A one-point defeat by Roscommon brought a mix of pride and bitter disappointment to New York’s Gaelic football family last year, and it has whetted appetites for Sligo’s visit to Gaelic Park in Sunday’s Connacht SFC preliminary round tie.

Mayo’s football panel will not be issuing an official response to extraordinary claims made by former co-managers Noel Connelly and Pat Holmes.

Ornua’s new butter packing facility in Mitchelstown is in the midst of a storm of protest by a Co Sligo action group trying to save more than 20 jobs at the Aurivo Co-Operative plant in Achonry.

There are key elements that build belief and confidence once an All-Ireland final gets underway. It could be a block, a free, a moment of high fielding, a surging run — something that boosts a team’s morale and makes them feel invincible. All the talk of winning big starts to become a reality in front of your eyes.

An historic and against-the-odds first All-Ireland senior club football title for Ballyboden - and the fourth time in the last nine years the Andy Merrigan Cup has remained in Dublin.

They may only have had a six-day turnaround between matches, but it’s been a long week in many ways for the Mayo footballers and their new manager Stephen Rochford.

New Mayo manager Stephen Rochford says his team will be “looking to write their own history, game by game, performance by performance” next year.

Castlebar (Mayo) 3-8 Clann na nGael (Roscommon) 0-13: Castlebar Mitchels managed to keep Clann na nGael at arm’s length to set up a mouth-watering provincial final against Corofin in two weeks’ time.

Aidan O’Shea has confirmed that he was head-butted by Philly McMahon during the second-half of yesterday’s All-Ireland semi-final.

Goalkeeper David Clarke has been passed for it for Mayo’s All-Ireland SFC semi-final with Chris Barrett replacing the injured Tom Cunniffe in the Connacht champions’ only change.

Mayo co-manager Noel Connelly says David Clarke and Tom Cunniffe are likely to be available for Sunday week’s All-Ireland semi-final against Dublin.

Things can change over the next six weeks — ask Kieran Donaghy — but if football’s All Stars were handed out in August, our GAA correspondent would be shaking hands and back-slapping with the following summer achievers.

Satisfying, said Keith Higgins. Not exhilarating, not life-changing, but satisfying.

My first permanent teaching post was in St Gerald’s College, Castlebar, 20 years ago this September.

Three things we learned yesterday.

Mayo 6-25 Sligo 2-11

Donegal’s recent record in the Ulster SFC is exceptional.

It takes more than guts to come back. Mayo fall guys in All-Ireland finals usually stay fallen. Dermot Geraghty never recovered from 2004. Dermot Flanagan admittedly was on his way out in 1997. But when 2012 befell Kevin Keane he had time on his side.

It is only when you look at the list of players unavailable for Mayo in Páirc Uí Rinn tomorrow you realise they should be alright in the long-term.

New Kerry captain Kieran Donaghy will make his first competitive start of the year in Sunday’s Allianz Football League Division 1 clash with Dublin in Fitzgerald Stadium (2pm).

From Killorglin to Killarney, Seamus O’Shea’s uncles and aunts will travel on Sunday in the hope he plays well but is ultimately beaten.

Kevin McStay has received strong backing from several Mayo clubs in his bid to become the county’s senior football manager.

Keegan’s return sharpens Kerry and Mayo focus as venue furore fades into the background.

If there was one blot in Cillian O’Connor’s copybook last Sunday it was his missed goal chance in the first half. In a period where Kerry dominated, it may have arrested all the good work Mayo’s opponents had been doing.

Just over three weeks ago, James Horan sat in Hotel Ballina’s Ox Room and dished out quotes ahead of last Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final against Kerry with all the usual boxes being ticked before journalists, players and coaches went their separate ways into the still balmy night.

The Americans touched down (yes, it’s a pun) on Irish soil yesterday morning and must have wondered what the fuss was all about. "A replay, you say? You must mean action replay?"

Kerry 1-16 Mayo 1-16

An opinion columnist this week described professional negligence as a newspaper column discussing a topic which it can neither explain nor understand. Tony McEntee tries to buck that trend.

Cork star Colm O’Neill believes Mayo have adapted their game this year to ensure they can peak at the right time.

All-Ireland SFC quarter-final

Let’s move forward with our Gaelic football terms.

Mayo 1-19 Cork 2-15

David Breen will make his first competitive start of the year for Limerick in Sunday’s Munster hurling final against Cork.

New York 0-08 Mayo 4-18

Dublin 3-14 Mayo 2-17

St Vincents (Dublin) 4-12 Castlebar Mitchels (Mayo) 2-11

1. Diarmuid Connolly is a top-class footballer

Our lowdown of this weekend's GAA action

A recent end-of-year interview request with a Mayo player was declined at the request of James Horan on the basis that 2013 is a chapter closed. No bother, we said.