Before yesterday's great victory, Sligo last claimed the Connacht senior football championship back in 1975 - strangely, the same year Richie Bennis, the current Limerick manager, inspired the Treaty men to victory over Tipperary in a replayed Munster semi-final.

Limerick were eventually overwhelmed in that final too.

But even more bizarre was the year Sligo beat Galway in the provincial final that wasn't.

The 1922 provincial final was played in 1923, Sligo recording a famous victory over the hot favourites and then beating Tipperary to reach the All-Ireland final.

However, a Galway objection forced the Connacht decider to be replayed - uniquely, in Croke Park, and Sligo were beaten.

The Irish Times report by Pat'O the morning after the replay explained:

"An unusual set of circumstance lent a certain distinction to yesterday's game at Croke Park . A Connaught final in Dublin is a novelty. Sligo had beaten Galway for the Western title, and came along as a surprise packet and outclassed Tipperary, the All-Ireland and Munster champions.

"Then came an objection to Sligo's constitution, and yesterday's replay was ordered. Sligo's representation was weakened ad interim. Two of the four clever Colleran brothers and one of the O'Hartes were not available."

Eventually, Galway prevailed in the final, by 2-4 to 1-5.

In 1926 Sligo defeated Laois to reach the National Football League final, but then a similar objection led to a replay being ordered and Laois prevailing.

So Sligo have the unique distinction of being the only county to have qualified for an All-Ireland football final and an NFL decider but never played in either.

The Yeats County have had more than their unfair share of bad luck,

so perhaps yesterday goes a little

way to redressing the balance - though we have to admit we didn't hear any shouts after the match yesterday of, "Revenge for 22!"

No sign so far of objections to Sligo win . . .

Next weekend . . .

Saturday

All-Ireland SHC Qualifiers - Round Three

Tipperary v Cork, Semple Stadium

Galway v Antrim, Pearse Stadium

Offaly v Dublin, O'Connor Park

Laois v Clare, O'Moore Park

Christy Ring Cup - Round Five

Westmeath v Kerry, Cusack Park

Down v Meath, Páirc Esler

London v Carlow, Ruislip

Derry v Wicklow, Celtic Park

Nicky Rackard Cup

Quarter-finals

Tommy Murphy Cup

Semi-finals

Saturday or Sunday

All-Ireland SFC Qualifiers - Round Two

Westmeath v Donegal, Mullingar

Derry v Mayo, Celtic Park

Kildare v Louth, Newbridge

Meath v Fermanagh, Navan

Sunday

Ulster SFC - Final

Monaghan v Tyrone, Clones, 2.15pm

Leinster SFC - Final

Dublin v Laois, Croke Park, 4.15pm

(Times and venues for all matches next weekend

will be confirmed by GAA this afternoon).

Parlay - (Senior Football Championship)

Playing it safe . . .

Tyrone & Dublin9/10

Going for broke . . .

Monaghan & Laois13/1

(Odds courtesy of Paddy Power)

Last night I had a pleasant dream,

I woke up with a smile.

The opening line of Lovely Leitrim, but it's fair to say not many in the county woke up with grinning yesterday - because, as creditable as was taking Donegal to extra-time on Saturday, Leitrim know they were just inches from a shock to rival anything that happened in July, 1994.

Thirteen years ago Lovely Leitrim was sung so many times we were secretly delighted they lost the All-Ireland semi-final - we just couldn't take it anymore. And then, probably most famously of all, came Dancing at the Crossroads - Wexford's theme (team?) song in the summer of 96.

And there have been many others - but none quite so bad as what the good people of Limerick have had to listen to recently. Though no more.

Limmmmmmmerickkkkkkkkkk, we're behind you is Limerick 95FM's ode to the county, sung to the tune of Robbie Williams's Let Me Entertain You (and we mean "tune" loosely).

It's tongue-in-cheek, but still, we thought we'd share some of it.

Book seats on the train to Thurles,

Cross your fingers, pray for us,

It's the Munster final, not the qualifiers, yeah!

With Richie Bennis we'll achieve,

He's got plenty of aces up his sleeve,

The Munster Cup is what we'll receive, oh yeah!

The Waterford boys will need God to help them,

When Andrew O'Shaughnessy runs rings around Semple,

We're going to beat the Déise,

Cause we want to become

Munster senior hurling champions.

Oh dear.

When the music really has to stop . . .

Quote of the Weekend: "If we produce another performance like that, even if we scrape into the quarter-finals, I have no business whatsoever being in Galway" - Ger Loughnane after defeat by Clare