Mayo footballer Ronan McGarrity is enjoying football having won another county title recently with Ballina just months after being diagnosed with testicular cancer.

Speaking at yesterday's launch of the Martin Donnelly interprovincial competitions in Croke Park, McGarrity spoke about a difficult year.

"It's been a rough couple of months but I've come through it. It's changed me, of course, but there's a lot of people out there in worse set-ups than me. I was one of the fortunate ones - caught it early, got the treatment and hopefully it's all behind me now.

"I've a couple of check-ups, one behind me which was all clear and another in November, which hopefully will be all-clear as well.

"I'd great surgeons, great people around me to talk to and when I was getting my treatment I was out jogging. The energy levels weren't the same but I was still going through it and it kept me occupied."

Asked about how he discovered he had a problem, McGarrity reflected that but for sensible advice he could have turned a blind eye to the problem.

"It's a growth and once you find a growth you have to get it checked out. Lucky enough I had good people around me who told me to get it checked straight away. I could have left it - a lot of people have."

News of his condition broke last March in an orchestrated fashion with his telling the Mayo players and a brief statement released to the national media. He explained how he decided to brief his playing colleagues. "Rumours had got out and people had told me that people were finding out these things. Lucky enough I have a friend who's in the press down in Laois and he said to me, 'rumour has it that you've got cancer. What's the story?'

"I said that I haven't told anyone yet. I think it was the best thing to do was go in and tell the team, after the All-Ireland the previous year, to be honest with them, tell them where I was coming from and what the story is before anyone starts flying off the handle: 'Jesus, the guy's dying'. You don't want stuff like that going around so it was probably the best thing to do."

His operation, treatment and recovery were quick and before Mayo's championship ended McGarrity had returned to training and made his reappearance for the county as a replacement in the qualifier against Cavan.

"It was great to get back to a certain level of fitness. It was a goal that I had set. On being diagnosed I had said to the boys that after surgery I'd be back after the Galway game and I lived up to that. I was very happy to be involved even a small part in the championship."

Club football had an added buzz after a summer of relatively little activity.

"Starting the first round of the championship there was excitement and nervousness, wondering how people perceive you after your operation but the management and back-up at training was very good. There was great fun at training - the best fun I had in football for a long while."

In the medium term he believes that after a disappointing season Mayo can look forward with optimism to the future.

"Things are looking bright. At the end of the day we won an under-21 All-Ireland. Players are there - it's just a matter of getting everything right. We have good management so there are no complaints there anymore. Everything's right at the moment."

Earlier at the launch of the interprovincials, which this year will stage their finals at Croke Park under lights on Saturday, October 27th, GAA president Nickey Brennan said there would be a marketing campaign to promote the event and that this would focus on the immigrant community, encouraging them to avail of specially low prices (adults €10, children €5).

He also pointed out the GAA spends €250,000 on the competition annually. The finals haven't been played together in Croke Park since 1991, although the 1995 hurling final was played at the venue on a double bill with that year's All-Ireland club final replay between Birr and Dunloy.

Val Andrews, manager of the Leinster footballers who are on a three-in-row this year, was more circumspect than is usual for speakers at a launch, lamenting how little time there was for preparing players.

"Without being too negative, it's kill or cure," he said of the decision to stage the ailing competition's climax in Croke Park. Martin (Donnolly, sponsor) has put a lot of energy in to this, I know he wants to see it succeed.

"Personally, I wouldn't go for such a big venue but that's just my opinion. If you're going to do something maybe you should do it well and give a little bit more time for preparation."

Donnelly said he was "delighted to see it come back to centre stage".

The matches begin the weekend after next with semi-finals in

Ballybofey (Ulster v Connacht - hurling 3.30pm, football 1.30pm) and in Fermoy (Munster v Leinster - hurling 6pm, football 8pm).