These are no ordinary times in Gaelic football and this is no run-of-the-mill five-in-a-row bid.

It felt like a missed opportunity on Thursday when 30 unique practices of Irish cultural heritage were recognised by the state — and there was no place for the pre-match shemozzle.

Five years ago, it wasn’t indifference that stopped Kerry supporters from travelling to Páirc Uí Chaoimh, it was dread.

When Alan Brogan recently selected the 15 footballers he felt should be honoured at Friday’s All-Stars, he ran out of superlatives for Brian Fenton.

Kieran Donaghy believes Kerry should discontinue their long tradition of the county champions selecting the senior team captaincy if they are to be as competitive as possible against the likes of Dublin in the future.

In Kerry they can get very serious in telling you how they take their football very serious.

Gary Brennan is well familiar with the shoes the Limerick footballers now walk in.

He’s on the sideline now. There was a time not so long ago when Dara Ó Cinnéide was the tip of the spear as An Ghaeltacht collected Kerry senior titles and made it to the big show on St Patrick’s Day, but now the prolific forward is part of the club’s management team.

Australia’s victories this past two weekends means they are now tied 10 International Series a piece with Ireland, writes John Fogarty.

Joe Kernan has lambasted the performances of referees Maurice Deegan and Matt Stevic in today’s International Rules second test.

Young footballer of the year candidate Seán Powter could join Douglas teammate Eoin Cadogan in the Ireland panel to face Australia.

Half a glance at the match programme for West Kerry’s defeat of Austin Stacks in the Kerry SFC quarter-final confirmed one of the most remarkable resurgences of a small GAA club in recent times.

Yet again the spin of the roulette table came up black when Andy Moran had put everything on red but you wouldn’t know it by his demeanour.

Waterford may have lost Tadhg de Búrca but in doing so have gained another rallying call. The multiple motivations the Déise have going into tomorrow’s All-Ireland semi-final:

Ireland’s International Rules prospects have been boosted by the likely inclusion of a number of Australian based AFL players for this year’s series.

it might have been Jim Gavin who appeared in front of the media on Sunday but he could have been mistaken for Little Britain’s Vicky Pollard with his “yeah but, no but” defence of Diarmuid Connolly, writes John Fogarty.

So prodigious was Colm Cooper’s talent as a teenager that he usurped more established players, writes Kieran Shannon.

The GAA’s standing playing rules committee meets in Croke Park this evening where the black card is certain to be discussed.

By now, you’ve probably heard where Diarmuid Connolly was the evening prior to the drawn All-Ireland final: Crossmaglen. You might have also caught where he should be right now: Ibiza.

Before we compliment the wizardry of Stephen Rochford, some words of praise for one of his predecessors, Pat Holmes, who successfully pulled off a trick or two in his spell at the Mayo helm.

Eoin Cadogan was there in the good times. That’s if you can call them the good times. Even when Cork were ruling the roost, they were fair game. For all the silverware he collected, Conor Counihan was told he wasn’t getting enough out of his team.

It’s not just a jersey they hand you, but one with a number, and often that number counts.

Whatever the turnout for tomorrow’s Munster football final in Killarney, let’s hope that it doesn’t start the same conversation we had after the 2012 final between Cork and Clare about small attendances and dwindling returns for the Munster Council.

Tipp’s kickout strategy must be on the money tomorrow. It sprang the odd leak against Cork, writes Declan Browne.

Kerry U21 boss Jack O’Connor has warned that the county must start producing young players capable of surviving at senior level as “Aidan O’Mahony, Marc Ó Sé, Kieran Donaghy, and Colm Cooper can’t go on forever”.

Diving will not be upgraded to a black or red card this year, as the GAA’s playing rules committee requires more time to study the area.

The Kerry midfielder combines a potent centre-field cocktail of brain and brawn — the latter turning him into a genuine engine-room force, writes Mike Quirke

Aidan O’Shea maintains he was head-butted by Philly McMahon in last month’s drawn All-Ireland semi-final.

The mind games are underway. Cian O’Sullivan believes Kerry are better than they were when they won last year’s All-Ireland title and have superceded Dublin as favourites to lift the Sam Maguire Cup next month.

Latest reports suggest 25 migrants have died and 400 rescued after a fishing boat carrying over 600 people capsized off the coast of Libya; An evangelical Belfast preacher who branded Islam “satanic” has said his prosecution is a “waste” of public money and Zimbabwe postpones the trial of the guide who oversaw the shooting of Cecil the Lion. Catch up with these and more of the latest and most read news stories on irishexaminer.com.