CONCERNS about Paul Galvin’s troublesome hamstring appear to have forced Jack O’Connor to make one change to the Kerry team that beat Limerick for Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final against Mayo.

KERRY defender Tomás Ó Sé is battling to be fit for Sunday’s All-Ireland SFC semi-final against Mayo.

I MET a group of Tyrone supporters parked up on Iona Road on my way into the double header in Croke Park last Sunday.

THEIR critics smelled blood when Tyrone were tasked with last Saturday’s trip to Pearse Park but Mickey Harte’s side impressed in a cut and thrust encounter against a game Longford side to resuscitate their All-Ireland ambitions.

A WELL-informed Donegal man told me earlier in the year why Jim McGuinness might struggle to succeed as manager of his native county.

Tyrone 0-09 Donegal 2-06

The vastly-experienced Brian Dooher will start for Tyrone against Monaghan in Sunday's Ulster SFC quarter-final at Healy Park (throw-in 3.30pm).

TAKING part in ceremonial duties for the royal wedding will be a family affair for the Irish Guards, its members said yesterday.

Tyrone 0-13 Kildare 0-5

TYRONE’S Seán Cavanagh has argued the difference between Allianz NFL Division 1 and 2 this season is negligible.

BRIAN DOOHER will captain Tyrone for an eighth successive season next year.

PROFESSIONAL sport is as cold as an accountant’s balance sheet.

MICKEY HARTE, Tyrone’s All-Ireland-winning coach, has proposed a radical change to the International Rules game.

All-Ireland SFC Ulster final: Monaghan 0-7 Tyrone 1-14

THIS is a fascinating encounter, not least because while Monaghan haven’t won an Ulster title in 22 years, they are far from being new kids on the block.

THE general perception after Tyrone’s defeat of Antrim last month was of a side that had seen one too many summers.

Tyrone 0-14 Down 0-10

SEAN CAVANAGH admitted he thought Brian Dooher’s inter-county career was over but is now sure the Tyrone captain will be as good as ever against Down on Sunday.

BRIAN DOOHER has admitted there were times when he doubted whether he would make it back for a 15th season with Tyrone.

Tyrone 2-14 Antrim 1-13

TYRONE manager Mickey Harte says he couldn’t contemplate leaving a fully fit Brian Dooher out of his starting 15, even though the Tyrone skipper hasn’t played since last summer.

CAPTAIN Brian Dooher will return to the Tyrone line-up for the first time since last August’s All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Cork for Sunday’s Ulster SFC quarter-final against Antrim.

Former All-Ireland winning captain Brian Dooher will make his first start of the 2010 season, after Tyrone manager Mickey Harte handed him a starting role for this Sunday's Ulster SFC quarter-final against Antrim at Casement Park (4pm).

THEIRS is a dressing room littered with Ulster and All-Ireland medals but Tyrone’s relegation to Division Two has emboldened their critics who are openly wondering whether the team’s once mighty appetite has been sated.

“I sought a theme and sought for it in vain, I sought it daily for six weeks or so.” - WB Yeats, The Circus Animals’ Desertion

MICKEY HARTE’S struggling Tyrone side will not be lacking for motivation when they meet Cork in round four of the Allianz NFL in Omagh next weekend, according to Owen Mulligan.

AFTER all the furore surrounding the straight red card dismissal of All Star, John Mullane in De La Salle’s drawn Waterford SHC quarter final against Ballygunner, the Déise star has received the minimum four-week suspension.

THEY won’t be meeting in an All-Ireland final this year but the Kerry and Tyrone rivalry returned to centre stage at a quiet Croke Park in unexpected fashion yesterday.

GRACIOUS in victory and gracious in defeat. The common thread running through comments made in the aftermath of defeat by Mickey Harte, team captain Brian Dooher and defender Ryan McMenamin was a ready acceptance that the All-Ireland champions were beaten by the better team in Croke Park yesterday.

Cork 1-13 Tyrone 0-11

IT WAS interesting to reflect this week on the amount of tactical debate that’s been generated by last Sunday’s All-Ireland hurling semi-final between Waterford and Kilkenny.

MICKEY HARTE admitted to be highly relieved in the aftermath of yesterday’s gripping All-Ireland quarter-final and Tyrone captain Brian Dooher had no hesitation in singing from the same hymn sheet in the post match interviews.

TYRONE All Star Philip Jordan admits that the county will have “no excuses” should they fail to put back-to-back All-Ireland titles together this September.

Tyrone crushed Antrim’s dream at Clones, where a crowd of 32,632 watched the All-Ireland champions claim a 12th Ulster SFC crown.

Tyrone captain Brian Dooher makes his first start since last September’s All-Ireland final triumph over Kerry in Sunday’s Ulster SFC final against Antrim.

MIKE McCARTHY plays his first competitive game for Kerry since the All-Ireland final back in September 2006 after being handed the number six jersey by Kerry boss Jack O’Connor for tomorrow’s home qualifier against Sligo in Tralee.

Tyrone captain Brian Dooher will make his first start of the 2009 Championship in Sunday's Ulster SFC final against Antrim in Clones (throw-in 2pm).

CRUMMIES. THAT’S the term the AFL commentators use to describe players who will work the fringes and pick up the breaks.

SEVEN years ago a Tyrone team containing men with famous football surnames like Dooher, O’Neill, Gormley, Jordan, McGuigan, McMenamin and Canavan were well beaten by Sligo (1-14 to 0-12) at Croke Park in the All-Ireland qualifiers.

MICKEY HARTE compared this Ulster semi-final to a chess match, but the longest game in that sedentary sport’s history was a sleep-inducing 20-hour marathon that would knock spots off this tie in terms of excitement.

Tyrone manager Mickey Harte has opted to stick with the same fifteen that beat Armagh in the Ulster SFC quarter-final, for this Sunday's last four encounter against Derry at Casement Park.

PAT GILROY’S attempts at building a new-look Dublin team took a serious step backwards yesterday with confirmation that full-forward Mark Davoren tore a cruciate ligament during Sunday’s win over Meath.

LIMERICK footballer John Galvin has urged his hurling counterparts to make it a Shannonside double act in the Munster championship finals.