The Farneymen got off to the perfect start when half-back Karl O'Connell scored the game's opening goal inside the first minute but Antrim quickly hauled themselves back into the contest, and a hat-trick of scores from talisman forward Paddy Cunningham saw them trail by 0-5 to 1-4 at the break.

Monaghan's cause wasn't helped when they lost stand-in captain Paul Finlay to a shoulder injury midway through the opening period, and in the second half Antrim's revival continued in earnest.

Liam Bradley's Saffrons took the lead for the first time thanks to a superb 45th minute goal from James Loughrey, and further scores from Michael McCann and Mark McAleese gave Antrim a three point cushion going into the final quarter.

However, Monaghan then launched a fightback of their own, helped in no small part by the introduction of Tommy Freeman, who scored twice in the closing stages as Eamon McAneaney's side hit seven of the last eight points to seal victory.

Wicklow raced into a five point lead after 14 minutes, but Seamus McEnaney's much-maligned charges responded strongly despite an injury to captain Seamus Kenny and trailed by just a solitary point at the break - 0-8 to 0-7.

The Royals had a fairly strong wind at their backs in the second-half but it wasn't used to continue bombarding the recently returned Joe Sheridan, as instead, Graham Reilly took the game by the scruff of the neck.

Reilly won the throw-in to point within ten seconds of the resumption and by the time the St Colmcilles clubman registered his fourth point of the half with just 15 minutes elapsed, Meath were three clear.

Wicklow had lost their own captain, Leighton Glynn by that juncture, stretchered off with a leg injury, and his influence was sorely missed as Meath set up a quarter-final clash with Carlow.

The Kingdom got off to a very slow start and despite running out relatively comfortable 0-16 to 0-10 winners, it was the hosts that came away with most of the credit and they will surely benefit from the experience.

With nine minutes on the clock it was the Premier County that held the advantage thanks to pointed frees from Michael Quinlivan and Alan Maloney after Bryan Sheehan had opened Kerry's account early on.

Sheehan put the visitors ahead with 21 minutes played after some good play from Jack O'Connor's men and five minutes later Kerry moved two points ahead with Darran O'Sullivan getting his name on the scoreboard.

At half-time Kerry led by three points - 0-9 to 0-6 - with Tipperary's Maloney registering the last score of the opening 35 minutes.

Kerry's performance didn't improve much after the break and Brendan Kealy's fine fingertip save from Hugh Coughlan was as close as Tipperary got to finding the Kingdom's net.

After a rash of substitutions Declan O'Sullivan stretched Kerry's lead but Peter Acheson replied with an excellent Tipperary score on 57 minutes - 0-14 to 0-10.

Quinlivan blazed a goal effort high and wide before James O'Donoghue restored Kerry's five-point cushion and the introduction of Aidan O'Mahony meant Kerry had emptied their bench with about nine minutes to go.

Both sides were off target again as the match petered out in the Semple Stadium sunshine and Sheehan stroked over an injury-time free for the winners.

Murphy, who missed Donegal’s Ulster Championship first round tie against Cavan last weekend, injured his knee ligaments in Donegal’s defeat to Dublin in the Allianz League Division 1 on March 23.

Murphy is aiming to be back in time for Donegal’s Ulster quarter-final match against Derry on June 16 after seeing a knee specialist.

“Hopefully I’ll be back in training this weekend,” he told the Irish Daily Star. “I’m looking to get back to see the specialist again next week and hopefully I’ll get the all-clear to go out and push it a bit further. Hopefully I’ll be back for the next game."

When he initially injured his knee, the DCU student did not think that there was much damage done. He then continued to play and aggravated the injury, forcing him to see a knee specialist. This worried Murphy, who feared that the injury was serious.

“I got the bad news but he told me good news as well; I suppose it wasn’t as bad as he first feared. I didn’t think there was going to be too much wrong with it, but that’s football and that’s the way it goes. It was a bit of a strange one because it wasn’t awfully painful,” he said

Gilroy intorduced six players from the U21 Championship-winning squad to replace of four members of his senior League squad.

Cullen was happy with these changes and believes that it is just what his county needs.

“That’s what we need in Dublin. We need players coming up and asking questions of the players that are already there. Speaking from experience, it’s an easier step up from Under-21 than from minor," he said in the Irish daily Star.

Ciaran Kilkenny, Eoin O’Conghaile, Gary Sweeney and Jack McCaffrey were called up to the squad and Cullen believes that these players are more prepared than he was when he was their age.

“(They) would be better prepared than I would have been ten years ago," he said. "They would be in better physical condition. They have the advantage that minor and under-21 teams now have strength and conditioning programmes. In previous years they might have found it harder going. But now they have 12 months if not two years of hard conditioning behind them."

