St Mirren defender Conor McCarthy will be able to draw upon a healthy cup pedigree from back home in Cork as he prepares to face Aberdeen in the William Hill Scottish Cup quarter-finals.

Our writers look ahead to the major talking points ahead of the weekend's action at GAA Congress and in the Allianz Leagues.

A combination of their first three Allianz League performances was what Monaghan manager Seamus McEnaney wanted against Mayo yesterday in Clones. He got that and more.

A strong second-half display from Monaghan saw them finish pulling up against a 13-man Mayo in St Tiernach’s Park, Clones, this afternoon.

There’s an undeniable feelgood factor about Galway football since Padráic Joyce took charge, but with tougher tasks on the horizon, there were enough holes in this display to ensure their supporters don’t lose the run of themselves.

Tyrone manager Mickey Harte is set to postpone his annual January cull due to an injury crisis ahead of the start of the Allianz League.

Mary Immaculate booked their place in the Fitzgibbon Cup quarter-final following a 4-24 to 1-19 win over Limerick Institute of Technology at the Mary I GAA Grounds.

McKenna Cup specialists Tyrone lifted their eighth title in nine seasons with an uninspiring win over Monaghan at the Athletic Grounds.

Conor McCarthy is relishing the prospect of making up for Cork City's missed opportunity to take on Rangers at Ibrox.

St Mirren have signed Cork City's player of the season Conor McCarthy and Dundalk title-winner Jamie McGrath.

Usurped by the Hoops as Dundalk’s main challengers and FAI Cup final opponents, the Rebel Army found themselves second-best to their hosts as the curtain came down on a campaign that nobody will remember with fondness.

A Dáire O’Connor goal on the stroke of half time was enough for Cork City to end their SSE Airtricity League home campaign on a high with a gutsy win over old rivals and champions Dundalk at Turner’s Cross tonight.

Cork City finally preserved their SSE Airtricity League Premier Division status after a highly entertaining 3-2 win over a gutsy UCD side at Turners Cross tonight.

For Cork City, it’s now six games without a win under Neale Fenn and four games in succession without a goal.

Two goals in the space of four minutes at the end of the first half saw Derry City move into prime position for a top three finish and Europa League football next season.

Ask skipper Conor McCarthy if he can bring himself to sum up Cork City’s season of discontent and he doesn’t mince his words.

Dundalk are just one win away from retaining their SSE Airtricity Premier Division title.

Dundalk remain seven points clear at the top of the SSE Airtricity Premier Division following a 5-0 win at home to ten-man Finn Harps.

Goals from Conor McCarthy and Mark O’Sullivan gave Cork City a first league win in nearly three months as they held on to take the points at the Regional Sports Centre.

You have to go back 88 days to find the last time Cork City ended an SSE Airtricity League Premier Division match with three points. Summer has come and gone since, and alarmingly, a mini-revival by Finn Harps in the meantime has left the 2018 league and cup runners-up looking over their shoulders.

A Cork City legends side will be reeling in the years at Turner’s Cross next month as they take to the field for Alan Bennett’s testimonial game.

Cork City will hold a testimonial match for long-serving defender and current assistant head coach Alan Bennett.

They had to ride their luck, but Cork City will be in Monday’s draw for the second round of the FAI Cup.

For the third time this season, a late St Patrick’s Athletic goal proved costly for Cork City as Ronan Hale struck a 90th-minute winner at Turner’s Cross.

To say Cork City have had their patience tested by the Saints this season would be putting it mildly. In a season of soul-searching at the Cross, St Patrick’s Athletic have been a constant torment.

Cork City defender Conor McCarthy says it was "heartbreaking" to see Sean McLoughlin leave the club to move to English Championship side Hull City.

Cork City remain without a Premier Division win in their last seven, but there was nevertheless encouragement to be taken from a draw with second-placed Shamrock Rovers at Turner’s Cross on Monday.

Shamrock Rovers are through to the second qualifying round of the Europa League.

A truly monumental effort this by Cork City who, two goals down from the first leg, brought a seemingly dead affair roaring back to life by scoring early in both halves in Differdange, only for Progres Niederkorn to grab the consolation goal on the night that meant so much more over the course of the whole tie.

The dream beforehand had been of a box-office clash with Rangers but the reality, on an evening when Cork City repeatedly pressed the self-destruct button, was something more like a nightmare as, after a first half in which the home side conceded two goals and also missed a penalty, the resultant 0-2 defeat gives Progres Niederkorn what looks like full control of this Europa League First Qualifying Round tie ahead of next week’s second leg in Luxembourg.

Cork City are still looking for their first league win since May after they were held to a scoreless draw by relegation threatened Finn Harps in a tight encounter at Finn Park last night.

A hat-trick from Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe, coupled with a shambolic defensive display, saw Cork City’s season plunge to new depths at Turner’s Cross last night as Derry City ran riot to inflict another painful defeat in what is turning out to be a shocking season for last season’s runners-up.

Are times changing? There is a feeling in the air that changes are afoot.

A pair of first-half goals couldn’t be added to as Sligo Rovers and Cork City finished with honours even at the Showgrounds tonight.

Glanbia, Coolmore Stud, Dawn Meats, as well as other investors are being asked to put up €5m to help extend the runway at Waterford Airport, with the central government and local authorities stumping up a further €7m, to restart commercial flights in the region.

Monaghan squeezed through to the second round of the All-Ireland SFC Qualifier series with a nervy four-point win over a dogged Fermanagh side at Clones.

Simon Madden scored a dramatic equaliser deep into injury time as St Patrick’s Athletic snatched an unlikely point from Cork City.

Cork City suffered their first defeat under interim manager John Cotter as Premier Division leaders Dundalk took the points at Turner’s Cross.

Goals from Karl Sheppard and Graham Cummins made it two from two under interim manager John Cotter for Cork City.

Cork City got the post-John Caulfield era off to the perfect start with three badly-needed and very hard-earned points at Dalymount Park.

John Cotter’s tenure as Cork City interim manager got off to a winning start as Conor McCarthy’s first-half goal was the difference at Dalymount Park tonight.

Cork City’s woes continued as a 76th-minute equaliser from captain Keith Cowan secured a draw for Finn Harps at Turner’s Cross last night.

Cork City’s home troubles continued as second-half pressure failed to yield a winner at Turner’s Cross on Monday evening.

While off-field developments haven’t been positive for Waterford this week, the Blues faithful had something to cheer at the RSC.