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There is nothing new about this. The general plans of the Ulster Council have been discussed openly for many years. It will only reach the crucial stage when the money is agreed.

The posters who are complaining about regular public appearances by Down players obviously did not hear James McCartan's comments during the fund-raising breakfast in Newry earlier this week. James explained that a single media night is held a couple of weeks before the final when a range of interviews are staged and the relared stories are then published and broadcast on a daily basis in the run-up to September 19.

The players also attend a small number of other events, but the shutters come down around ten days before the final. The Canal Court breakfast was the only exception, but it was well-managed and over by 9.30am The Tyrone team which won three All Irelands in the last seven years followed a very similar policy towards the Ulster All Stars and other invitations and it did not do them much harm.

Ronan Murtagh did open a new business in Newry, but this had been planned for some time and again took place ten days before the final.

The objective should surely be to ensure that the players are not placed uinder any undue pressure but also manage to live fairly normal lives and enjoy at least a little of the build-up. Benny Coulter, who is admittedlly one of our most experienced players, has said that he is enjoying every minute of it but still maintaining his focus, which seems reasonable. His younger colleagues are keeping a lower profile, which is also fair.

Mick O'Dywer was the guest speaker at the Ulster All Stars do last night and said he would not have anything to do with the Monaghan job as he felt Seamus McEnaney had been very badly treated.

Surely the title of this thread is sectarian in tone and should be reviewed by the moderators ? The brief comment from Billy Weir was a bit silly but his column is fairly clearly intended to be humourous and, even his his jokes are poor, he must be entitled to his point of view. For Tony's information, the other  journalist he has read and admired for 30 years and names as `Miceal Mc Geaery' is actually called Micheal McGeary.

Catch The High Ball, the only Down sub to get a rating of 8 in the IN after the Donegal game was Conor Maginn. He came on in the 47th minute, and was therefore involved for 23 minutes of normal time, plus injury time, plus 20 minutes of extra time, making a total of just under 50 minutes. If you think he was on for `about five minutes', you need a new stopwatch.

Turlough, when did the BBC start seeking advertising revenue ?

Bredagh's u14 victory at the weekend was a great achievement, and could prove to be a significant day for Down hurling, but it was hardly the first time the A Feile title had left the Ards since the competition started.  There are a few elderly figures in and around Kilkeel who can remember winning the inaugural event in 1971.

Trevor, whether you call it hype or profile, we have not had much of either over the last 16 years. Today's result from Newbridge will be a talking point across the country, but the players are well capable of dealing with a little extra attention while it lasts. It might all help to get someone like Benny, who is in his 11th year of senior county football and has managed a single championship appearance at Croke Park for Down in that time, closer to the All Star he deserves.

While we can only judge our league campaign when it is over, this ranked alongside our best performances in the competition since we had a purple patch in the early to mid 80s. I would say it was our best away display since a memorable trip to Navan about a quarter of a century ago when we hammered Meath and Mickey Linden was close to unplayable.

The health warning has to be that Kildare were desparately poor, and had lost their shape and their discipline by an early stage in the second half. Still, they were a team which was widely expected to win promotion and a place in the AI quarter finals, and they could not deal with us at all.

McVeigh did not have a save to make, but his kick-outs were reasonable and he was usually able to find a colleague. McCartan did not have much to do, but kept his man quiet, and,despite a couple of sloppy hand passes, finished the game fairly strongly. McArdle was also largely untroubled and will have tougher tests ahead. Rafferty was outstanding from start to finish, won every ball down his wing and against stiff competition was probably MoM.

Colgan was practically as good in the half back line, providing strength, leadership and organisation throughout, while McKernan worked and tackled like a Trojan, and Garvey improved after a slightly shaky start to kick arguably the point of the day.

The midfield had a special day, leaving Early, who was the best in Ireland in his position last year, a frustrated and dejected figure long before the end. Ambrose is begining to look like the player we all know he can be. He provided a captain's role throughout, and his three points from play were precisely the type his father loved to score. King was almost equally effective, and his physical presence made a huge difference.

Maginn and Hughes both ran themselves into the ground, helping the defence while supporting the attack, and were always available to take a pass. Marty Clarke is still finding his feet, but some of his passing - especially the one for the goal - was breathtaking, and he is only going to improve.

John Clarke has a fantastic understanding with his younger brother, and was back to his best, while Benny terrified the Kildare backs every time he got the ball without quite getting into overdrive. McComiskey was pure class, and his tackling was almost as impressive as his finishing.

There's not much point in going through the subs, as Kildare had thrown in the towel before they appeared, but Down had a gameplan and a presence which suggests that further progress is possible.

Meath will be an entirely different game, and may tell us a bit more about where we stand, and we need big Dan back soon - although, amazingly, not necessarily at midfield. It's seldom easy being a Down supporter, but today was one of the good days.

Calm down Myles. The victim is Richard Moore, who went on to become a successful businessman and a leading charity fund-raiser not only in Derry but across Ireland. He forgave the soldier, who is now his friend, went on to produce a memorable tv documentary about their meeting and wrote a book about his life story. If the soldier was the type of person you describe, he would not have answered the calls on Richard's behalf in the first place. It may not have been easy for him to have gone on the Late Late in the circumstances, but he did it anyway. Some of us might find the programme as an example of what can be achieved in Ireland, but you are entitled to disagree.

Following every rumour is all very well, but Dougal Maguire might like to note that Jeffrey Donaldson stood down as a junior minister in the OFMDFM more than six months ago and has no particular reason to be at the Hillsborough talks.  Gerry Kelly's counterpart is actually a little-known figure called Robin Newton. 

OK, I have cracked under the pressure - can I have the PM as well please ?

Gaffer, the word is that young Kirk has signed a deal with the Mail on Sunday. If he tells his full story, it should be worth waiting for.

PoG, he issued his statement before and not after the UTV programme was screened. Uliick has not explained why a party leader clarifying his position on a serious issue can be compared to what happened in Chicago.

Uliick and Minder may not have read the story in the paper this morning, but it was pretty clearly based on a statement released by Gerry Adams. Rather than blame the paper for publishing it, they might consider why he felt he needed to say what he said in the first place. The link with the Chicago case from 2002 is a bit of a stretch.

Back in his teenage days, Jim Magilton was one of the best club and college GAA players seen in Belfast over the last 30 years. Did he and Steve Staunton marry two sisters when they were at Liverpool ?