Ireland’s favourite Australian was in Cork this weekend and Ray Meagher is as much a darn good bloke as Alf himself.

Peter Clohessy’s going. So is Brent Pope. Mick Galwey has his tickets, and Alan Quinlan is on board. Anytime is a good time to travel to Australia, but for rugby fans, the 2013 Lions Tour is something else entirely. As holidays go, this is once-in-a-lifetime stuff.

THE British and Irish Lions will play Test matches in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney when they tour Australia in 2013.

Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll will undergo surgery for a trapped nerve in his shoulder next week and is expected to be ruled out for up to six months.