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.

The Jim Gavin and Malachy O'Rourke eras, both successful seven-season long periods, ran virtually concurrently between 2013 and 2019; Gavin managing Dublin for 2,616 days and O'Rourke Monaghan for 2,476.

This wasn’t the first time that Seamus ‘Banty’ McEnaney managed a Monaghan win over Tyrone, but what’s rare is precious as he allowed a small smile play on his lips after this most commanding of wins. “It’s my second,” he told reporters.

Monaghan were absolute value for a commanding victory over Tyrone in Castleblayney, making amends for their narrow opening day loss away to Galway.

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.

Jim Gavin is gone but his words as much as his deeds in inter-county Gaelic football remain.

Of all the rows ‘The Sunday Game’ programmes generated during the last 40 years, perhaps changing the theme tune 15 years ago was the greatest of them. Here our GAA correspondent John Fogarty lists 10 of the controversies prompted by comments and quotes.

Naomh Conaill will take on either Kilcoo from Down or Fermanagh’s Derrygonnelly in the Ulster Club SFC final following the Donegal champions’ win over Clontibret tonight at Omagh’s Healy Park.

Conor McManus says John McEntee didn’t “shirk” his job with Clontibret even though it brought him the one scalp he never wanted to take.

Your guide to all the weekend's main GAA fixtures

Joe Brolly has responded to the news he will not feature in RTÉ's coverage of the All-Ireland football final reply on Twitter.

Joe Brolly will not be part of RTÉ's coverage of Saturday's All-Ireland football final replay.

Seamus Moynihan has called on referee Maurice Deegan, his umpires, and linesmen to offer David Clifford a greater level of protection in Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final.

Getting the match-ups right has gone a long way for Kerry and Mayo in recent years. We think of Aidan O’Mahony on Michael Murphy in the 2014 final, Lee Keegan on Enda Smith in the 2017 All-Ireland quarter-final replay and just last weekend Patrick Durcan tagging Ryan McHugh.

For their week-long residency in Perth’s Duxton Hotel November two years ago, the Ireland International Rules team had their own recreational area in the lower ground floor.

Three-time All-Star Conor McManus has insisted that Monaghan won’t “disappear into the sunset” as some expect following the end of the Malachy O’Rourke era.

When you run your finger to scrape off the dust on Donegal’s season, the turning point for many would be Michael Murphy’s first introduction of the campaign eight minutes before half-time when Armagh visited Ballybofey in March.

Malachy O’Rourke’s seven-season stint with Monaghan is over after the Farney’s eight-point All-Ireland qualifier defeat to Armagh in Clones on Saturday evening.

Michael Murphy will lead Donegal into an Ulster senior football championship final for the eighth time on Sunday hoping to get his hands on the Anglo-Celt Cup for the fifth time.

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.

After a bevy of provincial underage success, classy Cavan showed signs they might be coming of age at senior level as they cruised into the semi-finals of the Ulster SFC semi-final after a dour derby duel at Kingspan Breffni.

Last summer Galway provided us with a 21-point spread against Sligo. Yesterday, a spirited and youthful Sligo team managed to keep the score respectable for the majority of the game.

Cavan sprang a shock with a four points Ulster SFC quarter-final victory over neighbours Monaghan at Kingspan Breffni Park.

The sight of thousands of Mayo young supporters on the field at MacHale Park after yesterday’s win over Monaghan was a timely reminder of just how popular the county’s footballers have become in recent years.

Mayo 3-15 Monaghan 1-18

A rousing closing burst from Kerry - during which they outscored Monaghan by 0-6 to 0-1 - maintained the Kingdom’s unbeaten league run.

A paltry scoring return suggests the advanced mark is not making a significant impact on Gaelic football.

Our writers round-up the biggest talking points from the weekend's League action...

We’re barely into February and two of seven rounds of the Allianz National Football League are already in the rear-view mirror.

Anthony Cunningham hailed his side’s courage and heart as the 2017 Connacht champions surprised Monaghan at Dr Hyde Park.

Keeping Tyrone to a single point in the first half of their league opener — and that a dead ball converted by goalkeeper Niall Morgan — is testament to the early development of new Kerry manager Peter Keane’s defensive strategy, says Ronan McNamee.

Given he scored from two of them on Sunday, Conor McManus is unsurprisingly in favour of the offensive mark rule.

No harm for Monaghan to remind Dublin that they have their number at these early junctures. No harm for the champions either to be told that in this season of all seasons there is going to be gristle. The physical soreness they feel today after this niggly clash will serve them well for what lies ahead.

Conor McManus has insisted that fellow All-Star Rory Beggan didn’t need to apologise for going for glory during their narrow All-Ireland semi-final defeat.

Halloween night is over. No more apple bobbing or scary stories or playing pranks allowed. The serious announcement of the All-Stars. An All-Star — a principal performer during the 2018 GAA Senior football season. They have been announced, writes John Divilly.

Goalkeepers of the Year

Padraig Hampsey clearly isn’t of a mind that Monaghan were poorly served by referee Anthony Nolan in Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final.

Well, I have to say that the Tyrone-Monaghan match was one of the poorest All-Ireland semi-finals I’ve seen in a long, long time, writes Oisin McConville.

Clare’s Peter Duggan and Monaghan’s Conor McManus have been voted PwC GAA/GPA Player of the Month award winners for their respective performances in July.

Monaghan advanced to their first All-Ireland semi-final in 30 years with a superb double scores win over Galway at Pearse Stadium in Salthill.

Galway manager Kevin Walsh will pass on the opportunity to rest his marquee players for Saturday’s visit of Monaghan, according to former Farney forward Tommy Freeman.

What an enjoyable afternoon of football. Perhaps we have become so programmed to the drudge and so used to all the sideways, lateral passing that you’re just so happy when games come along like this, even if it wasn’t 10 out of 10.

Newbridge or nowhere? That’s how it’s shaping up again for Kildare only this time they’ll have nowhere left to turn in the championship if they don’t beat Galway in Newbridge next weekend.