David Clarke (Mayo)

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

The greatest provincial rivalry of this decade has often been damned as excuses for cynicism, over-aggression and downright defensive football.

Tyrone’s Joe McMahon brought the curtain down on his inter-county career yesterday, admitting defeat in his battle to overcome injury.

Chatter about albatrosses and bogeys won’t be confined to Troon this weekend. In Clones, Tyrone will be aiming to demonstrate Donegal’s Indian sign over them no longer exists.

Veteran defender Joe McMahon believes Tyrone are on the verge of a second golden era with another talented young team.

Mickey Harte may rail against what he believes to be lazy assumptions about his team and how it plays, but the fact remains that, of the four sides still in the race for Sam, Tyrone boast the stingiest defence and the least potent attack on the basis of the summer’s stats.

Tyrone may have confirmed their intention to appeal the eight-week ban proposed for Tiernan McCann, but there was little further light shone on the affair at the county’s Garvaghy HQ last night as Mickey Harte met with the media.

Aidan O’Shea is right. No sooner had he completed his latest wrecking-ball display then he’d tell reporters before they’d tell him, “The reality is we’re always going to be judged on whether we get over the line.”

Meath clubs have rowed in behind football boss Mick O’Dowd and reappointed him for a further two-years.

A penny for Eamonn Fitzmaurice’s thoughts right now as he spies Tyrone’s red and white army marching across the horizon again.

On the basis of the announced team at least, Monaghan have chosen to leave well enough alone by naming the same 15 that started the Ulster final for tomorrow’s All-Ireland quarter-final against Tyrone.

Sligo 0-14 Tyrone 0-21

Stephen O’Brien replaces Johnny Buckley in the only change to the Kerry side for Sunday’s All-Ireland SFC quarter-final with Kildare in Croke Park (2pm).

Tyrone 1-10 Meath 0-11: Two teams virtually crippled by the fear of losing finally threw off the chains at Healy Park, and it was Tyrone who found a way to handle the pressure.

Declan Hannon and Seamus Hickey have been returned to the Limerick hurling team for tomorrow evening’s qualifier clash against Dublin.

Cailean O’Boyle comes in for Benny Heron in the only change in the Derry side for tomorrow night’s Ulster SFC semi-final clash with Donegal in St Tiernach’s Park in Clones (7pm).

Jim McGuinness has rejected commentary by Joe Brolly and Jarlath Burns about the state of Gaelic football.

Four players have walked out of the Tyrone squad in frustration at a lack of game time, in the latest sign of unrest in the Red Hand camp.

Tyrone 0-17 Kerry 1-14: One was the magic number in Omagh yesterday.

Kerry were once again left hanging onto their Division 1 for dear life in Omagh but a draw was enough to see them save their skins.

Art is born of humiliation. [W.H. Auden]

The National Football League started at the weekend, and we look at three things which we noticed.

Tyrone 0-9 Monaghan 1-13: Allianz Football League Division 1: It’s three years since Seamus McEneaney’s era ended and the obituaries were written for this generation of Monaghan footballers, but the team he built continues to show obvious signs of rude health under Malachy O’Rourke.

Tyrone 1-13 Cavan 0-10: Dr McKenna Cup final: Mickey Harte admitted Tyrone needed to "change the script" in order to secure another four-in-a-row of McKenna Cup titles after Saturday night’s win in the Athletic Grounds.

Tyrone turned on the power in the second half to shatter Breffni dreams and win a fourth successive Dr McKenna Cup title.

Armagh 1-7 Tyrone 3-10

Ciarán McGinley will not play for Tyrone in 2015.

Omagh St Enda’s (Tyrone) 1-9 Slaughtneil (Derry) 1-10

Christopher Bradley sent a glorious winner sailing between the posts in stoppage time to give Slaughtneil their first ever Ulster Club SFC title in a dramatic and pulsating Athletic Grounds decider.

AIB ULSTER CLUB SFC SEMI-FINAL:

Tyrone manager Mickey Harte says he will have a more "hands-on" role in training his senior football squad next season.

Omagh (Tyrone) 2-8 Crossmaglen (Armagh) 1-9

Omagh/St Enda’s 1-10 Carrickmore 0-12

ALL-IRELAND SFC ROUND 2B:

Tyrone 2-21 Louth 0-10

Tyrone found their mojo at Healy Park, where they subjected Louth to a punishing and demoralising 17 points defeat in the All-Ireland SFC Qualifiers.

Monaghan 1-12 Tyrone 0-14

Joe McMahon and Ronan McNamee have been ruled out of Tyrone’s Ulster SFC opener against Down on Sunday week.

I often compare refereeing to playing.

Tyrone's Sean Cavanagh was left ruing the scoring blitz by Mayo at the start of the second half which turned today's All-Ireland SFC semi-final in their favour.

Mayo 1-16 Tyrone 0-13