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Too much made of Arva being in Division 1. League football isn't taken serious in Cavan. Knockbride are in Division 1 next year and Junior Championship. Killygarry are Senior and in Division 2.

Blackhill hammered the Down champions and are hammering the Tyrone champions,. they won Ulster in 2019.

Killygarry a top 4 or 5 side in Cavan too

Blackhill 10 up v Fintina midway through the second half.

You'd have to have them as favourites for Ulster at this point.

Arva have no pedigree in Ulster division 1 or not whilst blackhill won this competition only a few years ago

This weeks predictions;

Arva v Lisnaskea - Arva by 23
Blackhill v Fintona - Blackhill by 3

Not sure how many are playing now but that was 2016.

See that Glen won 4 in a row before that at Ulster Minor. Incredible work must been done at that club

You'd imagine Kilcoo will have serious competition from Burren in the coming years could take a while though.

9 Burren players named on Down Ulster U20 winning team this year in one game.

[Where would you play the Trillick v Scotstown semi. Toss up between Enniskillen or Armagh?]

Where would you play the Trillick v Scotstown semi. Toss up between Enniskillen or Armagh?

Glen v NC a cert for Omagh I'd say.

Trillick v Scotstown could be in Armagh although it is closer to Scotstown

I see a lot of mixed reaction over Tomas McCann's red card - hard to see without a different angle if his elbow or shoulder connected with the glen man's face.

They played each other at Enniskillen in 2015.

https://m.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/hughes-the-destroyer-as-scotstown-trump-trillick-to-reach-final/34203254.html

Enniskillen on geographic grounds. Sure Trillick is nearer Enniskillen than Omagh and Scotstown is not a pile further away.

Am I right in saying both clubs are Fermanagh border clubs?

Gowna's naivety lost them that game. They had done enough to win. Caught on the break a few times during the game as well.

Its a bit of a trend with Cavan club teams at senior level who struggle to have that nouse to close out games. In contrast to Scotstown today.

Very young Gowna side and a win today would have been massive for their development. But thats two heartbreaks in two years now, a loss on penalities v Enniskillen last year. Will take character to come back from that.

One sided encounter in the 1st half in the Connacht Quarter final in Hyde Park.

St Brigids 0-9 Coolera Strandhill 0-0  and the result St Brigids 0-13 Coolera Strandhill 1-2

In the intermediate Quarter final a good half for the Leitrim underdogs in MacHale Park.

Kilmeena 0-5 Annaduff 0-7.  One way traffic 2nd half for the Mayo champions.  Kilmeena 4-18 Annaduff 0-8

Leitrim football is in a bad place

Not sure if anyone is watching Ballyhaise v Downings.

As good a first half from a team as I've seen at his level.

Ballyhiase 3-9 0-5 Downings.

Ballyhaise with great use of the kick pass.

Not sure how good Downings are but Cullyhanna could have competition for this Ulster title yet.

Glenullin with a routine victory also.

Trillick  v Crossmaglen EVS - 13/2 - 11/10
Kilcoo v - Scotstown 4/11 - 8/1 - 11/4
Glen v Cargin 1/8 - 11/1 - 6/1
Gowna v Glenties 15/8 - 13/2 - 4/7

IFC
Pomeroy v Cullyhanna 4/5 - 6/1 - 11/8

Scotstown is the only club name there that isn't from the Gaeilge
Cargin was Carraigin, the little Rock. It should be twinned with that city in Arkansas.

As in the only team that has an anglicized name?

Watty Graham was a Presbyterian Clergy man also.

Not sure how he became associated with the Glen club. But if my history education is coorrcet the presbyterians were equally as dicriminated as the catholics in the earlier stages of the occupation of Ireland by the Brits.

What are the parallels between this Donegal squad and the Donegal squad of 2011 when Jim first took over.

Were Rory Kavanagh, Neil Gallagher, the Mcgees, Karl Lacey, Mcfadden etc. highly rated and underperforming or did Jim just transform these players.

Obviously Murphy would have been talked about massively as a 'wonderkid' to use the soccer term, after getting Donegal to U21 Final and his performance against Cork I think it was.

When I look at this current Donegal squad if they have everyone available I'd argue they have as much if not more talent than the squad of 2011, more depth anyway. Which is why I have hopes that Donegal has similar scope for improvement with this squad as the one in 2011.

But would love to hear peoples thoughts on this?

Karl Lacey already had two All Stars and only Keith Higgins would have come close to him as a corner back. Ironically, McGuinness transformed him into a play-making centre back.

