The 2015 Guinness PRO12 final will be held in Kingspan Stadium, the home of Ulster Rugby.

Leinster's bid to become the first team to successfully defend the RaboDirect PRO12 title will begin away against the Scarlets.

Many people were waking up in fear of flooding this Christmas morning, as downpours of heavy rain continued to bring misery to parts of Britain.

A Panorama documentary will tonight plunge the BBC into fresh controversy by claiming the corporation pulled an investigation into the Jimmy Savile sex abuse scandal after coming under pressure from senior managers.

The young rugby star killed in a farming tragedy alongside his brother and his father in Northern Ireland was today hailed by teammates as a wonderful sportsman and a wonderful person.

As old-style sweet shops enjoy a rebirth, Claire Droney wonders why we’re suddenly so nostalgic for Dip Dabs, Milky Teeth and Fizzy Cola Bottles

HAVING gone almost overboard with my reaction to his early puppy runs at Shelbourne, I was pleased to see the Pat Buckley trained Slick Seattle finally live up to the rating with a superb 28.16 run in Monday’s unscheduled third session of the Pat Hennerty Sales Irish Laurels at Curraheen Park.

CHAMPIONS Moorefield were sensationally beaten by Carbury in a dramatic Kildare SFC tie that saw county star Eoghan O’Flaherty kick the winner from a free.

HOPEFULLY we can cease writing about the weather and concentrate on the racing side of things and this week sees the commencement of the Tyrur McGuigan Open 575 at Shelbourne and the Vetsearch Kennedy Cup at Limerick.

A Co Tyrone man has been sentenced in seven years in jail after he was found guilty “beyond all doubt” by the Special Criminal Court of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.

MAGNERS LEAGUE chiefs yesterday reported record attendance figures in the past season with Munster still the best supported team in the competition.

NEWS from across the water yesterday is that one of the biggest entries for many years will go into the draw on Sunday for the first round of the Williamhill.com English Derby and among them there will be one of the biggest ever Irish raiding teams.

AND then there were 12 – finally.

FORMER rugby great and Limerick publican Peter Clohessy has added his weight to a growing campaign to reschedule the Munster versus Leinster Magners League game in Thomond Park from Good Friday when all pubs are closed.

The dates and times for the 15th and 16th rounds of the Magner's League have been confirmed.

MAGNERS LEAGUE director David Jordan has played down reports that Italian clubs will join the league next season.

Celtic Rugby director David Jordan today branded reports that Italian clubs will join the Magners League next season as "premature".

It looks like the postponed Magners League matches will take place on Six Nations weekends.

ULSTER and Leinster are confident their weekend Heineken Cup games will go ahead as scheduled at Ravenhill and the RDS.

A TYRONE man appeared before a special sitting of the Special Criminal Court in Dublin yesterday on charges of IRA membership and related weapons offences.

A Tyrone man was today brought before the Special Criminal Court and charged with membership of the IRA and the possession of a firearm and ammunition.

MUNSTER yesterday confirmed that Cheetahs loose head prop Wian du Preez will join the province on a three-month contract.

ON THE eve of his reappointment as Munster captain, Paul O’Connell has welcomed the decision to provide a guaranteed competitive climax to the Magners League campaign this season.

LEADING sports organisations are engaged in emergency talks with Setanta Ireland after the company’s UK arm went into administration yesterday.

The increasing popularity of the Magner's League can be measured by the 20% rise in attendances this season.

MUNSTER’S legendary supporters have helped the province scoop another award for the best supported team in the Magners League.

MAGNERS Irish Cider has extended its title sponsorship of the Magners League for two years until May 2011.

The owners of healthy eating brands Jordans and Ryvita today announced plans to merge their operations into one business.

Leinster have retained their title as "Best Supported Team" in the Magners League for the season and there will be a presentation to reflect tihs at half-time during the tie with The Dragons on Saturday.

The progress of the Magner's League is reflected in the fact that Munster, the Ospreys and Cardiff Blues have qualified for the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup.

The founding family of British cereals firm Jordans has sold a stake in the business to Kingsmill owner Associated British Foods, it emerged today.

MUNSTER’S clash with their 2007/08 Heineken Cup pool opponents, Llanelli Scarlets, is the pick of the first round ties for next season’s Magners League.

KERRY open their Allianz NFL campaign against Mayo at Austin Stacks Park, Tralee tomorrow night with a new goalkeeper.

CELTIC LEAGUE director David Jordan is confident of securing a tournament sponsor in the near future.

The Celtic League will adopt a new points system for the upcoming season with each team being allocated four points for the weekend they are not playing.

THE CELTIC League has finally unveiled the fixtures for next season after a summer of wrangling.

The Celtic League have released the fixtures for next season after a summer of wrangling.

SATURDAY’S Celtic Cup final between Munster and Llanelli could be the last game in the competition following yesterday’s unveiling of a new ‘Rainbow Cup’ incorporating teams from the Celtic Unions, South Africa and Italy.

THE suggested formation of a Celtic Tigers representative team to play test rugby against touring sides from the Southern Hemisphere, has received short shrift from the home unions.

A "Celtic Tigers" side representing Scotland, Ireland and Wales against the leading Test nations will be among the ideas discussed when the Celtic League clubs hold their first full meeting in Dublin today.

Former chief executive of Glasgow Rugby David Jordan has been appointed interim tournament director of the Celtic League in succession to Keith Grainger, who has moved on to another post in Scotland.

Scottish Rugby Union chief executive Phil Anderton has cleared a path for director of rugby Ian McGeechan to link up with the Lions tour next summer.

THE family of a nationalist councillor gunned down 30 years ago in the North want the body of a former soldier at the centre of the murder inquiry exhumed.

Police in the North are investigating the possibility that an independent nationalist councillor whose body was found in a lake 29 years ago was murdered by soldiers from the Ulster Defence Regiment.