The battle to become Galway senior hurling manager next season has been cut to a two-horse race between current manager Anthony Cunningham and his former selector and coach Mattie Kenny.

One of the best characters was Eamonn Coleman.

There were so many heart-stirring and heart-warming stories over the past GAA weekend, but one that really brought a smile to my face happened way off Broadway on a club pitch in County Down.

Those of us who have had the privilege of meeting Paddy Barnes knew long before London 2012 that he was a bright, shimmering, ball of entertainment.

He saw off Kerry’s Tom Spillane and Meath hard man Mick Lyons in the space of a few mad weeks almost 20 years ago. So what ever became of Down powerhouse and All-Ireland winner Peter Withnell? Brendan O’Brien tracked him down

IN DOWN, there is no escaping the past. Not this summer.

A COLLEAGUE who sat in on the 1991 All-Star selection meeting was amused by the Northern lobby’s capacity to find ever more important bodily parts, organs, and constituents to equate with members of the Down team, which had just won the All-Ireland.

JAMES McCARTAN admits he has had to pinch himself at times during Down’s unlikely run through to next Sunday’s All-Ireland SFC semi-final showdown with Kildare.

BENNY COULTER has battled in vain to claim an Ulster senior football medal for a decade so it comes as something of a surprise with the revelation that he is happy to have lost to Tyrone this summer.

Goalkeeper Graham Clarke completed a stellar day for Down GAA when he won the overall title in the M Donnelly All-Ireland Poc Fada competition at the Annaverna Mountain.

All-Ireland SFC Round 3 qualifier

WIN, lose of draw on Sunday, Down’s supporters will be able to tell themselves that it is just like watching Real Madrid.

Armagh manager Paddy O'Rourke and his Down counterpart James McCartan have kept faith with the starting line-ups which overcame Kildare and Donegal respectively last weekend, for tomorrow's Allianz NFL Division 2 clash at Pairc Esler in Newry (throw-in 7.30pm).

GAA Director General Páraic Duffy has vowed to address the thorny issue of illegal payments to club and inter-county managers at the Association’s annual Congress in Down next month.

FORMER Meath All-Ireland winning boss Sean Boylan last night ruled out a return to inter-county management with Armagh.

NEWLY-APPOINTED Monaghan trainer Paul Grimley is not set to make a dramatic re-entry into the race for the vacant Armagh football manager’s post.

Two-time All-Star winner James McCartan was tonight named as the new Down senior football manager after a County Committee meeting.

MARTIN CLARKE could be set to turn his back on AFL club Collingwood and make a permanent return to Down football.

Ross Carr's term as Down senior football manager came to an end last night, following a meeting of the Down GAA County Board.

Wicklow 1-15 Down 0-17

Down manager Ross Carr has kept faith with the starting fifteen which beat Laois last weekend for tomorrow's All-Ireland SFC third round qualifier against Wicklow at Aughrim (throw-in 3pm).

After momentum-building wins over Fermanagh and Cavan, Wicklow manager Mick O'Dwyer has predictably named an unchanged team for Saturday's crunch All-Ireland SFC third round qualifier against Down.

FORMER Footballer of the Year Kieran Donaghy is in danger of missing the remainder of Kerry’s All-Ireland championship campaign after suffering a fractured instep in the qualifier win over Longford.

Down 2-9 Laois 0-7

Down manager Ross Carr has made one change to his side for Saturday night's All-Ireland SFC second round qualifier against Laois in Newry (throw-in 7.30pm).

MOST of their players may be small in stature but Fermanagh proved yet again they are capable of big things with a dogged three-point win over Down in the preliminary round of the Ulster Football Championship yesterday.

HALF an hour after the final whistle and Ross Carr was still there under the main stand in Enniskillen, oblivious to the pouring rain and trying to explain just where it had all gone wrong.

Fermanagh 0-13 Down 0-10

Fermanagh v Down, 3.30pm, Enniskillen

IT may not be all that obvious as he patrols the sideline in his tracksuit tomorrow but throw a suit and tie on Ross Carr and the guy bears an uncanny resemblance to Martin O’Neill.

MICKEY HARTE has rated Brian Dooher as 50-50 for the All-Ireland champions’ opening Ulster tie against Armagh on May 31.

Tipperary 0-18 Down 1-14

ANTRIM GAA chiefs have slammed the decision to stage next weekend’s NFL Division Four final in Longford.

Longford 0-10 Tipperary 0-9

DOWN 2-15 OFFALY 1-7

Longford 0-8 Down 0-13, Pearse Park

Down boss Ross Carr has made two changes to his side for this evening's National Football League Division Three clash with Cavan.

ALL STAR Eddie Brennan has been included on the Kilkenny team to play Galway in the NHL clash on Sunday following his successful appeal against his dismissal against Waterford last weekend.

Down 0-18 Tipperary 1-09

Queen’s 1-17 Down 1-11

Monaghan 1-12 Down 1-09

Down 0-16 Tyrone 0-9

St Mary’s 0-10 Down 3-16

REGAINING focus! That’s the priority for proud Wexford manager Jason Ryan, ahead of their All-Ireland football championship quarter-final against Armagh, after they bounced back in style in Croke Park on Saturday from the 23 points hammering they got from Dublin in the Leinster decider.