UCC’s Jack Kennedy has given the thumbs-up to the midweek staging of the Sigerson Cup final.

Kerry’s 2018 championship ambitions have received a setback with the news that Dr Crokes midfielder Johnny Buckley has left the senior football panel.

As the unseasonal weather played havoc with Sunday’s Allianz League games — and threw the fixtures schedule into a complete heap — there was an understandable degree of frustration and disgruntlement amongst players and supporters.

When Corofin won the AIB All-Ireland club football title three years ago, their smooth style and slick offensive play won them many new supporters.

NUI Galway 2-12 Dublin IT 0-15

NUI Galway manager Maurice Sheridan is hopeful that his side can now go all the way and claim their 23rd Sigerson Cup crown after qualifying for the final after a tough contest at the St Loman’s club in Mullingar.

With games falling victim to the inclement weather at the weekend, it further highlighted and exacerbated the craziness of this early season fixtures pile-up during a period most likely to be negatively affected by mother nature, writes Mike Quirke.

Lee Keegan’s criticism of the “very dirty tackle” which left Evan Regan with a broken jaw was “way off the mark”, according to Kerry manager Éamonn Fitzmaurice.

The draw has been made for next year's Sigerson Cup and Fitzgibbon Cup.

Johnny Buckley remembers the afternoon well, standing helplessly with a water bottle in his hand, as Crokes were torpedoed around the Mallow pitch.

Donncha O’Connor has been one of the very best forwards Cork has produced in the past 25 years, but he has always been an underappreciated footballer, writes Mike Quirke.

UCC were given every chance to bring this Sigerson Cup semi-final to extra-time. They squandered the lot and so St Mary’s will contest their first decider in 24 years this afternoon.

Last year, the GAA’s Minor Review Work Group made the startling revelation a quarter of young players either trained or played seven days a week.

Sigerson Cup stars Paul Mannion and Jack McCaffrey are unlikely to feature for Dublin in Saturday’s Allianz FL contest at home to Monaghan after both sustained injuries during a demanding 48-hours in Jordanstown.

UUJ and Cork IT will host the Sigerson and Fitzgibbon Cup respectively in 2016.

Four players have walked out of the Tyrone squad in frustration at a lack of game time, in the latest sign of unrest in the Red Hand camp.

Gaining access to his players this spring hasn’t been as cut and dry as Cork Under 21 manager Sean Hayes would have wished.

UCC secured comfortable progression to a fifth Sigerson Cup final in six years at the Mardyke this afternoon.

UCD football manager John Divilly believes the credibility of the Fitzgibbon and Sigerson Cup competitions has been seriously damaged by the eligibility controversies involving players from IT Carlow, IT Sligo and QUB.

Tomás Clancy is chasing his own piece of history this weekend.

GAMESMANSHIP, "negative possession", "over analysis" and "deliberate concession of line balls" are four of the reasons behind Central Council’s proposal to repel the public clock/hooter rule.

St Mary’s College 1-10 NUI Galway 1-7

Jim Gavin has described as “baffling” Central Council’s decision to oppose the introduction of the clock/hooter, having endorsed it last year. 

The poor relation as far as third-level football on Leeside is concerned? Liam Hodnett isn’t biting.

A leading Irish academic has warned GAA chiefs against switching prestigious third-level championship competitions to a pre-Christmas slot.

Kilkenny’s Cillian Buckley has warned any ban on inter-county players playing in the Sigerson and Fitzgibbon Cups would devalue both competitions and threaten third-level sponsorships currently being offered to him and many others.

Roscommon footballer Cathal Cregg has called for a blanket ban on inter-county players togging out at third level.

Brian Kelly is still struggling to get his head around it.

Of the Kerry team which began the drawn All-Ireland semi-final with Mayo, eight had played Sigerson Cup football for UCC.

MUNSTER SFC SEMI-FINAL:

As the GAA consider amendments to their rulebook to cater for the clock/hooter in next year’s Championships, they would be well served making the short walk down the corridors of Level Six in Croke Park and seeking the counsel of the Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA).

Liam O’Neill has expressed the GAA’s ‘relief’ at having road-tested the hooter system at this year’s Sigerson and Fitzgibbon cups while reasserting his commitment that the new procedure will be in place for the 2015 championships.

Cork chairman Bob Ryan has expressed relief the “Anthony Nash motion” has been postponed for this year.

While it is a side lacking in any senior experience, there are still some familiar surnames in the Kerry side to play Cork in the Cadbury Munster U21FC quarter-final in Austin Stack Park tomorrow night (7.30pm).

UCD’s footballers filed through the doors of the large entertainment tent adjacent to the main stand at half-time in this Sigerson Cup semi-final.

Dublin IT 2-11 St Mary’s, Belfast 1-13

Galway football has been dealt a massive blow with news that defender Colin Forde will miss their entire 2014 campaign after emigrating to England.

Progression to the McGrath Cup semi-final was the last item on James O’Donoghue’s agenda as he readied himself underneath the Mick Mackey Stand on Sunday afternoon.