Dean Rock spent much of his teenage years kicking goals for Catholic University School’s Junior and Senior Cup rugby teams but no-one had to look very far even then for evidence of his GAA background or signs as to his future sporting path.

Late last night, Paul Durcan arrived into Dublin from the Middle East.

The acclaimed Jim McGuinness memoir, Until Victory Always, has been shortlisted for the Irish Sports Book of the Year award at the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards which will be held in the Double Tree Hilton Hotel in Dublin on Wednesday, November 25. 

The introduction of a second tier All-Ireland senior football championship following the provincial competitions is on the cards if the proposals up for debate are anything to go by.

Good afternoon. Here’s all the news you need to know this lunchtime.

RORY KAVANAGH’S autobiography ‘Winning’ will be on sale from October.

Leinster chairman John Horan has defended the province’s decision to keep the Dublin footballers in Croke Park.

James O’Donoghue takes exception to the theory Kerry were defensive on their way to winning last year’s All-Ireland title.

Ireland International Rules captain Michael Murphy said it would be wrong of him to consider a club versus country clash ahead of Glenswilly’s Donegal final against St Eunan’s on Sunday.

Ask Paul Durcan what swung the All-Ireland semi-final against Dublin in favour of Donegal and he will plump for what he terms his side’s "exceptional attacking play", but the goalkeeper was the lead character in the passion play’s seminal moment.

FR Pat O’Donnell wouldn’t be in the habit of giving tips but this one he was full sure of.

Paddy McBrearty kicked a late winner as Donegal scraped home in an intesnse Ulster derby to reach a third All-Ireland semi-final in four years.

With 13 wins from their last 14 games against Ulster opposition for Donegal, Armagh have done well to keep their name from the list of beaten and battered teams left strewn across the northern province to date.

Croke Park is set for its busiest weekend of the year, with 120,000 patrons expected through the turnstiles on Jones’ Road.

Donegal 0-15 Monaghan 1-09

Derry 2-14 Longford 2-16

Donegal 3-16 Antrim 0-12

Derry 0-11 Donegal 1-11

ALLIANZ FL DIVISION 2 FINAL:

ALLIANZ FL DIVISION 1 FINAL:

Galway 0-12 Donegal 1-16

All-Ireland winning Donegal captain Michael Murphy has admitted he couldn’t blame anyone who wrote off the Ulster outfit as one season wonders.

Monaghan were one of the success stories last year, but Colin Walshe is convinced they can achieve even bigger things in 2014.

A recent end-of-year interview request with a Mayo player was declined at the request of James Horan on the basis that 2013 is a chapter closed. No bother, we said.

Just over a week now, folks, until the dawn of a new age in Gaelic football.

Carlow and Longford, all respect to them, would have been surprised as anybody else to be name-checked in an All-Ireland winning post-match press conference.

The GAA have received no information to back up Jim McGuinness’ claims that Gaelic footballers are being placed in “a very dangerous position”.

Mayo boss James Horan has cranked up the heat ahead of Sunday’s All-Ireland quarter-final with Donegal by claiming their opponents will try ‘anything’ to provide them an advantage.

Bringing in a sports psychologist was a master move by Limerick manager John Allen

Malachy O’Rourke is going to embrace the challenge of facing All-Ireland champions Donegal in the Ulster final.

Jim McGuinness’ greatest trick is convincing the world that Donegal are invincible.

Liam Dunne has revealed he issued a dummy team on Saturday night to deceive Dublin after they recruited his video analyst earlier this year.

Mark McHugh said Donegal’s winning performance against Tyrone on Sunday was partly a response to the negativity about the team in the media following their relegation from Division 1.

The GAA are preparing to put forward a proposal making minor level an U17 competition after president Liam O’Neill said it could revolutionise fixture-making “big time”.

Jim Gavin is anticipating a low-scoring game between his Dublin team and Donegal in this Sunday’s Division 1 game in Ballybofey.

THERE has been plenty of comment since Kerry’s last outing in Killarney against Dublin. Many of the observations have come from outside the county with former players, particularly from Ulster, offering their opinions on where things are going wrong and on how long the period of transition is going to take.

Kildare 2-14 Donegal 1-13

Fermanagh 2-15 Donegal 2-7

Not too many people had heard of Carl McHugh until quite recently.

Footballer of the year Karl Lacey has claimed Donegal are not getting the respect they deserve as All-Ireland champions.

Kerry are facing an All Stars blackout for the first time since 2003 after being nominated for just one place on football’s team of the year.