DUBLIN are better positioned to deal with the hype going into this All-Ireland knock-out game against Donegal than when the counties met nine years ago, believes Ray Cosgrove.

KEVIN HEFFERNAN once announced that an All-Ireland final win against Kerry was actually worth two. Tommy Lyons would go even further.

FORMER Dublin boss Tommy Carr admits he regrets shouting at Maurice Fitzgerald as he readied himself to take what proved to be his wonder equalising point in the 2001 All-Ireland quarter-final replay.

AS the Davy Fitzgerald managerial era in Waterford officially drew to a close last night, delegates at a meeting of the county board decided the job of finding his successor as county senior hurling boss will commence as early as tomorrow.

SEAMUS McENANEY’S appointment as Meath manager last winter may have stirred up a hornet’s nest at the time — and continues to do so — but ‘outside’ influences haven’t been confined to the man charged with guiding the senior footballers.

PLENTY of talking points from Jason Ryan but Joe McQuillan’s call not to give Ciarán Lyng a penalty when he was fouled so close to the parallelogram by Michael Fitzsimons topped them all.

SIBLING rivalry seems to emanate from Alan Brogan when he tries to explain his recent fine spell of form.

THE Aidan O’Brien trained Quest For Peace made a successful transition from maiden to listed company when taking the featured Lenebane Stakes in Roscommon last night.

Free set to make it three

NEW Fermanagh manager Peter Canavan has received a welcome Christmas present.

EMMETT BOLTON returns to the Kildare side for tomorrow’s All-Ireland qualifier against neighbours Meath in Páirc Tailteann in Navan.

KATLA, the only horse trained by John Grogan in New Inn, County Tipperary, recorded her second listed success when pipping Empowering in the Dark Angel Sweet Mimosa Stakes in Naas last night.

The Supreme Novices’ Hurdle gets the 2015 Cheltenham Festival up and running, and the Willie Mullins-trained Shaneshill looks a value option against favourite and stable companion Douvan, writes Tommy Lyons.

The Stan James Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham can prove the next step in Faugheen’s development towards superstardom, writes Tommy Lyons.

Richie Power has criticised the performance of referee Colm Lyons in Sunday’s Division 1A game between Kilkenny and Dublin in Nowlan Park.

Ardscoil Rís have leaned heavily on one left foot en route to this afternoon’s Seat Munster Schools’ Senior Cup final against Rockwell.

Muskerry produced a huge performance to defeat a fancied St Senan’s side 25-7 to clinch fourth place in Division One of the Munster Junior League and qualification for the All-Ireland Junior Cup next season.

Rockwell 23, Ardscoil Ris 13:

Top Notch represents a good value bet in the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham, writes Tommy Lyons.

The featured Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup brings down the curtain on a remarkable week of racing and such is the momentum behind the Willie Mullins team, it’ll be no surprise if the meeting’s leading trainer lands his maiden success in this race with any of his three charges, writes Tommy Lyons.