Cullen also spoke about the importance of strengthening the squad in order to provide more depth to the team.

“We showed last year that you need more than 15 players so if we can strengthen our starting team or the guys coming in, we will be in a better position,” he added.

Johnston had applied to be allowed to transfer from Cavan Gaels to St Kevin's in Kildare after former Cavan manager Val Andrews made it clear that he was not parts of his plans.

The CCCC rejected the transfer on the grounds of residency and ethos - the body did not accept Johnston's argument that he was a resident of Straffan in County Kildare - but Johnston lodged an appeal with the CAC.

On Wednesday night the CAC ruled that the transfer was within GAA rules and sanction the move, paving the way for Johnston to become a Kildare player.

Cavan Gaels tweeted this morning: "The longest ongoing saga in GAA is finally over."

Once the paperwork is complete Johnston will be free to line out for the club but he will not be eligible to play for Kildare in the championship until he has represented St Kevin's in a club championship game.

St Kevin's are through to the second round of the SFC but no date has been fixed for the match and there is every chance that Johnston will not be allowed to play for Kildare in their Leinster SFC clash with Offaly on June 17.

Earley suffered a serious cruciate knee ligament injury in the 2010 All-Ireland quarter-final and just when he looked to be on his way back, he aggravated the injury last summer, forcing him to start the recovery process all over again.

He made his long await return in the Allianz Football League win over Derry in March and it has been a case of so far so good, but the Kildare veteran admits that he is always thinking about the knee.

"I am always thinking of it to be honest. Probably prior to a game it’s on my mind a lot, but once you get going maybe probably the first hit or first ball you kind of can forget about it," he explained.

"It lets me know every now and again. I can feel it getting stronger and stronger each week.

"Hopefully that will continue and I can stay injury free. It’s not too bad (after games). I just have to be mindful.

There was a period where I had to rest it and the whole way I am learning as well what I can and can’t do. It’s a lesson learnt and maybe after the next match I might have to take a day or two off and let it settle."

Earley would love nothing more than to start every championship game and he is hopeful he has the ability to play at the highest level this year, but he knows that he may have to make do with taking on the role of impact sub.

"Obviously if you are competing and training on a weekly basis with the lads the whole ambition is to start in championship football. That’s what you want to do," he is quoted as saying in the Irish Examiner.

"I’d like to think that I could be at that level this year and I can start football. It’s a team effort there is a panel there. If my role is coming on I’d be happy to play at any stage."

Forde was forced to call time on his inter-county career because of a persistent back problem but rumours of an impending return have followed him since his retirement in January 2011.

They gathered pace earlier this year when he met with county team trainer Mick Casey and it was reported that he could make his return ahead of Wexford's Leinster SFC quarter-final against Longford in Croke Park.

However, the 2004 All-Star has confirmed that he has no intention of returning to the senior panel because of the level of work that is involved.

"People are putting two and two together and getting 47," he is quoted as saying in The Evening Herald.

"I made it quite clear when I finished up that I have no intention of coming back playing senior football with Wexford.

This is the first year I haven't had hassle with the back, so I agreed to give it a go. But that's as far as it goes.

"Senior county football training is basically professional nowadays, and it's something I have no intention of going back to."

Limerick manager John Allen has named Declan Hannon on the bench for Sunday's Munster SHC quarter-final against Tipperary in Thurles.

Hannon has only just returned to training following a groin injury and he will have to make do with a place among the substitutes, while Shane Dowling will make his first championship start after being named at wing forward.

Allen has named four members of last year's Munster U21-winning side with Dowling joined by Kevin Downes, Conor Allis and Graeme Mulcahy.

Limerick (SH v Tipperary): N Quaid: S Walsh, R McCarthy, T Condon; W McNamara, D O’Grady, G O’Mahony; P Browne, J Ryan; D Breen, C Allis, S Dowling; G Mulcahy, K Downes, S Tobin.

Donagh Maher is set to make his first championship start for Tipperary in Sunday's clash, after being named at corner back.

Lar Corbett has not been selected in the starting line-up following his recent return to the panel, with manager Declan Ryan electing to keep him in reserve.

Tipperary (SH v Limerick ): B Cummins; D Maher, P Curran, M Cahill; T Stapleton, C O'Mahony, P Maher; J Woodlock, B Maher; Gearóid Ryan,  Noel McGrath, Pa Bourke; Eoin Kelly, Brian O'Meara, John O'Brien.

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Monaghan will be without Tommy Freeman for the Ulster SFC clash with Antrim.

