Compiled by DAMIAN CULLEN

Mayo v Kerry double?

MAYO and Kerry meet in the All-Ireland football semi-final on Sunday week (August 21st) at headquarters. The same weekend, the women’s football teams from the same counties will meet in their All-Ireland quarter-final.

Can you see where we’re going with this?

On several occasions each year, the women’s game is placed on the same bill as the men’s code, though rarely on big occasions.

Surely, this is an obvious one.

With the minor teams of Roscommon and Tipperary the curtain-raiser (1.30pm) for Kerry v Mayo (3.30pm), it may be a 11.30am throw-in is the only slot available for the women’s code.

But, even if only a couple of thousands turned up for the early game, surely it would be worth it?

Provincial: It matters

DUBLIN’S victory over Tyrone on Saturday completed a clean sweep for the provincial champions at the All-Ireland quarter-final stage for the first time since the qualifier system was introduced in 2001. Last year’s quick exit for all four provincial winners launched a thousand column inches pointing to their defeats as proof that it was a disadvantage to have a successful provincial campaign.

A little bit extra

THERE was a time when, if there was only a point in it near the end of a hurling or football game, a referee would be expected to play on until the scores were level.

It was suspected the only people who looked forward to a replay more than the supporters were the GAA hierarchy, who rubbed their hands together in anticipation of the extra gate revenue.

Now, it seems, the GAA are trying to avoid replays at all costs.

Qualifiers were among the first to have the line extra-time if necessary added to their fixture.

Then it crept up the line.

In fact, had the Dublin v Tyrone All-Ireland senior football quarter-final ended in a draw, it would have featured extra-time.

We knew that in advance, of course, because when the GAA confirm their fixtures every Monday for the following weekend they take care to mention what games would have extra-time in the event of a draw.

No such line accompanied the All-Ireland minor hurling semi-final fixture featuring Galway and Clare.

If the GAA head office didn’t even know extra-time would be required, how can anyone be surprising that the managers and players of the respective counties didn’t know?

Cats v Deise: Closer than you think

The 2008 All-Ireland hurling final – when the Kilkenny team could have left Croke Park 15 minutes before the end of the match to avoid the traffic and still have won easily – was the measure by which every pundit used to tip the Leinster side to yesterday qualify at a canter for their sixth All-Ireland decider in a row.

But, what was forgotten, was that 23-point drubbing was a blip.

Kilkenny v Waterford games have been few and far between – but when they have sprung into view, they’ve been rip-roaring, tight affairs.

In fact, in the six meetings before the 2008 final – while Kilkenny claimed four victories to Waterford’s one (plus one draw) – the total score was Kilkenny 18-65 (119) Waterford 14-77 (119).

Excluding 2008, the biggest margin of victory was, in fact, in the replayed final of 1959, when Waterford won by eight points.

Not for the first time, Kilkenny had that bit extra yesterday when it was needed against Waterford.