Ireland International Rules manager Joe Kernan believes the GAA will consider padded posts in the wake of Ronan Clarke’s injury last Saturday.

As it prepares for an assault on the US market, Dublin company Smart Wall Paint has this month re-branded as Smarter Surfaces.

Enda McNulty has claimed the Kerry and Tyrone teams of the noughties were "weaker teams" than the Armagh side he played for and that it is a "disgrace" that the Orchard county won only one All-Ireland when they were "in a position to win nine".

The year 2002 was a difficult one for me as I spent most of it injured with a complicated ankle problem, writes Tony McEntee.

ALL-IRELAND COLLEGES SAFC FINAL

Meath captain Kevin Reilly hopes the expertise of Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s ankle doctor will finally give him a clean bill of health.

It’s 10 years ago now that they all came on stream together, the one B and 4 Cs.

Emigration has ravaged clubs nationwide and, despite their unparalleled success, Crossmaglen Rangers have not been immune to the drain on resources.

Liam Kearns has ruled himself out of the running to become the next Clare football manager.

There are three Championship newcomers in the Armagh team to face Tyrone in Sunday's Ulster SFC quarter-final at the Athletic Grounds (throw-in 4pm).

Heroic Championship displays aren’t all about getting off to a good start; often they’re about getting over a bad one

Ronan Clarke is hoping to make his first Ulster SFC appearance since 2009 this summer, having resumed training with the Armagh footballers.

And then there was just one — if Ronan Clarke gets back at all.

Conor Counihan expressed himself happy enough to be making the long journey home with a point in the bag and, while they could have left with nothing, they really should have departed with two.

ARMAGH

THE benefits of sheer bloody-minded hard work were graphically illustrated to me last November when I tried to ride a bike over Torr Head.

ARMAGH’S inspirational double act of Steven McDonnell and Ronan Clarke are poised to finally team up again for the 2012 Championship.

Former Mayo player Billy Joe Padden will make his Ulster Championship debut in tomorrow night's quarter-final clash with Down at the Morgan Athletic Grounds (throw-in 7.30pm).

WE probably didn’t realise it at the time, but when Joe and Justin McMahon figured out how to deal with the retro-style full-forward in the 2008 All-Ireland final, we were most likely witnessing the eclipse of a particular attacking ploy and the beginning of another era in full-forward play.

ARMAGH will have to plan without Ronan Clarke (above) for the championship campaign.

ARMAGH captain Steven McDonnell said the GAA would do itself a disservice if it decided to change the start time of the county’s Ulster SFC quarter-final against Down on May 28 so as not to clash with the Champions League final.

DOWN could be without their All-Star forward Benny Coulter for their first game in the Ulster championship.

PADDY BRADLEY’S 2011 season looks to be all but over after it was confirmed he ruptured the cruciate in his right knee.

Armagh manager Paddy O'Rourke has dispelled fears over the knee ligament injury picked up by centre-back Ciaran McKeever.

ARMAGH captain Steven McDonnell defended his team in the wake of heavy criticism following their four-point defeat to Kerry on Sunday.

GLENN RYAN didn’t have a happy return to long-time stomping ground St Conleth’s Park as Kildare subjected his Longford side to a double-score beating in the O’Byrne Cup.

STEVEN McDONNELL will continue as captain of the Armagh footballers for a second season.

THIS was a very enjoyable and sporting game played between two evenly-matched teams, both in transition, on a perfect evening for football.

SUDDENLY the complexion of this Dublin football team has a much brighter hue.

THE all-Ulster clash of Armagh and Donegal was the pick of last night’s All-Ireland senior football qualifiers first round draw.

An injury to James Lavery means Armagh manager Paddy O'Rourke has had to make one enforced change to his team for Sunday's Ulster SFC quarter-final against Monaghan.

Derry v Armagh

Armagh manager Paddy O'Rourke has made just one change to his side for his Sunday's Ulster SFC tie against Derry at Celtic Park (2pm).

ARE Tyrone playing possum or are they actually dead? With just four days to go until the start of the Ulster Championship, this is the question that remains to be answered.

LAST September, Steven McDonnell made it known he was considering his future with Armagh. He was going to draw a curtain on a storied career if the management set-up he backed was not appointed.

DIVISION TWO league finals tend to leave little in the way of a lasting impression but yesterday’s footprint dug a little deeper, if only for another entry into the catalogue of memorable displays from Steven McDonnell.

Armagh will have the fit-again Ronan Clarke at full-forward when they take on Ulster rivals Down for the Allianz NFL Division 2 title at Croke Park on Sunday (throw-in 2pm).

PAT FLANAGAN was last night appointed as the new manager of the Westmeath senior football team.

SHOCKING footage of the weekend assault on Tipperary referee Willie Barrett has appeared on the internet.

DOWN midfielder Dan Gordon is unlikely to start Sunday’s NFL Division 2 decider against Armagh despite the former captain having returned to the squad last week after taking a break from inter-county football this spring.

Donegal 0-6 Armagh 2-16, Letterkenny

A DECISION on whether the winners of Sunday week’s dead-rubber NHL Division One tie between Galway and Cork will be awarded home advantage for the league decider between the counties on May 1 is unlikely to be made until next week.