Freeman has failed to recover from the hamstring injury he sustained in a challenge game against Armagh earlier this month and he has been left out of Eamonn McEneaney's side for the Clones tie.

Darren Hughes will also miss out with the skipper facing at least four weeks on the sidelines due to a leg injury.

There are championship debuts for Karl O'Connell and Matthew McKenna with James Turley making his first full start in the championship. Christopher McGuinness, meanwhile, makes his first Ulster Championship start.

With Owen Lennon ruled out, Pete Dooney has been named at midfield alongside Dick Clerkin, while Paul Finlay will captain the side in Hughes' absence.

Monaghan (SF v Antrim): M Keogh; D Morgan, V Corey, C Walshe; K O’Connell, D Mone, K Duffy; P Dooney, D Clerkin; M McKenna, S Gollogly, J Turley; C McGuinness, P Finlay, C McManus.

As expected Aodhan Gallagher has been declared fit to face Monaghan after recovering from an arm injury.

His recovery is a boost to Liam Bradley and he will take his place in the middle of the park.

Antrim (SF v Monaghan): C Kerr; A Healey, R Johnston, K O'Boyle; T Scullion, J Crozier, J Loughery; M McCann, A Gallagher; C Murray, M Sweeney, M McAleese; P Cunningham, M Magill, T McCann.

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Meath's team to face Wicklow in the Leinster SFC on Sunday includes Mark Collins, who will be making his first competitive start for his county.

Meanwhile, three others - Donnacha Tobin, Alan Forde and Conor Gillespie - will all be making their first championship starts.

With Stephen Bray, Paddy Gilsenan, Tom Walsh, Mark Ward, Shane O'Rourke, Gary O'Brien and Cormac McGuinness out injured, Séamus McEnaney was forced to name an inexperienced side for the encounter.

Meath (SFC v Wicklow): D Gallagher; M Burke, K Reilly, S McAnarney; D Tobin, B Menton, S Kenny; C Gillespie, B Meade; A Forde, M Collins, G Reilly; B Farrell, J Sheridan, C Ward.

Dean Healy is the only championship debutant in Wicklow manager Harry Murphy's side.

Stephen Kelly has been named at wing back despite also being selected to play for  the county's hurlers in the Christy Ring Cup semi-final, also against Meath, on Saturday.

Wicklow (SF v Meath ): J Flynn; C Hyland, A McLoughlin, A Byrne; D Healy, M McLoughlin, S Kelly; J Stafford, R Finn; L Glynn, D O'Sullivan, D Hayden; T Hannon, S Furlong, J McGrath.

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Daniel Bohan has been named at full back in the Kerry team for their Munster football encounter with Tipperary, replacing the injured Marc O Se.

Peter Crowley joins the side at wing back, with Patrick Curtin picked at corner forward.

Kerry SF v Tipperary: B Kealy; S Enright, D Bohan, K Young; T Ó Sé, E Brosnan, P Crowley; A Maher, B Sheehan; P Galvin, Darran O'Sullivan, K O'Leary; C Cooper, Declan O'Sullivan, Patrick Curtin.

Tipperary have also named their side ahead of the battle. It is as follows.

Tipperary (SFC v Kerry): P Fitzgerald; A Morrissey, P Codd C McDonald; B Fox, R Costigan, A Campbell;  G Hannigan, H Coghlan; L Egan, P Acheson; S Scully;  A Maloney, M Quinlivan, P Austin.

Kerry will kick start their Munster SFC campaign against Tipperary on Sunday with the winning advancing to a provincial semi-final against Cork on June 10. However, the winners must then wait four weeks for the Munster final with at least a four-week gap before the All-Ireland quarter-final.

O'Sullivan is unhappy with the current structure and has urged the sport's governing body to take a close look at the system and implement changes to ensure the gap between matches is reduced.

"It’s one of them things that should be really thought out. It is a pain in the arse as a footballer waiting four or five weeks for a game," O'Sullivan explained.

"If your form is good for the first two games, when you’re playing five weeks later it’s very hard to keep that momentum going.

"It’s too long and something should be done. There are enough people up there (Croke Park) to be thinking of something."

While the provincial title still means something to players, O'Sullivan admits that the All-Ireland is what matters most and for that reason teams gear their preparations towards the latter stage of the competition.

"A lot of teams have gone about trying to peak at the right time of year. You want to go out and win the Munster Championship but it is a build-up to hopefully Croke Park and quarter-finals, semi-finals and then the final," he is quoted as saying in The Sun.

"There's no point in bouncing out of your skin come May, June, July even and just falling flat then in August and September. It’s a gradual build-up as you go along."

