"It has been a great privilege for me to have worn the Kildare jersey for the past 15 years and a wonderful honour to have soldiered with and against so many great players."

Lilywhites great Johnny Doyle announces his retirement from gaelic football.

"Both ourselves and Tyrone will be happy with a workout like that, with the championship just around the corner."

Jim Gavin learned a thing or two from yesterday's clash with Tyrone at Omagh.

"It's okay to say you'll take a lot from a game like that but we'd take a lot more out of it if we were through to the semi-final. There aren't many cups handed out for moral victories."

Gavin's opposite number Mickey Harte wasn't happy about missing out on a semi-final spot.

"I would adore going back to Croke Park again, to be honest. I think it suits the guys I have down to the ground. The more times we get up there, the better it is for us."

Dublin and Croke Park holds no fears for Cork boss Brian Cuthbert.

"You know it's Cork, it's at home. So we were up for it, but they were more up for it for whatever reason."

Eamonn Fitzmaurice tries to shine some light on what went wrong for his Kerry side against their arch rivals.

"If you don't give these lads the opportunity, how do you know how they're going to perform?"

With a place in the last four secured, Derry's Brian McIver explains why he fielded a second string side against Mayo.

"We go through today but we were very poor and we let our standards and tempo drop, so we have a huge amount of stuff to try and pick up on this week."

James Horan will demand a huge improvement from his charges when they renew acquaintances with the Oak Leaf County next weekend.

"That's difficult at times. No matter how much you say to players. But we wanted to win the game and that showed at the end."

Monaghan's Malachy O'Rourke admitted that his players' motivation wasn't what it should have been against Galway with promotion practically guaranteed beforehand.

"We had done well in our last two games, two wins and a draw, and we came here with a lot of expectation. We felt this would really set a marker if we could pull off a victory here."

Results elsewhere went in Galway's favour but Alan Mulholland was disappointed with the Clones defeat.

"We have taken seven points from our last four games and that includes a good draw up in Donegal, so we're looking forward to the championship now with a bit of confidence."

Mick O'Dowd and Meath are in good shape at the moment.

"Playing Division 1 opposition will be tough, but the signs in the last couple of games have been positive and when we get our injured players back we'll be hard to talk to."

Wee County manager Aidan O'Rourke looks ahead to their Leinster SFC date with Westmeath.

"I'm getting there. Last year was frustrating for me and I'm taking a slower approach to it this year, just building it up each week, and each game."

Patience is the key to 2012 Footballer of the Year Karl Lacey's championship preparations.

"I've a top-class management team, I've got top-class coaching and the players acquitted themselves very well in this campaign."

Paul Grimley said during the week that relegation to Division 3 could cost him his Armagh job but he is now turning his attention to the championship.

"It's the only division it's happening in but we can'd do anything about that. We'll be fighting too and nail again the next day."

Following their Division 2A final win over Carlow, Kerry manager Eamonn Kelly and his team must take on Offaly with a place in Division 1B up for grabs.

"Disappointed, can't say otherwise. Kerry were hungrier, they looked sharper, more up for it - that's it."

Carlow's John Meyler had no excuses following their 3-13 to 3-16 defeat. Tweet

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