Sorting out Cork people for ages

Damien Duff might be an Irish football legend but Shamrock Rovers boss Pat Fenlon has made it clear that the club’s new star signing is not automatically guaranteed a place in his team.

Two prospects from the US ski team have been killed in an avalanche while skiing near their European training base in the Austrian Alps.

Pop and soccer stars rubbed shoulders today when One Direction visited Newcastle United’s training ground.

“I hope it finishes this year,” smiles Liam Buckley with studied understatement when the subject of probably the most famous trophy drought in Irish football comes up yet again.

Birmingham City boss Chris Hughton insists midfielder Keith Fahey’s groin injury will not prevent him from making the Euro 2012 squad.

St Patrick’s Athletic will be looking to put the disappointment of their Cup exit behind them when they take on Derry City at Richmond Park tonight, kick-off 7.45pm.

OUR football correspondent LIAM MACKEY is back in top form and full of energy. He casts his eye over your comments and gives his own critical analysis of the goings on throughout the world of football. You may agree with him or then again you may not.

LIVERPOOL’S new owner John W Henry is said to be anxious to avoid the trap of over-promising and under-delivering at Anfield, having already been hailed by the Kop as the club’s white knight, But, after watching his first match in England, he knows that is by far the least of his worries.

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has stressed he will not risk damaging the club’s Barclays Premier League campaign for the sake of progress in Europe.

THIS was not the ending Aston Villa had hoped for but it was still sufficient to earn the net result manager Martin O’Neill really wanted – sixth place.

DERVAL O’ROURKE will be one of the stars in action when her club, Leevale AC, stages its Annual Sports at the CIT track, Bishopstown, on April 18.

OUTGOING Republic of Ireland assistant manager Liam Brady says the wounds caused by the controversial World Cup play-off defeat will never heal.

KEVIN DAVIES’S reputation may have cost him a late winner that would at least have brought some cheer to this drab affair.

IF A picture paints a thousand words, replace this column with a shot of Kenny Dalglish at the Europa Cup draw.

THE Irish crew of Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle have been stripped of their victory in last week’s Rally of Scotland.

WOLVES manager Mick McCarthy praised his side’s hard work and determination after they beat Fulham to record a first home victory of the season.

New signing Lucas Neill is unlikely to make the squad for Sunday’s match at home to former club Blackburn because of his lack of match fitness.

CARLO ANCELOTTI is reluctant to take any joy from Burnley’s shock defeat of Manchester United because he knows similar setbacks could befall Chelsea.

NOT too many witnessed Robert Heffernan clocking the fastest time in the world this year at 38 mins 48 secs in the 10,000m walk at the Munster Track and Field championships at the CIT track in Bishopstown.

West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola is ready to convince Matthew Upson he can achieve all his England ambitions at Upton Park.

DERVAL O’ROURKE has called on all Irish athletes to come out and support Cork City Sports on July 4.

TWO of the fastest men on earth return to The Mardyke on Saturday for the BUPA Cork City Sports with confirmation yesterday that two of America’s top sprinters, Bernard Williams and Tyree Washington, are set to line up for the 100m and 200m, respectively.

Sprinter Paul Hession claimed Ireland's third medal at the 2005 World University Games medal in Izmir, Turkey tonight, battling hard for bronze in the 200 metres final.

PAUL McKEE, bronze medallist in the 400m at the world indoor championships in Birmingham, is on the way back and is predicting medals from the 4x400m relay at next year’s European championships in Gothenburg.

SONIA O’SULLIVAN’S Sports Council grant has been reinstated but the International Carding Scheme Appeals Committee have virtually retired a whole generation of Irish athletics by refusing their appeals, according to a leading athletics figure.

AILISH McSWEENEY will be the star attraction at the Munster indoor championships in Nenagh on Sunday as she attempts a double in the sprints.

PAUL McKEE walked away from his seasonal debut in Cardiff at the weekend with mixed feelings after running a personal best for 100 metres and following up with a dismal run over 300m, the race he had targeted.

CIARA SHEEHY was bitterly disappointed that she had been switched from lane eight to lane one without her knowledge before the start of last night’s semi-finals of the Women’s 200 metres.

TOMAS COMAN, the national indoor 400m record holder, has abandoned hopes of competing in next month's European championships in Munich.