Coulter broke his ankle during a club game earlier this month and at the time Down manager James McCartan admitted that he would struggle to play any part in the championship unless Down were to have an extended stay in the competition.

Fortunately the break was a clean one and he will have the cast removed on Friday before undergoing a scan which will determine whether or not he will be able to return this summer.

"Hopefully it’s coming on and knitting well,’ said Coulter. "Any time I put a bit of weight on it, it’s quite sore, but it was a clean break so it’s not bad in that respect."

The injury means that he will miss his first Ulster SFC match in 12 years and because he is not involved the former All-Star admits that he is struggling to focus on the championship, something he hopes will change after Friday.

"It’s a bit weird, I have nothing to focus on. I’m not really up for the championship at the minute, maybe because I’m not playing," he is quoted as saying in the Irish Examiner.

"I’ve been to all the Down training but it’s not the same when you know you’re not going to be involved in the first game.

"This is the time of year when everyone has a spring in their step and you’re just sitting in the physio room passing the time away.

"It will probably take until Friday, to see when I can focus on getting back. Hopefully I will get a bit of good news and get planning for the summer."

Murphy missed Sunday's preliminary round win over Cavan as a result of the collateral knee ligament damage he suffered in the Allianz Football League defeat to Dublin in March.

Despite suggestions that Donegal are not as strong when Murphy is absent, Jim McGuinness side recorded a comfortable win over Cavan to set up a quarter-final date against Derry on June 16.

Karl Lacey believes the captain will be ready for the clash with Murphy due back in training this weekend.

"I think he might be back at the end of the week, it'd be great to get him back fully fit," Lacey revealed.

"We were maybe relying on him too much for too long, he's only a young man as well. It was time other boys stepped up to the mark, definitely."

Donegal reached the All-Ireland semi-finals last year but came in for plenty of criticism for their defensive style of play.

Lacey admits that they have had to work on other elements of their game and he is hopeful that the new approach can help them build on last year's performances.

"We've been trying to work on our offensive style of play because teams were beginning to counteract us, but scoring 1-16 was very positive," he continued.

"There is a lot more belief and organisation. We have a game plan, like we never had before under any previous manager I had anyway. You know what your job is and what you have to do. Every player is working and it's coming together.

"I think we're doing it because it's working for us. It kept us in Division 1, it won us an Ulster title last year and it got us past the first round of the Ulster championship this year, so we're not going to change too much."

O Se is unavailable for selection as a result of the hamstring injury he sustained in a recent training session and faces a small spell on the sidelines, although a scan has revealed the injury is not as serious as first feared.

The 32-year-old has started every championship game for Kerry since 2004 when he came on as a substitute against Cork and the three-times All Star will be gunning to make his return in the Munster semi-final.

Kerry will renew rivalries with Cork in the June 10 clash providing they get the better of Tipperary on Sunday and manager Jack O'Connor will be pleased to have the defender available for the Pairc Ui Chaoimh tie.

Hughes has been ordered to rest his leg for four weeks after he suffered a complication with his injury when part of a muscle in his thigh turned into bone after he got a dead leg.

This is the same injury suffered by Irish defender John O’Shea when he was playing for Manchester United. It resulted in him being out for four months.

Speaking to the Sun, Hughes said “It’s pretty serious, even walking on it you’re probably at risk. It can be career threatening if it’s not looked after right.

"The physio (Alan Byrne) said he cannot emphasise how careful I have to be. There is nothing out there that can cure it bar giving it the time.”

Despite this, Hughes is carrying on his job as a farmer and is “jumping in and out of tractors” as his job means that he is not able to rest all of the time. He is aiming to be back for his team’s next match at the end of June.

“Alan says it is a realistic target for me to be ready for the end of June,” he added.

Following Louth’s victory over Westmeath on Sunday, which set up the quarter final match in Croke Park, Fitzpatrick has said that they want to end Dublin’s reign as Leinster champions.

He also said that motivating his players for the game will be easy.

"It’s not going to be hard to motivate the lads for this... We are not going up there just to fulfil a fixture – we are going to give Dublin a game, if not beat them," he is quoted in the Irish Sun as saying.

Fitzpatrick also admitted that Louth were somewhat lucky to win their match against Westmeath when Danny O’Connor scored a goal for them in injury time.

“It was nice to win, especially after not playing well. But the important thing was the result," he added.

Louth will be hoping that they can do better against Dublin than they did the last time the two sides met in the Championship in 2010 when Dublin thrashed them 2-14 to 0-13.

“We’ll hope to give a better account of ourselves than we did two years ago," the manager declared.