McNAMARA is a name synonymous with Clare.

LIKE a bolt from the blue came the announcement that the Australians weren’t coming to our shores this year.

AS I wrote here a fortnight ago, the relegation issue whereby one of the top teams from the All-Ireland senior hurling championship would be dropping down to the Christy Ring next year was going to take a few twists and turns before it would be decided.

WHILE all the matches were going on around the playing fields of Ireland at the weekend there was a different kind of playing taking place in Croke Park.

ONCE again we had a fantastic weekend of matches.

EVERYBODY recognises how important sport is to society but that value isn’t always reflected in the support it gets from political institutions.

LAST week I headed for Strasbourg for the official opening of the new European Parliament. On the plane from Farranfore I met former Kerry footballer Enda Galvin from Finuge.

THREE years ago, after Kerry had given Mayo a terrible drubbing for the second time in three years, I was speaking at a function up in Mayo.

THE Christy Ring, Nicky Rackard and Meagher Cups were played in Croke Park on Saturday. It was a good occasion with high scoring games and a rare opportunity for many of those players to play at GAA headquarters.

THERE were so many games taking place last weekend that it was difficult to keep track of them all.