There are four Championship debutants selected in the Meath team to face Wicklow in Sunday's Leinster SFC first round clash at Dr Cullen Park (throw-in 3.30pm).

HOLDERS Skryne failed to make it through to the last eight of the Meath SFC despite defeating already qualified Dunboyne by 0-13 to 0-7 at Navan’s Páirc Tailteann on Saturday evening.

LAST year’s beaten finalists and champions in 2009, Seneschalstown, went down to a shock Meath SFC defeat at Rathkenny last evening, promoted Nobber beating them 2-12 to 0-14.

Marts: While the upward trend in beef prices has been maintained, the pace of the increase has eased at the factories where average prices improved by 1-2c/kg last week.

Marts: The upward trend in beef prices is continuing, adding a further 3c-4c/kg to the average being paid for stock by the factories.

Marts: THE upward trend in beef prices has been maintained with gains of 4c-5c/kg (2p/lb) in the average price paid by the factories for stock for last weeks kill.

Marts: A majority of the beef factories paid more for beef — despite a strong increase in the supply — for last week’s kill, underpinning confidence in a stable trade.

BEEF prices have dropped by an average of 1c-2c/kg at the factories as the supply of cattle is maintained well above average for August. However, but the actual price paid held 3c-6c/kg (1p-2p/lb) higher than the officially quoted rates by the processors.

Marts: Such has been the demand for cattle at the factories over the past week that an increase of over 4,000 in the supply of bullocks failed to deter the average price gaining a further 1 cent/kg — the third consecutive week of price gains.

Marts: Beef prices increased by an average of 3c/kg (1p/lb), while individual factories paid up to 6c/kg (2p/lb) more for cattle, despite an upward trend in supplies for last week.

Marts: Although the factories continue to pay over the quoted prices for cattle, 6c/kg (2p/lb) has now been wiped off the average price in two weeks.

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.

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: Beef prices have turned the corner in a positive direction for producers over the past week regaining most of the recent decline in returns from the factories for bullocks and heifers and boosting cow prices.

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.

Cow prices gained 4c/kg with up to 273c/kg being paid for R-grade cows.

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.

There was very little movement in beef prices at most of the factories last week.

Marts: There was no change in mainstream average prices paid by the factories for cattle last week, but minor downward adjustments are showing at the top end of the market, which may be early signs of an indicator of a ceiling on returns being positioned by the processors.

Strong competition among factories for young heifers and cows has boosted prices.

Beef prices were cut by an average of 1-3c/kg at the factories as the supply of cattle to the processing plants remained high at over 40,000 head slaughtered last week.

Marts: Beef prices made further gains at the factories as the supply of cattle slaughtered reached the seasonal peak with a throughput in excess of 40,000 head.

Marts: A strong improvement in the prices being paid by processors for cattle has brought about a good recovery in the supply to the factories.

Marts: The indications that the factories were anxious to tighten the upward price trend for beef has been confirmed in the farmer pay sheet returns for last week’s kill.

Marts: Beef prices gained 2c/kg at the factories last week, setting an autumn record of rising prices for eight consecutive weeks which brought the average R-grade price to almost 105p/lb.

Marts: Everything about the beef trade is positive right now for producers with a further increase in prices paid by the factories as the supply of bullocks rising.

Marts: Confidence in the beef trade has been further strengthened after another surge in the supply of cattle failed to dampen the upward trend in prices at the factories.

Marts: While a few factories increased prices for R4L bullocks by almost 3 cents/kg (1p/lb), one-in-three factories paid lower returns or maintained the previous weeks level as processors reacted to the rising trend last week.

BRIAN LOHAN could make a comeback for Clare in Sunday's Allianz NHL semi-final clash with Limerick at Semple Stadium, Thurles.

Marts: A hard sell by producers of beef animals maintained the average price at the factories, while individual factories paid up to 1p/lb more for R grade bullocks in a tight supply situation for the post-Easter trade.