John Haughey
BBC Sport NI at Croke Park

Just bumped into my BBC Sport NI colleague and proud Derryman Thomas Niblock who was the MC for today's ceremony at Croker honouring the Oak Leaf County's Sam Maguire Cup heroes of 1993.

Astonishing to think that it's a quarter of a century since Eamon Coleman's squad won the county's only All-Ireland title. Sadly wee Eamon is no longer with us but his daughter Margaret represented him today while the great man's son Gary was there today with his former team-mates.

Needless to say, the announcement of Joe Brolly's name generated the biggest crowd response with a mixture of boos and cheers.

Lapping up the acclaim, the bard of Dungiven responded with his trademark blowing of kisses. All our yesterdays.

The wives and girlfriends of the Tyrone squad pictured outside Croke Park before the game.

Image source, Inpho

John Haughey
BBC Sport NI at Croke Park

The weather gods are certainly behaving today with the sun beating down on the Kerry and Galway minors in the curtain-raiser at Croke Park.

The temperature is 23 degrees centigrade at the moment and my weather app is telling that there is only a two per cent chance of rain this afternoon.

How do you beat Dublin?

It was the question that we were all asking at the start of the summer, and it's the question we are all still asking.

This season, Jim Gavin's four-in-a-row chasing side have swatted aside any would-be challengers without offering even a tiny suggestion that they will blink before their opponents.

Most of us expected Dublin to reach the final and so it has proved. At no point in any game in Leinster, the Super 8s, or the semi-final did it look as if the Dubs were not in control. And yet still people ask if we have seen the best of them this season.

They are so good, so dominant, that perhaps no team has even forced the reigning champions into hitting top gear.

So then Mickey Harte, how do you beat Dublin?

Tyrone's summer began with a false start in the Ulster Championship quarter-finals before nearly suffering a fatal blow against Meath in the first round of the qualifiers.

Cathal McShane's injury-time point in that game, to bring it to extra-time, may well be seen as the single biggest turning point in Tyrone GAA history if they can conquer the Dubs today.

Since then the Red Hands have moved through the gears. Roscommon felt the wrath of their potent attack and Donegal couldn't keep up with them in Ballybofey. The semi-final brought them the opportunity to avenge their Ulster exit at the hands of Monaghan, and they took it.

They've done a lot, but there's one thing Tyrone must do if they are to lift Sam.

Beat Dublin.