1986 movie ‘Hoosiers’ with Gene Hackman that tells the story of a tiny high-school from the small town of Hickory, located deep in basketball-mad Indiana.

Tipperary football chairman Joe Hannigan, who claimed the county were aiming to win an All-Ireland senior title by 2020, has revealed the inspiration behind the goal.

Kerry native John Evans has worked the oracle with Tipperary and Roscommon amongst others. And he admits that the time has come for sweeping changes to football competition structures.

Former manager John Evans believes that Tipperary will fall short against his native Kerry in Sunday’s Munster senior football final.

Kerry manager Éamonn Fitzmaurice reckons Tipperary are a stronger and more “unified” force for having lost so many big-name players during the off-season.

In his report to annual convention last December, Down secretary Seán Óg McAteer took the opportunity to answer his critics after their protracted senior football managerial appointment process.

Sean Purcell was only a spectator as Roscommon swept through the divisions over the past two years but now he is an integral part of the side which is taking the country by storm.

Former Roscommon captain and manager Fergal O’Donnell admits he is delighted to be taking charge of his native county with Kevin McStay.

Dublin defender Philly McMahon has so far escaped sanction following claims of eye-gouging Kieran Donaghy in the All-Ireland final.

Seamus McCarthy and Tommy Toomey have given their lives to Tipperary football. Days like thisfulfil dreams, even if some within the county are uneasy about the growing dual mandate.

Former Roscommon captain Shane Curran has advised county officials to “move heaven and earth” to instal a management dream team of Kevin McStay and Fergal O’Donnell.

Noel McGrath’s speedy recovery from testicular cancer surgery will see him named in Tipperary’s 26-man panel for Sunday’s All-Ireland senior hurling semi-final against Galway at Croke Park.

John Evans last night stepped down as Roscommon football manager, hours before clubs were due to vote on his future at a county board meeting.