SUNDAY has been a long time coming for John Gildea. The power-house midfielder has toiled with Donegal for the best part of a decade, yet Sunday will be his first All-Ireland semi-final.

WITHOUT question, Billy Morgan was the happier of the two managers coming off the field in Parnell Park at the end of yesterday's Allianz National Football League tie.

LAOIS have confirmed that Mick O’Dwyer is their main target to succeed Colm Browne as the county’s senior football manager.

DR NIALL MOYNA will take temporary charge of the Dublin footballers as the County Board continue their efforts to appoint a successor to Tommy Lyons.

DUBLIN supporters and GAA officials will discover tomorrow morning if Hill 16 is available for Saturday's All-Ireland qualifier in Croke Park.

PADDY CLARKE was in the air, flying to Australia as part of the Irish management for the 2001 International Rules Series, when Brigid’s lost heavily in the Dublin county football final to a Na Fianna side captained by Kieran McGeeney.

IT may have qualified them for a first league final in 59 years, but it was the manner more than the victory against Tyrone which was so pleasing to Wexford’s John Hegarty.

THE mere fact of Dublin getting back to their first Bank of Ireland Leinster football final in three years doesn’t necessarily prove that Paul Caffrey was the best man to succeed Tommy Lyons as manager.

CIARAN McMANUS has defended the structure of the Allianz NFL despite criticism that the latter stages of the competition were impinging on teams’ preparations for the All-Ireland championship.

CARLOW have appointed former Kildare player Mick Condon as manager of their intercounty senior football side.

The Meath controversy is the latest episode of turmoil in the GAA world. Brendan O'Brien recalls troubled times over the past five years.

YOU know the surname and its association with high-calibre goalkeeping during Kerry’s golden years.

FLASHY BEAU, from the in-form Ger Lyons yard, gets the nap to land the Baltrasna Fegentri Handicap at Fairyhouse tonight.

Dublin 1-13 Leitrim 0-4

LAOIS’ hopes of retaining the Leinster SFC title this summer could be hit by the news that Allstar goalkeeper Fergal Byron is considering dropping himself off the panel for personal reasons.

JOE Kernan believes Portlaoise can win their second AIB All-Ireland club football title on St. Patrick’s Day.

LIMERICK are taking no chances ahead of their Bank of Ireland, Munster SFC semi-final clash with next-door neighbours Clare at Cusack Park, Ennis on Sunday next.

Dublin 0-11 Westmeath 0-9

LEADING inter-county managers have met with GAC chiefs in Croke Park to clarify regulations and thrash out solutions to a number of match day problems.