AFTER giving three years of his life to managing his county, the least Kevin McStay deserved was a fond farewell.

The manner in which Mayo GAA has managed their affairs in recent times has drawn criticism from many quarters, so it was not a massive surprise to see how they handled McStay’s departure.

Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Ben McShane/Sportsfile

Still, it is hard to make sense of why they were in such a rush to part company with a man who is obviously going through a challenging time personally.

Due to his health situation, the likelihood is that McStay would not have been in a position to continue in the role for a fourth season anyway.

But justifying such a hasty decision on those grounds — and the curt statement that was subsequently issued — missed the point.

With Mayo still licking their wounds after having their season harpooned just ten days earlier, was there really a need to put the boot into the management so soon?

The gentlemanly thing would have been to sit down with McStay, talk through the last three years and engage on what would be best for the future of Mayo football. Mayo GAA bosses are entitled to feel that the time had come to move in a different direction.

Equally, the management were entitled to be treated with more respect.

McStay is a passionate Mayo man who took on the job with the best of intentions.

And he will feel more disappointed than anybody that his tenure did not yield more success.

But it should not be forgotten that his reign brought a National League title.

Championship wins over Kerry in Killarney and Galway in Salthill were no mean feats either.

His successor is sure to discover how difficult a job it is to manage Mayo. In many ways, it is the hardest one in Gaelic football because it comes with expectations that are not rooted in any kind of reality.

Anything less than an All-Ireland will not satisfy Mayo fans — but their best chances of achieving that are behind them at this stage.

If I had aspirations of being involved in inter-county management, the Mayo gig is one I would not go near.

With that in mind, one can only admire McStay for his efforts.

But the events of the last few days would suggest that he is better off without it.

I wish him all the best for a happy and healthy future.

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WE’RE just four weeks away from seeing Jarlath Burns hand over Sam Maguire — yet it’s hard to recall a time when forecasting a winner at this stage of the Championship was such a conundrum.

The finely balanced match-ups thrown up by the draw have made this weekend’s quarter-final bill hugely exciting.

Ben McShane/Sportsfile

At 11-4 each, Meath and Monaghan are the biggest outsiders to reach the last four.

Still, given the form and calibre of both teams, it would not go down as a major shock if either, or even both, were to advance.

Given that nobody can seem to agree on who is in pole position to claim All-Ireland SFC glory on July 27, here is my own pecking order in the race for Sam . . . 

8) GALWAY

THIS one might raise eyebrows straight off the bat.

And such are the fine margins at play, there will be no great surprise on my behalf if Galway are back at Croke Park in a fortnight.

Ben McShane/Sportsfile

But for me, a Tribe side capable of blowing hot and cold are not as formidable as they were 12 months ago.

When Shane Walsh does not catch fire, they tend not to function well as a unit.

They have coped without Damien Comer, though the different dimension he can provide would be a huge asset for them.

After losing an All-Ireland final by a point, the road to atonement is long and arduous.

Both mentally and physically, there is a lot of mileage on the clock.

7) MEATH

BEATING Galway tomorrow is well within Meath’s capability. The Royals have excelled under the new rules and they have become a very confident outfit under Robbie Brennan.

It is as if the shackles have been taken off, particularly for the younger players as they have really started to express themselves.

Ray McManus/Sportsfile

Meath have done extremely well to persevere in the face of injuries to some important players.

But that has left them a bit light on the bench.

Losing Martin Corey and Joe McMahon from the backroom staff was a massive blow in March.

Having since taken the scalps of Dublin and Kerry, the players should be commended hugely for the way they responded.

6) ARMAGH

PLENTY of perplexed Armagh faces are sure to await me at Croker tomorrow after having the nerve to consign the All-Ireland champions to such a lowly position!

The strength of their panel is one of the things I have really admired this year.

Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

However, with Soupy Campbell and Oisín O’Neill out injured, they suddenly look much weaker in that regard.

Such a talented team led by a man like Kieran McGeeney are more than capable of shoving this ranking back down my throat.

But we are at the business end of the Championship now. And as I learned in 1997 after Meath’s reign as All-Ireland champions was ended by Offaly in the Leinster final, it is a very different challenge when you are dealing with the additional pressure as you go from being the hunter to the hunted.

5) TYRONE

OF the teams remaining, Tyrone can make a solid claim to boasting the strongest panel.

Any side that can hold Peter Harte and Ruairí Canavan in reserve is clearly in good nick.

Ben McShane/Sportsfile

Apart from their big men in the middle, they are mostly a small, nippy team so Croke Park might suit them in one sense.

And if they can consistently hit the heights that they did against Donegal in Ballybofey, Malachy O’Rourke’s side have the ability to beat anyone.

The concern would be whether they can handle the rough and tumble over 70-plus minutes at this stage of the Championship.

4) MONAGHAN

THIS is a Monaghan team I have a lot of time for.

And while they will be up against it in today’s meeting with Donegal, a win could do wonders for them if they can get over the line. On the one hand, they were not tested massively in the group stages.

Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile

That being said, there is also a sense that we have not yet seen the best of them.

Jack McCarron is a fantastic player to have back in and they would have been disappointed to have lost two Donegal by two points in Ulster on a day when they were caught by the hooter.

Gabriel Bannigan’s charges are a good running team who are always tough to beat.

By all accounts, Andy Moran has had a massive impact behind the scenes too.

3) DUBLIN

ASIDE from a brilliant display in Salthill when their backs were against the wall after losing to Meath, Dublin have flattered to deceive.

Are they still capable of setting the world alight?

Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

If Con O’Callaghan is fully fit, today might be the day to answer that question.

The wake-up call they got against Meath was a catalyst for significant improvement for the Dubs. There is no doubt about that.

They have been good at times but there is still more in them.

And their team is still packed with players who know more than anybody else about what is required to win on the big days at Croke Park.

2) DONEGAL

NOTWITHSTANDING their defeat to Tyrone, Donegal have probably been the most consistent team throughout the season.

Are they depending too heavily on Michael Murphy? Perhaps that is unfair to the supporting cast.

Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Nevertheless, they cannot afford for their prodigal son to be off-form.

They cut loose in the second half against Louth and the Wee County were no match for them. Getting over Monaghan would be a huge step for Donegal as this is no easy task.

You would certainly sympathise with them over the six-day turnaround.

Having said that, if they were playing in the second game tomorrow instead, Jim McGuinness would complain that they were getting home too late on a Sunday night.

It is all part of the siege mentality he is aiming to generate. In his eyes, it’s Donegal against the rest of the world.

And that could ultimately work in their favour.

1) KERRY

WHEN you back a team like Kerry into a corner, expect them to come out fighting.

And with David Clifford in red-hot form again, the possibilities are endless. The man is unbelievable.

Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Since the defeat to Meath, there has been a bit of deflecting going on in the Kingdom.

By playing down their chances, people like Darragh Ó Sé have been doing their bit to try to take the pressure off them.

Going to Croke Park as underdogs is an unusual scenario for Kerry to find themselves in. But they will relish that too.

While they have been badly hit by injuries, Jack O’Connor is still taking a squad packed full of talent up to the capital tomorrow.

Even if he fielded his second-best XV, they would still probably trouble most teams.

The season starts tomorrow for Kerry.

Write them off at your peril.

DUBLIN will face Tyrone in an All-Ireland senior football quarter-final at Croke Park this evening.

Dessie Farrell’s side overcame Cork 1-19 to 1-16 in the preliminary quarter final to advance to the next stage.

A 0-31 to 0-18 win against Cavan in their final group stage game was enough for Tyrone to top their group book their place straight into the quarter-finals.

The Red Hands topped what many considered to be a group of death consisting of Donegal, Mayo and Cavan.

Dublin had it no easier with a second place finish in their group behind reigning champions Armagh and ahead of Galway and Derry.

Tyrone and Dublin have faced already this year in the Allianz League. The O’Neill County got the upper hand over the Liffeysiders in a 2-19 to 1-16 win.

The win unfortunately wouldn’t be enough for Tyrone to avoid relegation as they finished just behind Armagh on points scored to finish seventh.

Here’s everything you need to know before watching the huge clash:

WHAT TV CHANNEL/STREAM IS TYRONE VS DUBLIN ON?

The much anticipated encounter will be available to stream on GAA+.

Sunday’s quarter finals Meath vs Galway and Armagh vs Kerry will be shown live on RTÉ 2 whereas the two Saturday games Monaghan vs Donegal and Dublin vs Tyrone will be only available to stream on GAA+.

WHAT TIME IS THROW-IN?

Throw-in is at 6:15pm for the Dublin and Tyrone clash as Donegal face Monaghan at 4pm in the Croke Park double header.

WHAT ARE THE ODDS?

Bookmakers have this match-up to be a very tight contest with the odds of Dublin to win in 70 minutes at 11/10 with Tyrone to advance without extra-time also set at 11/10.

The odds for the game to be level after 70 minutes is 17/2 and the handicap at just one point in Dublin’s favour.

FIERCE RIVALRY

The sides have history in the competition, playing each other three times in it since 2018.

Dublin won all three encounters, most recently in 2019 in the Super 8’s group stage in Omagh.

The Dubs came away 1-16 to 0-13 winners to top the group. Tyrone finished second in a group containing Roscommon and Cork.

Most notably however, in 2018 the sides met in the All-Ireland final as Jim Gavin’s men lifted Sam Maguire for the fourth year in a row.

Tyrone hearts were sank as they lost by six points to the team they had already faced and lost to in their Super 8’s group stage that year.

The final being a repeat of the 1995 All-Ireland final where the Dubs scraped passed the Red Hands by just a point.

Tyrone would have their special day three years later however, beating Mayo – the team that knocked Dublin out in the semi-final – in the 2021 All-Ireland final.

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