Armagh v Tyrone Countdown

The all-Ulster All-Ireland / The expert's view: Mick O'Dwyer "I'm expecting a very good game on Sunday, because Armagh and Tyrone…

The all-Ulster All-Ireland / The expert's view: Mick O'Dwyer "I'm expecting a very good game on Sunday, because Armagh and Tyrone are both good football sides."

"They do play their own style of football, but it's still a sound game, and they play their hearts out to win. And you can't have too many complaints about that.

"Of course I'm aware that both teams have been criticised over their style of football, but you can't say that they don't have their fair share of good footballers. And their main concern is winning, and that's what counts no matter what sort of sport you are talking about.

"But I wouldn't say that this style of football is the way forward for the future. Styles will always change from time to time and the style that is being played in Ulster right now won't necessarily be the way to win games in a few years' time. Teams will adapt, I can assure you. People said before that Ulster teams would dominate and it didn't work out that way. And it's not all about style, because if Laois had had a little more luck against Armagh then we could have won just as easily. Luck will always play a role in tight games and I expect it will be a factor on Sunday too because they are evenly balanced teams.

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"Having two Ulster teams in the All-Ireland final takes nothing away from the occasion. The way they've come through this summer leaves no doubt they are the best two teams in the country at the moment. That's what you want in the All-Ireland final every year, and that's what you have for Sunday. So they both deserve to be there."

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The all-Asian All-Ireland /Hong Kong sevens

A forerunner to Sunday's All-Ireland football final will be the All-Asian version, with the eighth Asian Gaelic Games finals taking place this weekend in Hong Kong.

The three-day event will bring together teams representing Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, Taiwan, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Macau, who will compete in the seven-a-side men's and women's football competitions. Over 300 players will participate in the event with Korea seeking to retain the Derek Brady Trophy, the "Oriental Sam Maguire", and Japan defending their women's championship.

The Asian Gaelic Games were founded by a group of Irish expatriates in Taiwan on New Year's Eve, 1995. Since then the venue for the games has moved from Manila to Singapore to Phuket, Thailand, and now for the first time to Hong Kong. A feature of the games is the range of nationalities represented - with men and women from 14 different nationalities expected to take part in the various competitions.

In recognition of the growing importance of the event, Tom Kitt TD, Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, will be in attendance to meet with the representatives of the various Irish communities from across the region, and to support their efforts to raise the profile of Ireland and Gaelic Games in Asia.

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FootballSpeak 2003 August

"We often remind ourselves of that day, coming out of Clones and the Monaghan supporters beating the bus with their flags. When you think of it you get a slight pain in the stomach. The thought of something like that happening in Croke Park. They are too proud a team."

- Joe Kernan, in advance of the All-Ireland quarter-final against Laois, talks of the memories of losing to Monaghan.

"That was Fermanagh's downfall more than anything: the fact that Sligo was thrown in our faces so often."

- Tyrone manager Mickey Harte speaking after his side buried the demons of defeat to Sligo last year by trouncing Fermanagh in the All-Ireland quarter-finals.

"I'll be back. You needn't worry about that. You're not going to keep me out of this place, I can assure you."

- Mick O'Dwyer refuses to contemplate retirement in the aftermath of defeat by Armagh.

"Boys took in a lot of water, they had to run to the bathroom, we had stats to check but it was not intentional."

- Joe Kernan explains why his side were so slow in returning to the field for the second half against Laois.

"There were a lot of Herculean performances out there. Men gave their lives out on McHale Park and I'm very proud to be a Donegalman tonight."

- Brian McEniff commends his players for overcoming the challenge of Galway in the All-Ireland quarter-final replay.

"The midfield area was like New York city, going down Times Square, it's crazy."

- Seamus Moynihan compares the Tyrone defending to rush hour in Manhattan.

"He is the greatest asset we ever had but he knows now people will work for him even when he is not there."

- Mickey Harte pays tribute to Peter Canavan.

"It was hard to lose a man at the beginning of the second half, being a younger side in Croke Park. It made the difference overall."

- Brian McEniff reflects on the sending off of Raymond Smith in the semi-final against Armagh.

"You know my story, I'm going home, I've retired and I am a county chairman but I am looking for a team manager. I've done my time."

- The managerial career of McEniff finally comes to a conclusion after four decades.