The former Dublin forward managed his county 48 times in the Championship and a further 59 times in the National League, bringing his grand total to 107.

It used to be like this. A call for coffee with the manager, or a discreet invitation from one of the selectors. In the worst-case scenario a league panel without your name on it might appear in the paper.

Dublin attacker Ciaran Kilkenny underlined the “relief” in the All-Ireland champions’ camp after Saturday’s victory.

Iis anticipated that each will receive along the lines of €50,000

When Diarmuid Connolly sat back into the pocket, setting himself up for power fade with the outside of his right boot, in a similar way to Ronan O’Gara and the Grand Slam drop goal over a decade ago, I thought perhaps the story was written in the stars for the prodigal son to return home with the fattened calf.

We don’t exactly know what’s going to happen on September 14 but we figure there is a better chance of predicting what won’t

Paradise lost or great expectations? This was no Penguin Classic but it will have the look of one for Kerry.

Paddy Durcan’s marking job on Jack McCaffrey in Mayo’s All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Dublin didn’t matter much in the end, but it was no less impressive for that.

Dublin great Barry Cahill reckons the odds of both Jim Gavin and Stephen Cluxton remaining in their positions beyond Sunday’s All-Ireland final are only ‘50-50’.

In the 2017 Division 1 final, Kerry brought Dublin’s 36-game unbeaten record across League and Championship to an end. Next Sunday, they aim to prevent Jim Gavin’s men from extending their defeat-less Championship run to 36. Thirty-three Championship wins and two draws have brought Dublin to the brink of creating GAA history. Here are 15 facts and figures behind their remarkable five-in-a-row tilt:

The most combustible GAA rivalry of this decade gets one more run out this evening at Croke Park and it promises once again to be explosive.

Just once have Dublin failed to score a goal against Mayo and their nine points were still enough to win in a dour

Mayo are hardly Dublin’s bogey team but in the eyes of many of the capital’s supporters they are bogeymen. They are the team they warn their children about. Condemned to death only to rise and haunt opponents again and again.

Getting the match-ups right has gone a long way for Kerry and Mayo in recent years. We think of Aidan O’Mahony on Michael Murphy in the 2014 final, Lee Keegan on Enda Smith in the 2017 All-Ireland quarter-final replay and just last weekend Patrick Durcan tagging Ryan McHugh.

Cork’s maiden voyage into the Super 8s begins this evening and the challenge facing them couldn’t be any bigger than that posed by the five-in-a-row chasing Dublin.

If Meath’s Michael Newman had swapped jerseys with Niall Scully before the start of yesterday’s Leinster final, then all six starting Dublin forwards would have been on the scoresheet.

In the build-up to the Leinster final, Meath manager Andy McEntee was adamant that the game and the outcome wouldn’t define their season.

A record ninth Leinster SFC title in a row for Dublin but one that came in slightly unusual circumstances.

Gaisce aims to enhance confidence and wellbeing in young people through personal, physical and community challenges.

Dean Rock and Cillian O’Connor will both have similar feelings this morning.

Fourteen-man Dublin extended their winning run to 25 games in the Leinster senior football championship with this facile victory in O’Moore Park.

Defending champions Kilmacud Crokes began their Dublin SFC campaign on a positive note when defeating Ballymun Kickhams by 2-13 to 0-14 at Parnell Park on Saturday night.

Will you be tuning in?

Decorated defender Philly McMahon has hit out at the culture of complaining about Dublin’s success and challenged their rivals to do their talking on the pitch.

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

In person, Philly McMahon is measured and thoughtful, a considered speaker, a committed activist for the greater good.

A book that was rejected by 13 separate publishers — The Lost Soul of Eamonn Magee — has won the 2018 eir Sports Book of the Year award.

Eir Sport have announced the longlist of 23 nominees for the eir Sport Book of the Year award.

Two books by pioneering female sports stars are included on the six-book shortlist.

He managed the Mayo Senior Ladies football team to the 2017 All-Ireland final.

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.

“Maybe a tax break? Or maybe a two or three month period of the year where players are able to go part time, and they’re given much better expenses to play games. The further they go, the more expenses they get.”

In the ever-improving as well as ever-expanding genre that is the GAA autobiography, every new entry tends to have a hook to draw the floating reader in.

Dublin 2-17 Tyrone 1-14

Margin of error is something a lot of observers don’t consider when analysing a referee’s performance. Refs don’t go out with a plan to make mistakes but neither do they believe they are going to get everything 100% correct.

Last week the PwC All-Star players of the month for July and August were revealed.

When Cork exited the championship in early July, Leesiders’ football interest moved from supporting our own to the ABK camp.

The final instalment of round one in the Super 8 produced one of the strangest and most subdued games in Croke Park in a very long time, writes John Divilly.

Dublin’s Philly McMahon has rejected Jim McGuinness’s claim that the Super 8s venue dilemma could tarnish the All-Ireland holders’ “legacy” and standing in the game.

It’s a good job Dublin don’t execute the perfect performance every time they play. For if they did, the umpires would be going to the UU (Umpire Union) looking for better T&C’s.

Dublin 1-25 Laois 0-10

Dublin 2-25 Longford 0-12

Under the Hogan Stand, TJ Reid stopped to chat. After scoring 2-2, it didn’t appear it would be a difficult request, and so it turned out, but his demeanour wasn’t one of delight but righteous indignation.

Galway forward Barry McHugh is not expected to be cited for making contact with Michael Darragh Macauley’s face during Sunday’s Division 1 league final.