I must say I really enjoyed it. I mean, I had my doubts about the standard of play initially, and unfortunately there are always going to be mismatches in the early stages.

It may have escaped your attention, but beyond all the din and distractions, a pretty enjoyable football championship is happening out there with the prospect of a lot more fun to come.

So far the evidence would suggest Mayo are going down a similar route to 2017 for their qualifier odyssey.

There was no shortage of drama or excitement in Castlebar as the All-Ireland SFC Qualifiers served up a thriller with Mayo doing just enough to book their place in the next round.

Exactly two years today, Rian O’Neill of Crossmaglen, south Armagh, flew across the world to one of the oldest sporting institutions in the world — the North Melbourne Australian Rules club — to see how he might shape up as a prospective player.

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.

An old-fashioned shoot-out thrilled and enthralled a crowd of 21,192 at St Tiernach’s Park

Two counties with their championship season on the line but only one that seemed in any way interested in extending their campaign as Longford cruised to victory over an insipid Carlow side

For those who are inclined to believe the whole GAA thing is only a racket, well point in them in the direction of Armagh men this week who have played something in the region of 200 minutes this summer and still haven’t made it into the Ulster final after a draw including extra-time here.

Veteran Cian Mackey emerged as Cavan’s hero as he hit two priceless equalisers to send a thrilling Ulster SFC semi-final to a replay.

Talk all you like about defensive systems and structures and so on, but when it comes down to it, nothing beats thumping the ball into the square for a big man.

Kieran McGeeney savoured his first Ulster Championship victory in five seasons as Armagh manager as a manic quarter-final tie was settled in dramatic fashion in extra-time.

It has been a shocking decade of decline for Cork football and having started it in 2010 as Division One and All-Ireland champions, they finish it as a Division Three side after yesterday’s deserved win in Armagh failed to save them from relegation.

Armagh 1-14 Cork 3-9

Armagh 1-15 Tipperary 0-12

Colm Collins blamed a frozen pitch in Páirc Esler for the horrific ankle injury sustained by Dermot Coughlan, while Kieran McGeeney was unhappy three key decisions went against Armagh in an action-packed Division Two draw in Newry.

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.

The game was played without the controversial hand-pass rule which had just hours earlier been ditched by Central Council, and Sunday’s FBD Connacht League final between Galway and Roscommon at Tuam will also be played without the ill-fated regulation.

Long before he went into politics, John O’Mahony knew every highway and byway throughout Connacht, initially as a player but predominantly as a manager over the past 30 years.

Our writers analyse the weekend’s GAA talking points...

Jamie Clarke says he has no plans to return and resume his Armagh career and that he sees his immediate future in New York.

It’s always been Leitrim for New York. Always. They may have given Galway and Roscommon frights in recent times but from the moment they entered the Connacht Championship, Leitrim have been regarded as the Exiles’ greatest chance of making history.

The Leitrim footballers will always fear losing to New York, selector Seamus Quinn has admitted.

For the first time in the history of the PwC All-Stars, there are four candidates for the footballer of the year including two goalkeepers, David Clarke and Stephen Cluxton, writes John Fogarty.

For the first time in the history of the PwC All-Stars, there are four candidates for the footballer of the year including two goalkeepers, David Clarke and Stephen Cluxton.

Not yet 19 and the compilation of his best bits and hits already makes for compelling viewing.

David Clarke (Mayo)

Ray Silke looks at the factors that will decide today’s All-Ireland quarter-final replay

“As individuals, we have the best players in the country,” declared Jamie Clarke last Saturday.

Jamie Clarke was in sublime form as Armagh marched into next Saturday’s All-Ireland quarter-final against Dublin or Tyrone.

Former Armagh star Aaron Kernan has credited Kieran McGeeney for ensuring his 12-week ban earlier this year didn’t become a distraction for the squad.

Have no doubt, this was a huge win for Kieran McGeeney and his troops, writes Declan Browne.

A Jamie Clarke goal in the 70th minute propelled Armagh into the fourth round of the qualifiers, writes Eoghan Cormican

Westmeath restored battered pride, but it was 14-man Armagh who took the spoils in a bruising Round 2B Qualifier at Cusack Park.

He would have been entitled to feel smug or wag a finger in the general direction of his detractors after a torrid 18 months, but Eamonn Burns instead used his winning platform to heap praise on his unfancied Down team after they pulled off the county’s first Ulster championship win over Armagh in 25 years.

Down scored a first Championship win over Armagh in 25 years, but they won’t be making any bold forecasts of a major breakthrough following this unconvincing success against a misfiring opponent.