It was a gamble John McEntee must have felt was worth taking when he took on the Clontibret job last year — but the scenario he wanted to avoid most has come to pass.

All the GAA action is here.

It isn’t the game itself that Brian Looney remembers most from St Patrick’s weekend two years ago, or the three points from play he kicked, or the medal pocketed.

All the big issues that the weekend threw up. 

Former Armagh star Aaron Kernan has credited Kieran McGeeney for ensuring his 12-week ban earlier this year didn’t become a distraction for the squad.

Have no doubt, this was a huge win for Kieran McGeeney and his troops, writes Declan Browne.

KARL McKEEGAN stands just 60 minutes away from a potentially perfect end to a 21-year senior hurling career. And as twilight settles on all those seasons in the sun and wind and rain, the former Antrim skipper is in a mood to reminisce.

A point two minutes from time from Mayo midfielder Barry Moran clinched Castlebar's place in the AIB All-Ireland club SFC final for the second time in three years.

Ulster Club SFC final - Crossmaglen (Armagh) 2-17 Scotstown (Monaghan) 2-12 (AET): The nature of this game thankfully didn’t tally with the chilly conditions in which it was played. At times, it was combustible, sometimes bordering on the dangerous, but always captivating.

Aaron Kernan has revealed his ambition is to manage Crossmaglen some day, but feels he still has a few more trophies to win before retiring.

Crossmaglen (Armagh) 2-15 Cargin (Antrim) 0-13: Allegations that Cargin midfielder Michael McCann was bitten during a second-half row overshadowed Crossmaglen’s AIB Ulster club SFC quarter-final victory at the Athletic Grounds yesterday.

In America, sporting superstars tend to announce their departures in the most grandiose of settings. Cavernous rooms are rented out in major cities. Hundreds of media converge at an appointed hour, all in the hope that they can make the departing legend cry.

But eat your hearts out Jackie Tyrrell and Aaron Kernan, versatile ROG has taken up two new sports.

Aaron Kernan said the vast majority of the Sunderland players he encountered couldn’t understand why he put so much into an amateur sports career.

Star hurlers could make it in the big money world of baseball — that’s the opinion of one of the US sport’s top former players.

Former Armagh defender Aaron Kernan impressed Sunderland soccer staff with his endurance ability during his stint with the club. 

Kildare legend Dermot Earley admits a catalogue of old football injuries leaves him in pain on a daily basis.

Aaron Kernan admits he feels a responsibility to Gaelic players to perform well when he joins up with Sunderland FC tomorrow. 

Aaron Kernan’s retirement at 30 years of age disappointed many, including Joe Brolly. But it wasn’t because the Armagh great was some kind of indentured slave. It was just time to re-prioritise his life.

Setanta Sports are waiting to see if Sky’s entry into the pay-per-view GAA market will have a positive impact on their business this spring.

It’s some progress, we suppose, writes Kieran Shannon.

"We are expecting players to play, train and live as though they were professionals."

A host of teammates and competitors have praised Armagh’s Aaron Kernan after the player announced his retirement from inter-county football.

Former Roscommon footballer Shane Curran has launched a scathing attack on the GPA, claiming the player representative body has been consumed by Croke Park.

All-Ireland winning manager Eamonn Fitzmaurice says he will "definitely be tapping into" the invaluable experience brought to the table by returning Kerry footballer Tommy Walsh.

Imagine Brian Mullins without aggression and physicality? He’d be more suited to playing for Cork today than Dublin in the ‘70s.

Paddy McBrearty kicked a late winner as Donegal scraped home in an intesnse Ulster derby to reach a third All-Ireland semi-final in four years.

"Retrace your steps very accurately. Respect and good manners are not difficult qualities to carry... We strongly feel we have been disrespected and dismissed..."

Congratulations to Armagh on making absolute fools of themselves. At this rate, you’d swear they were facing more than Donegal this Saturday.

Armagh 0-18 Meath 0-13

ALL-IRELAND SFC ROUND 3B:

Armagh always looked likely winners as they claimed a five-point win over Roscommon in Round 3 of the All-Ireland SFC Qualifiers at Dr. Hyde Park this evening.

Tyrone 0-10 Armagh 0-13

Armagh stunned Tyrone on their own Healy Park patch to score a massive derby win that takes them through to the third round of the All-Ireland SFC Qualifiers.

ALL-IRELAND SFC ROUND 2B:

Monaghan 1-18 Armagh 1-13

Armagh 0-14 Monaghan 0-14

Armagh and Cavan are facing fines and suspensions arising from Sunday’s pre-match fracas.

At some stage in your life you end up on the other side of a table having a discussion with your manager about how the previous few weeks has been from a performance perspective.

ULSTER SFC QUARTER-FINAL:

Armagh 1-12 Cavan 0-9

Armagh 1-8 Donegal 2-10

Munster football boss Ger O’Sullivan says switching the inter-provincial competition to the All-Ireland final weekend would hurt the province’s chances of winning the title.

AIB ALL-IRELAND CLUB SFC SEMI-FINAL:

Manager Paul Grimley has hit out at “so-called fans” who want to criticise rather than support his Armagh side.