Our reporters look at all the talking points from the weekend's GAA action.

Paul Keane It’s hardly news to him but Graham Canty puffs his cheeks out all the same as he considers Dublin’s Championship record since 2010.

Weekend Talking Points

Paul Keane in scoreboard Watching this epic qualifier tie unfold in Portlaoise, Clare sweating buckets and Meath literally spilling blood, we recalled how Colm Collins once described the Super 8s as a ‘cynical exercise in collecting more money’ by the GAA.

Hurling’s best kept secret, the Joe McDonagh Cup, comes out of the shadows on Sunday with live TV coverage of the final at Croke Park between Laois and Westmeath.

It sure wasn’t the most fruitful weekend for anyone looking for chinks in Dublin’s drive for five.

Our writers reflect on the weekend's GAA action.

Paul Keane in preview box Andy McEntee is a manager on the up, on the verge of elevating Meath to a first Leinster final in five years, having already masterminded a return to Division 1 in the Allianz league.

Talking points from the weekend's GAA action.

Ian Galvin has returned to contact training giving Clare joint managers Donal Moloney and Gerry O’Connor an extra option in attack for Sunday’s Munster senior hurling championship tie with Tipperary in Cusack Park.

Paul Keane When Meath finally gained promotion to Division 1 by beating Fermanagh last month, veteran defender Mickey Burke admitted it was ‘almost more important than the Championship’.

Paul Keane Westmeath defender Boidu Sayeh has revealed he’s been called a ‘black bastard while playing, but didn’t take it personally and he believes the issue of racism in the game is improving.

Central Council will now have the power to open up provincial, county and national grounds to non-GAA sports following an overwhelming backing in Congress in Wexford today.

You probably know the Páirc Uí Chaoimh playing surface yesterday was the subject of much negative comment, to put it mildly.

Colm Basquel was at the Dunboyne Castle Hotel last Thursday evening for the launch of the Sean Cox charity football game, using his status as a Dublin football star to help promote the event.

Rising Australian Rules star Conor Nash believes AFL clubs should pay ‘compensation’ to the GAA clubs they recruit from.

Dublin defender Eoghan O’Donnell was part of a three-man players group that met new manager Mattie Kenny last Friday night to kick-start preparations for 2019.

Ballyboden St Enda’s (Dublin) 2-25 Clonkill (Westmeath) 2-19

The exact odds differ between bookmakers, but all are in general agreement that Kilkenny are fifth favourites for the 2019 All-Ireland hurling title.

Veteran Ballyboden St Enda’s star Conal Keaney has claimed that even some of their own club members wondered if the team was over the hill.

Conor McManus has insisted that fellow All-Star Rory Beggan didn’t need to apologise for going for glory during their narrow All-Ireland semi-final defeat.

Conor Lehane insists Cork will target another Munster title success in 2019 and won’t be swayed by Limerick’s alternative path to All-Ireland glory.

Conor Lehane has admitted that the Cork hurlers turned a definite corner after 2016, the worst year of his career.

All-Star nominee Rory Beggan has admitted he suffered a ‘rush of blood’ and ‘immediately regretted’ his decision to take a pot shot at glory against Tyrone.

It remains to be seen if he picks up an All-Star early next month, yet the nomination alone is an endorsement of the second coming of Daniel Kearney.

Back in August, Podge Collins found himself marking Tony Kelly for a brief period when Cratloe played Ballyea in the Clare championship.

A little over a week out from the Dublin county final with Kilmacud Crokes, Anthony Daly sat down with reporters for over half an hour and talked hurling.

He’s not exactly tormented by his decision, yet Kerry great Tomás Ó Sé has admitted he retired too early from the inter-county game in 2013.

Declan Hannon had tears in his eyes when he was pictured immediately after Limerick’s defeat to Clare in the 2013 All-Ireland semi-final.

Experienced Dublin defender Jonny Cooper has rejected claims that he’s a deliberately cynical and ‘nasty’ player who trades in ‘cute whorism’.

Former Cork manager Larry Tompkins has welcomed proposals to overhaul Gaelic football and claimed that as things stand, the game is close to being “destroyed”.

Footballer of the Year nominee Jack McCaffrey admits his experience of the inter-county game doesn’t tally with the headline finding of a recent ESRI study.

Dublin forward Paul Mannion has revealed he laughs at claims their spectacular success this decade is down to money.

Dublin ladies star Lyndsey Davey reckons the row between Mayo players and management should have been settled by now and took some of the gloss off the All-Ireland final.

Charlie Redmond was in Omagh for Dublin’s Super 8s game last month when a couple of Tyrone teenagers cheekily brought up 1995.

Dublin legend Keith Barr says his gut feeling is that Diarmuid Connolly won’t return to inter-county duty in 2019.

Jim Gavin dug deep into his all-conquering Dublin panel with impressive consequences as the three-in-a-row All-Ireland winners signed off on their Super 8s campaign in style.

Kerry have turned to the ultra-experienced Kieran Young to lock down the centre of defence for their crucial Super 8s clash with Kildare.

Newbridge or nowhere? That’s how it’s shaping up again for Kildare only this time they’ll have nowhere left to turn in the championship if they don’t beat Galway in Newbridge next weekend.

Tyrone 4-24 Roscommon 2-12

Brian Cody took a seat in front of the media, after Kilkenny’s Leinster final stalemate with Galway, and planted his tongue in his cheek.

Carlow manager, Colm Bonnar, has refused to rule out a shock result against Limerick, after claiming significant silverware at Croke Park for the second season running.

Mickey Harte has promised to continue rotating his goalkeepers and to return Niall Morgan to the nets for next weekend’s final round qualifier.

Former Donegal boss Jim McGuinness has urged Dublin to “do the right thing” and to insist on playing just one of their upcoming Super 8 games at Croke Park.