Ulster secretary Brian McAvoy admits the recent spate of brawls at county matches in the province is “disturbing”.

Regardless of how the CCCC occasionally surprises us, with Ballybofey or Omagh unlikely to host an All-Ireland semi-final in this or any foreseeable lifetime, this is a big as it gets — or will ever get — in the north-west.

Attendance figures for this year’s Munster SFC are up by 11%, but there has been a strong drop-off in Leinster and Ulster, with crowds falling by 29% and 20% respectively.

With two shock results at Omagh’s Healy Park having shaped this year’s Ulster SFC, tomorrow afternoon at St Tiernach’s Park in Clones, Donegal face Down for a place in a novel showpiece.

Better late than never. It was RTÉ on Friday and today is Sky Sports’ turn to reveal their live TV coverage of the GAA championships.

Armagh’s Jim McCorry claims the county is being “hung, drawn, and quartered” over their decision to have a warm-weather training camp in Portugal.

Mickey Harte believes Dublin could be more vulnerable this year than they have been for a long time and he questions whether they will have the hunger to go deep and long into the summer.

Cork, Kerry, and Roscommon are the only teams guaranteed to avoid the first round of this year’s All-Ireland senior football championship qualifiers.

Mattie McGleenan says there is “no logic” to the Ulster Council’s revamp of their provincial senior football championship.

Colm Cooper maintains he made did nothing wrong in agreeing to the October testimonial that saw him pick up a sizeable cheque.

Ulster SFC semi-final        

He was on his way home from Dublin to training, sitting in traffic with his headphones in, when the call came.

Donegal 3-19 Antrim 1-9: With the wheels of change evident in Donegal, there was further evidence of its forward trajectory at Ballybofey yesterday.

Sport is not life or death, but there are times when it can be a joyous distraction or stabilising influence when all seems lost.

Derry manager Damian Barton has praised Kevin McStay for moving away from the pundit’s desk and entering inter-county management.

Rory Gallagher says the larger gap this year compared to last before the Ulster SFC means his Donegal side can enjoy the Allianz League.

Gaelic football pundit Joe Brolly could be in more hot water after his comments about referee Pádraig Hughes on Sunday.

The night they returned to Donegal Town having reclaimed the Anglo-Celt Cup last July, Eamon McGee was content on the peripheries.

Like many from his hometown of Killybegs, Hugh McFadden was often hop-scotching between soccer and Gaelic games.

Donegal’s recent record in the Ulster SFC is exceptional.

Down manager Jim McCorry has questioned the level of training given to umpires in the wake of Conall McGovern’s controversial dismissal in Sunday’s Ulster SFC defeat by Derry.

Fermanagh avenged last year’s Ulster SFC defeat to Antrim, to take a well merited eight-point win over the Saffrons at Brewster Park, Enniskillen this afternoon.

Former Down All-Ireland winning manager Pete McGrath has revealed he once turned down an approach to manage Dublin.

Well, did anyone expect anything else?

Tyrone goalkeeper Niall Morgan has failed to overcome a groin injury and will sit out their Ulster football championship preliminary round clash away to Donegal on Sunday.

Michael Murphy admits the Donegal panel have been working on their tackling drills ahead of the Ulster SFC preliminary round tie with Tyrone in Ballybofey on Sunday.

It was on October’s first Friday last year the Donegal panel each received a simultaneous text message that thanked them for their service and wished them all the best for their future — both individually and collectively.

Allianz FL Division 3 final

Ladies Football: Ulster rivals Monaghan and Tyrone have been pitted together in the second round of the TG4 All-Ireland Ladies SFC qualifiers.

Tipperary hurler Lar Corbett will make his first competitive start of the 2014 season in tomorrow evening’s do-or-die qualifier joust with Galway (throw-in 7pm).

Sean Cavanagh has brushed off the latest criticism of him by RTÉ pundit Joe Brolly who accused the Tyrone player of dragging down would-be defenders following yesterday’s Ulster SFC defeat to Monaghan in Clones.

The club, we are repeatedly informed by the great and the good of the GAA, is the ‘lifeblood of the Association’. By extension, that should mean the club championship is a competition which is truly treasured by the trusted leaders who espouse this rhetoric.

Fermanagh 3-13 Antrim 2-18

Offaly’s Niall McNamee has spoken of his embarrassment at seeing Tyrone’s state-of-the-art centre of excellence in Garvaghey and claimed more could be done by his own county board to facilitate their county teams.

Down 0-12 Tyrone 3-11

Tyrone 2-11 Down 3-8

Brian McIver last night closed the door on Eoin Bradley returning to the Derry squad for this summer’s championship.

Kevin McStay has publicly declared his interest in becoming Kildare’s new senior football team manager.

Fermanagh are seeking a manager for the senior football side after Peter Canavan quit last night.

Declaration: this is NOT a column about championship structures.

Champions Donegal will begin their defence of the Ulster SFC against Tyrone at Ballybofey on Sunday (4pm) with the same 15 players who started last September’s All-Ireland final win over Mayo.