They are the benchwarmers. The twilight-zoners. The panel-fillers. The cliche we hear on the Hogan steps: everybody from one to 35 played their part. Is there truth in it? Or even comfort?

It’ll be the wrecking ball for Cork soon enough as the bulldozers move into Páirc Uí Chaoimh. But it was county secretary Frank Murphy who was constructive, namely hitting the nail on the head when he spoke against plans to end the St Patrick’s Day All-Ireland Club senior finals.

Mayo chairman Paddy McNicholas’s woes stem from a decision he made three years ago.

Mayo SFC: Beaten All-Ireland club football finalists Castlebar Mitchels got the defence of their Mayo SFC title off to a winning start yesterday.

New York captain Brendan Quigley says talk of removing the team from the Connacht championship makes no sense in light of the strong preparations they are putting into Sunday’s provincial opener with Mayo.

Mayo manager James Horan has been dealt a hammer blow after two-time Young Footballer of the Year Cillian O’Connor dislocated his shoulder in club championship action on Saturday night.

Trainer Tim Doyle, successful with 20/1 shot Peinora in Tipperary earlier, completed a notable across-the-card double when well-backed Mullowney proved best in the Ballinrobe Golf Club Maiden Hurdle in Balinrobe last night, beating favourite Ted Dolly convincingly by almost five lengths to give 7lb. claimer Martin Burke his first win since December.

Defending champions Ballintubber got the defence of their Mayo SFC title off to the perfect start with a comfortable victory over Breaffy in Clogher yesterday.

Mayo 0-20 Dublin 0-8

THE GAA should ban all alcohol advertising if they are serious about tackling a serious problem in Irish society.

MAYO’S Alan Dillon recovered from a freak accident during the warm-up before Ballintubber’s SFC clash yesterday to come off the bench and guide the defending champions to a hard-fought victory.

THERE were heated exchanges at Monday night’s Mayo County Board meeting when delegates uncovered irregularities in the financial running of the supporters’ club.

FORMER Monaghan boss Seamus McEnaney yesterday refused to rule out a sensational return to the helm.

Ballinrobe have announced they will donate all admission fees from their next meeting on September 20 to the charity Concern to help with their work following the floods in Pakistan.

WITH its traditional thatch and white-wash, the Sheebeen in Westport, Co Mayo, looks the picture of a quaint Irish pub, but its charms don’t stop there.

Marts: Beef prices showed gains averaging 4c/kg in returns to producers for last week’s kill, which was the highest for a month, as the first of the grass finished cattle are being marketed.

Marts: Heifer prices increased by an average of 4c/kg (1.3p/lb) at the factories over the past week.

Marts: An outstanding heifer was judged overall champion at the Annual Fat Stock Show and Sale at Kanturk Mart before being sold for €2,550 to a local supermarket.

Marts: Beef prices have dropped by an average of 3c/kg (1p/lb) at the factories after resistance from producers succeeded in holding returns above the quoted rates by the processors, with some of the 38,701 kill last week bought forward at the previous week’s prices.

Downward pressure on beef prices is being led by the country’s largest beef processing groups, according to the officially compiled returns from the factories. Average prices have slipped by 1c/kg for R4L bullocks.

Marts: Resistance from producers to the lower prices being quoted by the factories for cattle and a carryover of stock bought forward at higher prices sustained prices at an average of at least 6c/kg (2p/lb) over the quoted rates last week.

CONNACHT Gold Co-op has a substantial land bank of close to 300 acres that it plans to develop in the next few years at a cost of €100 million.

The intake of bullocks dropped by 2,500 head after factories reduced prices by up to 6c/kg (2p/lb) last week with the heaviest losses in prices for the poorer graders.

Almost half of the factories paid less for R4L bullocks for last week's kill after a surge in supply to the highest weekly intake of bullocks in 2007 and the highest for the corresponding week since 2003.

Marts: Beef prices have made further gains to maintain parity with last year for bullocks and edge slightly higher than 2006 for heifers as the recovery of the market continues.

Marts: Stronger prices at the top of the market — for both bullocks and heifers — is the positive side of the factory returns for last week kill which provides ground for optimism by producers that the worst of the recent decline is over.

Marts: As beef prices tightened at the factories for a second week, analysis of factory averages for the first two months of 2007 show smaller factories led the field within a narrow price variation nationally.

As the processors tightened their grips on prices the return on R4L bullocks fell slightly at a number of the plants last week, in an unwelcome signal for producers who increased supply by a further 1,300 head to almost 35,000 head.

As prices continued unchanged last week, returns for the first five weeks of 2007 show a narrowing of the price range for beef animals at the factories to less than 6 cents/kg (2p/lb) dividing the highest and the lowest.

HALF of the factories paid more for cattle last week (some increased by almost 3p/lb), while the balance paid the same or slightly less than the previous week as the kill surged to a three-year high.

Competition in the AA Insurance Ladies Championship is set to intensify as the Western District approaches the final stages with County Sligo hoping to sweep the board, playing in an impressive five out of six competitions.

Marts: Producer resistance to lower prices for beef is continuing to win the battle against lower quoted prices at the factories, where the changes in overall returns for last week — albeit lower — were minimal.

Marts: The upward move in the average paid for R4L bullocks continued with a gain of 1c/kg, with a meagre half of 1c/kg gain in the overall average for R4L heifers last week.

The following is the Connacht U21 side to meet Ulster at Ravenhill on Saturday (2.0):

The following is the Connacht U19 15 to play Munster at The Sportsground on Friday (4.30pm):

Marts: Cull cow prices were steadier at the factories for last week’s kill and the scale of decline in prices for bullocks and heifers has eased.

The Bulmers sponsored GUI Cup and Shield finals at Shannon will be recalled for the breakthrough by several clubs of long standing in the destination of the All-Ireland pennants.

AS the exciting build-up to the All-Ireland football decider continues, Mayo received a great boost yesterday when Ballinrobe accounted for Tralee in the All-Ireland final of the Bulmers-sponsored Pierce Purcell Shield at Shannon.

A top factory price of 99p/lb was paid for R grade bullocks as prices across the country strengthened at the factories, following the dip in supplies last week.

Marts: The early signs of a weakening in beef prices at the factories came through in last week’s trade, the official pay-sheet prices for the week have confirmed.