Three major retirements July 2007 will be forever remembered by GAA folk throughout the Yeats County and indeed further afield as the time Sligo finally stepped out of the shadows. Thirty two years of trying appeared to be wiped out in an instant. Whenever we reflect on their fabulous breakthrough, images of Eamon O'Hara coming thundering through the centre of the Galway defence and blasting the ball to the roof of the net, inevitably spring to mind. Also last month Tyrone won their first Anglo Celt Cup in four years while Dublin refused to budge and proudly completed three in a row in Leinster. Off the field of play, July 2007 was significant in that retirements and resignations were the order of the day. Within a short space of time Liam Mulvihill, Joe Kernan and Declan Browne announced their retirements. In a remarkable coincidence three men who did so much for the GAA in their own particular way all called ´time' at the same moment. Liam Mulvihill Mulvihill's legacy is secure. His announcement that he is to resign as Director General of the GAA brings an end to a twenty eight year tenure. Behind the scenes Mulvihill has been the steadying influence that has guided the GAA through many turbulent years. For some his strengths were what others perceived to be his weaknesses. For someone holding such a distinguished position he was not one to hog the limelight. He maintained a strict adherence to the principle that Director Generals administer policy in public and do not follow a personal agenda. He if anything was too willing to let the President of the time be the public face of the GAA. There is no doubt that he has left this vital position in a healthier state than it was back in 1979. The task facing his replacement is an onerous one. The two front runners for the job appear to be Peter Quinn and Padraig Duffy. Duffy is currently doing an excellent job as Player Welfare Manager. He may not be as high profile as Quinn but is an efficient administrator and no one is more capable of filling Mulvihill's shoes. Like Duffy, Quinn would be unfazed by becoming Director General of the GAA. Many within Croke Park may dread to hear Quinn's name connected to the post. A number of the Jones Road employees will be sitting uneasily in their positions over the next few months. Unlike Mulvihill I'd imagine that Quinn would find it difficult to lead from the back and his appointment would certainly ruffle feathers and necessitate change and innovation which if it happened could only be good for the GAA. Joe Kernan Joe Kernan's resignation did not come as a surprise and brought an end to a remarkable term in charge. It was big Joe that transformed a group accustomed to failure on the big stage into All-Ireland champions. Not only did Kernan transform this Armagh side but his professional approach revolutionised the game in terms of planning and preparation. There is no doubt that under Joe Armagh raised the bar that bit higher and set the standard for the rest to follow. Under Kernan Tyrone and Armagh had some fantastic battles. Despite his competitive instinct and will to win Joe was always gracious in defeat and sincere when victorious. Kernan is a charismatic character and his popularity extends far beyond the Armagh boundaries. It's doubtful that he will remain out of the game for too long. Gaelic football runs through his veins and he can't help that. If the Dubs don't lift the big one this year, I wouldn't bet against a few phone calls from the capital to South Armagh before the years over. Declan Browne Every now and again the GAA can produce the fairytale story. No matter how this season ends 2007 will be special for Eamon O'Hara - someone who at times appeared to be ploughing a lone furrow before securing his first ever Connacht Championship medal after 18 years of service. Unfortunately there was no such end for Tipperary's Declan Browne. I was disappointed to hear that Declan had decided to hang up his inter county boots. Like O'Hara he was capable and did so on many occasions, win important matches single handedly. Despite not being blessed with blinding speed Browne always appeared to have time on the ball. He was never flustered when in possession and inevitably ended up using it wisely, usually this resulted in a point off either right or left foot. Browne has two All star awards to show for his efforts but what would his collection consist of had he donned the Kerry jersey instead? The fact that Browne remained so loyal to Moyle Rovers and Tipperary when there were many opportunities to go elsewhere speaks volumes about the man himself. Declan not only carried himself well on the field as I found out on the All Star trips. A feature of these trips is that it gives opposing county players an insight into what makes some of our finest players tick. Unfortunately for Declan he never recovered from the San Diego tour after having shared a room with Armagh's Benny Tierney. Obviously not all All Star experiences are positive! As I write, the final round of qualifiers have yet to be played. Just like the old days however there is a good chance that the provincial winners will actually meet in the All-Ireland semis. There are still teams left with serious credentials to go further but I would like to see the provincial winners clash. Ulster are to play Connacht and Tyrone would just love the opportunity to settle an old score with Sligo while who would complain about the prospect of a Kerry-Dublin clash in the other semi? Bring it on please! Tweet

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