We had to raise a smile when a little bird told Sideline Cuts what he himself had heard in the Coláiste Chríost Rí dressing room after their Hogan Cup semi-final defeat to St Patrick's, Navan.

After the Chríost Rí mentors had returned from complimenting the victorious Navan team for their outstanding sportsmanship, Navan's coach, Colm O'Rourke, expressed his appreciation of such sentiments, before embarking on a 10-minute talk to the vanquished Cork side about sportsmanship and how a dirty player would never grace a St Patrick's, Navan, team.

Once O'Rourke concluded his speech, a round of applause broke out, and within a few seconds, a few smiles and laughs to go with it. A member of the '88 Meath team giving the alma mater of Billy Morgan, Dinny Allen and Steven O'Brien a lecture on the ethics of football? He must be born again.