The likes of Cassidy, Kavanagh, the McGees and McFadden all had great ability, but the commitment, team game plan and the resulting consistency just wasn't there.

I'm very skeptical that we have the same ceiling with the current squad.

Lacey was a generational talent. The likes of Murphy come on the scene even less frequently. Those two alone are probably among the three greatest ever players ever to come out of the county. There's no one there now to even approach their level.

I'd have great hopes for Oisin Gallen, who has the size, ball-winning and shooting ability to be a top intercounty forward, provided he can finally avoid these injuries that have continually held him back. Any maybe McGuinness will get the likes of Michael Langan and Ciaran Thompson playing to a consistent level where we can be confident they'll put their size, skill and shooting to use every game and leave the inconsistency behind. Brendan McCole looks very promising at full back, but he has a way to go yet to match Neil McGee. And are the supporting cast up to the levels of the likes of Mark McHugh, Frank Mc Glynn, Leo McLoone and Anthony Thompson? I don't know...

McBrearty will be interesting to watch in terms of what McGuinness does with him. Ryan McHugh too. 

Still a lot of quality in that current Donegal forward line though. Mcbrearty, Gallen, Brennan, Langan, Thompson, O'Donnell, Mogan.

Big men round the middle in Mcgee, McFadden, McGonggle.

Likes of Ryan Mchugh, Eoghan Ban, McMenamin, McFadden Ferry in defence theres plenty of options there.

I presume theres no persuading Murphy and McNiallis back?

What are the parallels between this Donegal squad and the Donegal squad of 2011 when Jim first took over.

Were Rory Kavanagh, Neil Gallagher, the Mcgees, Karl Lacey, Mcfadden etc. highly rated and underperforming or did Jim just transform these players.

Obviously Murphy would have been talked about massively as a 'wonderkid' to use the soccer term, after getting Donegal to U21 Final and his performance against Cork I think it was.

When I look at this current Donegal squad if they have everyone available I'd argue they have as much if not more talent than the squad of 2011, more depth anyway. Which is why I have hopes that Donegal has similar scope for improvement with this squad as the one in 2011.

But would love to hear peoples thoughts on this?

This weekends predictions

Senior
Trillick (Tyrone) v Crossmaglen (Armagh) - Crossmaglen by 2
Kilcoo (Down) v - Scotstown (Monaghan) - Draw, Kilcoo by 5
Glenn (Derry) v Cargin (Antrim) - Glen by 8
Gowna (Cavan) v Glenties (Donegal) - Glenties by 3

Intermediate
Ballyhaise (Cavan) v Downings (Donegal) - Ballyhaise by 4
Liatroim (Down) v Killanny (Monaghan) - Killanny by 4
Glenullin (Derry) v Glenravel (Antrim) - Glenullin by 11
Pomeroy (Tyrone) v St Patricks (Armagh) - Pomeroy by 9

Anyone else throwing their hat into the ring?

I see Paddy Power have Killanny as favourites v Liatroim. Ive genuinely never heard off them, Liatroim have home advantage, and had a solid win last week. They are also a big physical team, which is no harm this time of year.

I've had a punt on them @ 13/8 I think it's good value. Have Killanny a bit of pedigree that I am overlooking?

You could be right but I watched the game last weekend and Teemore didn't perform at all. Only for a 15 minute spell in the second half where they had Liatroim under pressure.

This weekends predictions

Senior
Trillick (Tyrone) v Crossmaglen (Armagh) - Crossmaglen by 2
Kilcoo (Down) v - Scotstown (Monaghan) - Draw, Kilcoo by 5
Glenn (Derry) v Cargin (Antrim) - Glen by 8
Gowna (Cavan) v Glenties (Donegal) - Glenties by 3

Intermediate
Ballyhaise (Cavan) v Downings (Donegal) - Ballyhaise by 4
Liatroim (Down) v Killanny (Monaghan) - Killanny by 4
Glenullin (Derry) v Glenravel (Antrim) - Glenullin by 11
Pomeroy (Tyrone) v St Patricks (Armagh) - Pomeroy by 9

Anyone else throwing their hat into the ring?

In reference to the talk of Division 1 teams in Junior Championship.

The opposite is actually true in Leitrim.

Gortletteragh a Division 3 team stayed up in Senior Championship this year.

Whilst Dromahair who got relegated to division 3 from division 2 also stayed up in Senior Championship.

Perhaps some Leitrim posters will provide more information on this?