In the gathering gloom last Saturday night, small groups of Donegal and Monaghan players congregated in the car park outside Kingspan Breffni Park to shoot the breeze. If Cavan town wasn’t such a traffic logjam, they may have gone separate ways earlier. Yet they seemed pleased to have the chance to chat.

This time it wasn’t different.

Anyone with the faintest sliver of attachment to the GAA would readily appreciate the two most significant results to have emerged from Sunday’s list of football fixtures.

With Michael Duignan espousing the view that the game has never been in a better state and Donal Óg Cusack suggesting the quality has almost doubled in the two years since he’s left the scene, this year’s All-Ireland championship was another year to saviour.

Busy week at the front! Before the questions, some answers.

Those first trips down — ‘82 and ‘85 — I travelled without pressure. No big calls to make. That was the oul fella. Or maybe the uncle, if he’d landed first from Dublin. Go by Limerick and the cursing wouldn’t start until Charleville.

As Down prepare themselves for a second Championship battle with Derry in five weeks, Benny Coulter has slammed Pat Spillane’s criticism of his team following their Ulster semi-final defeat by Donegal.

Wexford chairman Diarmuid Devereux has slammed The Sunday Game for gross inequality in their analysis of games.

Seamus McEnaney last night confirmed he’s stepping down as Meath senior football team manager — and refused to rule out a return to his native Monaghan.

Ciarán Whelan believes there is sufficient depth of talent in Dublin to cope with the practical pressures of being a top-class dual county, the Irish Examiner has reported.

RTÉ analyst Colm O’Rourke yesterday defended the role of The Sunday Game in the controversial suspension of Kerry’s Paul Galvin.

THE Chairman of the GAA’s Central Competitions Control Committee last night termed as ‘ridiculous’ suggestions that The Sunday Game is setting the agenda for the high powered disciplinary body.

Kerry GAA chiefs are not confident the eight-week ban proposed for former Footballer of the Year Paul Galvin will be reduced.

DON’T you know well he will. This is 1986 all over again, his chance to prove himself, all over again. Con Houlihan said ‘for the last time’ are the four saddest words in the English language. To his fellow countyman, ‘all over again’ are the sweetest.

DUBLIN Secretary John Costello has launched an astonishing attack on RTÉ’s Sunday Game, questioning the impartiality of some analysts in games in which their ‘native counties’ were involved.

ONE of the great coaching tips to young fellas is “no talking to the fella you’re marking”.

Toyota has agreed a broadcast sponsorship deal with RTÉ for its coverage of the hurling and football semi-finals and finals on the Sunday Game live.

CLARE secretary Pat Fitzgerald has launched a stinging criticism of RTÉ’s The Sunday Game for having “pilloried and publicly castigated” Gerry Quinn earlier this year.

Brendan O'Brien