The increased number of championship games brought about by the provincial round-robin format makes it harder to successfully defend the Liam MacCarthy Cup, according to Limerick’s Diarmaid Byrnes.

St Senan’s retained their North Kerry SFC title, thanks to two final quarter goals. Brosna were attempting to win their first North Kerry senior title but the more experienced side won after a well contested final at a packed Ballylongford on Sunday.

Farmers in a corner of West Cork are looking forward to a Christmas dinner dessert course of Five Farms Single Batch Irish Cream.

Kerry 0-15 Westmeath 2-12: It might not have been fluent or aesthetically pleasing but Westmeath still made it three wins from three in the McDonagh Cup as they saw off a stern challenge from Kerry with three injury-time points at Austin Stack Park yesterday.

The Joe McDonagh Cup is fast becoming a wide-open competition, with each participant having the ability to beat the others amid a surprise result in each round.

Kerry unleashed their superior firepower in the opening half of this Electric Ireland Munster MFC quarter-final against a Clare side caught in the headlights in near perfect conditions at the Austin Stack Park last night.

Kerry 4-17, Meath 3-11: Kerry claimed their fifth consecutive All-Ireland M’B’HC title when overcoming a determined Meath side in Semple Stadium on Saturday.

A look ahead to all the weekend’s action around Cork...

Valley Rovers are the early leaders in the Rochestown Park Hotel FL Division 1 after securing their second successive win when seeing off St Finbarr’s on Friday night.

Johne Murphy will decide on his post-Munster future in the next week.

St Nicholas 1-8 Clonakilty 0-7:

Another of the early front runners for the Leinster job has withdrawn himself from the race with Jono Gibbes committing himself to Clermont Auvergne until 2018.

O’Donovan Rossa 2-15 Clonakilty 0-10: A West Cork senior football championship game usually produces plenty of fireworks, but this one at Rosscarbery yesterday fizzled out and faded quickly as O’Donovan Rossa crushed a hugely disappointing Clonakilty.

Sigerson Cup First Round

Munster rugby player Robin Copeland amused himself by putting together a compilation of videos of him miming to famous lines - and it’s hilarious.

French newspaper reports Paul O’Connell will end his career with French 2nd division club Pau after the 2015 Rugby World Cup came as a bombshell yesterday to his team-mates and Ireland and Munster fans.

ULSTER BANK LEAGUE DIVISION 1B:

Senior flanker Sean Dougall returns to active service with Munster’s A’s tonight facing Nottingham as Mick O’Driscoll’s men look to bounce back from last week’s defeat by Worcester.

Munster A coach Mick O’Driscoll makes four personnel changes from last weekend’s British & Irish Cup for this afternoon’s clash with Worcester Warriors (Sixways, 3pm).

Veterans Donncha O’Callaghan and BJ Botha provide the experience in an otherwise youthful side chosen by new Munster head coach Anthony Foley for tomorrow’s pre-season friendly against Gloucester at Kingsholm (3pm).

Kerry 2-21 Sligo 0-10

Munster captain Peter O’Mahony has undergone a second shoulder operation in the space of a month, provincial head coach Rob Penney said yesterday.

Revenge will be in the air when Munster A take on Leinster A in tonight’s B&I cup quarter-final clash at Donnybrook, (7pm) a repeat of last season’s final four encounter where Leinster came out on top.

JACKDAWS have greyish white eyes. They make it easy to identify the bird — the other crows have dark ones.

Munster 16 Scarlets 10

Munster 16 Scarlets 10

It was long past his normal bedtime when Sean Dougall got to sleep in the early hours of Saturday morning. However, the disruption didn’t prevent him from producing an outstanding performance that led to him being hailed as the unsung hero of Munster’s Heineken Cup victory over Gloucester.

Despite only scoring two second-half points, defending champions Curry hung on for a one-point win over Bunnanadden, 3-8 to 3-7, in a thrilling Sligo SFC Group A tie at Ballymote on Saturday as Anthony Brennan’s side head for the last eight as section winners.

Clonakilty 1-9 Nemo Rangers 1-7

Cork City overcame last Friday’s horror show at home to Bray Wanderers to record an impressive 4-0 win and book their place in the third round of the EA Sports Cup at Wexford Youths last night.

Clonakilty 0-13 Aghada 1-07

Dolphin 6 Garryowen 15

Dolphin 6 Garryowen 15

Ronan O’Gara may be considering his playing future but he is in no doubt about the challenges that lie beyond — he wants to coach Munster.

Stephen Archer provides Rob Penney with an additional boost this week following Munster’s much-needed RaboDirect Pro12 victory over Edinburgh at Musgrave Park on Saturday.

British and Irish Cup

The protracted saga of the hunt for a new manager of Limerick will finally end later this week when Stuart Taylor is unveiled as the successor to Pat Scully.

Munster’s impressive away B&I Cup victory over Rotherham Titans will mean nothing unless there is a performance of even higher quality at Musgrave Park this evening (6.30pm), according to Mike Prendergast.

Munster fans can heave a sigh of relief as the pernickety French referee from Saturday’s win over Saracens will not take charge of this weekend’s return game in Vicarage Road.

If ever there was a game for a back-row to stand up and fight it was this one.

Munster development prop Alan Cotter has joined Bath Rugby on loan from today until the end of the month.

Munster winger Simon Zebo admitted the squad was buzzing after Sunday’s 33-0 Heineken Cup victory over Edinburgh in Thomond Park which brought an end a three-match losing streak.

Munster 19 Aberavon 11

Munster A coach Ian Costello has the luxury of being able to name what is arguably his strongest team for today’s British and Irish Cup clash with Aberavon in Tralee (1pm).

Clontarf 13 Garryowen 23

Garryowen 19 Dolphin 3

GARRYOWEN 19 DOLPHIN 3

Munster A 15 Connacht Eagles 19

Stephen Archer and Dave O’Callaghan will make their first starts of the season tomorrow night when Munster make their home debut of the season against Treviso at Thomond Park (8pm).