Gilroy wired to avoid shock

The balls were hardly out of the drum last Saturday evening when Pat Gilroy’s inbox began to swarm with celebratory text messages.

Of the four sides to emerge through the back door, it is no disrespect to Laois to say that Justin McNulty’s side were among the more desired opponents for the various provincial champions and then Mayo and Down went and plopped into Dublin’s side of the draw, too.

The Dublin management and players took in the All-Ireland quarter-final draw from their DCU training base on the city’s north side that night and the watchword emanating from those same surrounds yesterday was one of caution.