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Jesus shows how much attention I was paying. I could of swore Monaghan came out before Tyrone v Down?

They did!

Monaghan can't meet Armagh in the semi - only the final if both progress.

The Ulster draw is:

Prelim: Antrim v Cavan

G1: Ferm v Monaghan
G2: Done v Derry

G3: Tyrone v Down
G4: Armagh v Prelim winners

Semi 1: G1 v G2
Semi 2: G3 v G4

How mean is this: I know a guy that pays exactly what his meal costs in a restaraunt - no tip - no rounding up - no fcuk all extra!

If everyone else splits the thing evenly he still pays what he owes to the exact cent. He even goes without a starter or desert to minimise the cost.

When the Dubs stop going on with the "The GAA needs us", "Best supporters", "Will leave the pub and take our place in Croke Park in our own good time" shite they might get a bit of respect from those of us with residences in the provinces (and I don't mean a caravan in Courtown Harbour).

Arrogance is never attractive - not from the English and not from the Dubs either!

Dubs, get over yourselves and when you start winning numbers of All Ireland titles commensurate with your population then you might have something to crow about.

Yeah - but in Rugby you generally pass the ball backwards thereby retreating from the point where you wn possesion. In Gaelic Football it is more normal to kick or run forward with the ball - in which case the gain line is usually behind you anyway. So I'm not sure the term is so apt in Gaelic Football.

Tommy Lyons said on The Sunday Game that "Derry are a potent force when they break the gain line".

I know where the 'gain line' is in Rubgy - because it is a Rugby term. But where is the feckin gain line in Gaelic Football?

Or is Tommy just bluffing perhaps?

When do tickets for the All Ireland Semi-Final between Dublin and Monaghan go on sale?

It is just that I don't want to buy Semi tickets until after the Kerry game because there is a chance that Monaghan might lose and not get there at all - and I'm afraid that the Dubs will have bought up all the tickets if they get a week's head start on us.

Anybody know?

Fair dues to Pete McGrath for a reasonable analysis of Monaghan's progress through this year's campaign. He said that we had improved every game and that we will give Kerry a good test.

Contrast that with the comments of Tommy Lyons, Anthony Tohil and Jarleth Burns. They seem to pander to teh populist belief and plump for the big-name team as a matter of course without considering the changing nature of things and progression in form. When Monaghan beat Derry we were told that Derry were rubbish. Then Lyons and Tohil told us that Donegal had too much for us.

Are these guys not supposed to be 'experts'?

I believe that it is very reasoable to suggest that Monaghan will fight like hell to win the Kerry game and are likely to be there or there abouts at the final whistle - just like we were against Tyrone.

I predict that Tohil/Lyons will not stick their neck out to make such a suggestion. Bernard Flynn on the other hand has been acknowledging Monaghan's potential from early on.

Kerry will be mad hot favourites and the Press will give us no chance - but that's the way we like it. Remember 1985? Remember "Come off it Frank, Kerry will murder Monagahan" - an article written by Raymond Smith in the Indo after Frank King the Kerry County Board Chairman said that Monaghan would be tough to beat.

We now have two weeks to focus on Kerry. It will be more difficult.

But Monaghan have bucket-loads of spirit and self-belief as well as talent. With a little bit of luck and a kind bounce of the ball we might just scrape home on August 12th.