Kilcoo’s enchanting story has one more intriguing chapter to be written, and it will be penned in Croke Park when they meet defending champions Corofin in the All-Ireland Club SFC final.

The GAA is not only about identity of course, but the first Ulster Club title for the hardest of hardcore GAA clubs in Kilcoo Eoghan Rúa will forever sustain this miniscule community of shepherds in a hollow of the Mourne mountains.

Derrygonnelly will have a long winter to wonder how they were so wasteful as Kilcoo, who did more with less possession, took a big step towards an elusive first AIB Ulster club title.

A Jerome Johnston goal proved crucial as Kilcoo overcame the stubborn resistance of Magherafelt in today's Ulster Club SFC quarter-final at Páirc Esler.

EirGrid has revealed the top 20 players of this year’s U20 All-Ireland Football Championship.

A lethal Cork attacking unit ripped Kerry apart, and could wreak havoc again at Tullamore on Sunday, Tyrone U20 manager Paul Devlin has warned.

Mayo got their hunt for a Super 8's place back on track after that messy Roscommon defeat in Connacht, with a typically nerve-shredding win over Down on Saturday night.

Cory Quinn (3), Paul Devlin and Barry O’Hagan all landed points late in the half to send Down into round 2 and leave the home support relieved at the final whistle.

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.

The postponed Round 6 tie between Westmeath and Louth will take place next weekend, rather than midweek ensuring the final will not take place in Croke Park next weekend.

For Cork, this Munster minor quarter-final had dwarfed to a futile exercise long before the finish.

Tipperary 0-14 Clare 0-10: Tipperary survived a determined Clare rally in the closing 20 minutes of the inaugural Munster U17 football quarter-final at Semple Stadium, Thurles, last evening to clinch a semi-final clash with Kerry next month.

Kilcoo (Down) 4-13 Maghery (Armagh) 0-12: It was far easier than they expected, and Kilcoo impressive enough yesterday to suggest they’re going to take a lot of stopping in the Ulster Club SFC final.

Brendan J Byrne tried to ensure his documentary on Bobby Sands gave a balanced view of the IRA man who died on hunger strike, he tells Esther McCarthy

The Dubs made virtually certain of a National Football League semi-final place with a comfortable if unspectacular eight points win over Down at Pairc Esler.

Roscommon continued their impressive National League campaign as they were nine-point winners over bottom side Down in Pearse Park, Longford.

Wexford 2-16 Down 2-11: As the Wexford fans celebrated on the pitch, manager David Power took to the sanctuary of a spare dressing room to explain the emergence of his new look young charges while just down the corridor his Down counterpart Jim McCorry struggled with the bitter disappointment of defeat.

Derry 0-12 Down 0-11: When a team hasn’t won in a while, it can forget how to, and in the second half at Celtic Park yesterday, Derry were certainly struggling with the concept of victory.

Benny Coulter has claimed Down need Dan Gordon back to resolve their midfield problems if they are to challenge for an Ulster title.

Down 3-12 Laois 1-15: Down’s ability to find the net helped them clinch promotion back to Division One while Laois maintained their league status despite defeat in Pairc Esler yesterday.

Westmeath 0-10, Down 2-17:

Down 1-17, Galway 1-16: Kevin Walsh was left regretting Galway’s wastefulness as Down came with a late charge to snatch a valuable win which moved them to the top of Div 2 in the Allianz Football League.

Five questions from the weekend

Kildare 1-15 Down 3-13: Allianz Football League Division 2: A crestfallen Jason Ryan was left to rue another late collapse by his Kildare players as they conceded two goals and a point in the space of a minute at the end of the game to throw away victory.

A blistering opening set Galway on their way to a 2-13 to 1-12 win over Meath in their Allianz Football League Division 2 tie today.

Down 3-13 Kildare 1-15

Armagh made virtually certain of a place in the semi-finals of the Bank of Ireland Dr McKenna Cup with a 2-11 to 0-14 win over St Mary’s at the Athletic Grounds.

Armagh picked up a first competitive win under new manager Kieran McGeeney with a 2-11 to 1-1 victory over Antrim yesterday.

Holders Tyrone are on the verge of a place in the Dr McKenna Cup semi-finals following their 1-12 to 0-3 win over St Mary’s at Omagh today.

McKenna Cup

Down 4-18 Leitrim 0-9

CROSSMAGLEN 1-8 KILCOO 3-10 (AET)

Reigning AIB Ulster Club SFC Champions Crossmaglen Rangers bowed out following a replay defeat to Kilcoo today.

Kilcoo (Down) 2-09 Crossmaglen Rangers (Armagh) 1-12 (aet)

Kilcoo 0-9 Burren 0-7

Senior Football titles were up for grabs in Armagh, Donegal, Kerry, Laois, Meath, Down, Limerick and Waterford this afternoon.

County champions Kilcoo are through to the knockout stages of the Down SFC and sent out a strong message to their rivals yesterday with a 4-17 to 1-7 win over Loughinisland.

Crossmaglen 3-10 Kilcoo 1-8

Crossmaglen Rangers (Armagh) 3-9 Kilcoo (Down) 1-9

Kilcoo (Down) 1-09 St Gall’s (Antrim) 0-10

Crossmaglen Rangers will face Down opponents in the AIB Ulster Club SFC final for the second year running, after Cross and Kilcoo won their respective semi-finals today.

It was a busy day of action in the provincial Football Championships in both Munster and Ulster, while new SFC champions were crowned in Donegal, Tipperary and Waterford.