A dramatic 45 foot birdie putt on the 18th green at Fota Island last evening by Ulster’s Ben Best foiled Connacht of a famous victory on the second day of the Interprovincial Championship. The match ended 5½ points apiece, leaving Leinster, who defeated Munster 8-3, the favourites to retain the title when they take on Ulster in today’s decider.

Almost exactly two years ago, Paul Dunne was making a name for himself at Lee Valley Golf Club during the second day’s play in the Interprovincial Championship.

Lahinch Golf Club has taken what it believes will be a giant step towards restoring the prestige of the South of Ireland Amateur Championship by staging a 36-hole stroke play qualifier next year.

Arthur Pierse has been coming to Lahinch for more than 40 years in search of the Clare Coast Hotels South of Ireland Championship.

The withdrawal of favourite Gary Hurley and Irish Close champion John Ross Galbraith has come as a major disappointment to organisers of the Clare Coast Hotels South of Ireland at Lahinch, which begins this morning.

TODAY

Our lowdown of this weekend's GAA action

After an impressive 14-8 win over Ireland at stormy Ravenhill on Saturday, the Australian Schools are confident of ending their Britain and Ireland tour with victory against Munster at Thomond Park today (5pm).

2010 All-Ireland SFC winning midfielder Alan O'Connor has decided to end his involvement with the Cork senior footballers.

After some controversial incidents on the professional front in recent times, golf’s reputation as a game of honour and self-regulation has come under a little bit of fire.

Ulster and Leinster played out a thrilling tie on the opening day of the Interprovincial Championship at Lee Valley yesterday while defending champions Munster survived a few anxious moments in mid-afternoon to emerge 7 ½-3 ½ winners over Connacht.

Ulster 2-12 Donegal 1-12

For more than a century, the Munster Cup was the only rugby tournament in town, far bigger than anything else in this country or throughout England, Scotland and Wales!

Only one member of the Irish team for next month’s Home International Championship turned up for the South of Ireland at Lahinch over the weekend.

Six members of the triumphant Munster team in this week’s Interprovincial Championship at Royal Co Down are included in the field for the South of Ireland Championship starting at Lahinch this morning. And yet, they will all have to take a back seat behind the remarkable Ennis man, Noel Pyne, who is competing for the 50th successive year.

Captain Phil Cooney and his superbly balanced Munster team were celebrating at Royal Co Down last night after they completed a clean sweep in the Interprovincial Championship by beating a hotly fancied Ulster side by 7 matches to 4.

Connacht, who bridged a 28 year gap when capturing the title at Rosses Point last year, begin their defence of the Interprovincial Championship this morning with a difficult match against Munster at Royal Co Down.

Westmeath star Dessie Dolan will play no part in the county's All-Ireland Championship campaign this summer after electing to spend time in Boston.

The powerbases of hurling in Leinster and Munster was reflected in the starting sides chosen by the respective managers Joe Dooley and Liam Sheedy for this Martin Donnelly Interprovincial Championship hurling semi-final in Nowlan Park yesterday.

Joe Kernan will be in charge of the Ulster senior football team when the Interprovincial Championship returns to the GAA calendar in February.

INSPIRED by the exploits of Pádraig Harrington, Ireland won the Home International Championship when it was last staged at Rosses Point in 1991.

A CHANGE in the qualifying process means a new course record could be set at Lahinch over the next couple of days.

Derry forward Paddy Bradley has revealed his plans to retire at the end of his county's 2010 All-Ireland Championship run.

THE GAA’s Management Committee will discuss the consequences of Nemo Rangers’ decision to open their facilities to the Irish rugby team during the Six Nations championship at their meeting on Saturday.

Tyrone goalkeeper John Devine will miss the start of the 2010 inter-county season after surgery on his left shoulder in Belfast yesterday.

THE greater experience of a well-balanced Galway team proved just too much for the West Waterford youngsters in Saturday’s final of the Bulmers Irish Senior Cup at Tullamore.

THE weather gods did the under-fire M Donnelly Interprovincial Championship little favours in Fermoy on Saturday.

IRELAND will be well fancied to retain their title when the third European Amateur Seniors Team Championship takes place at Shannon Golf Club this week.

He may have missed out on a provincial medal with his county but Monaghan’s Dick Clerkin is willing to put county rivalries aside this Saturday for his province as Ulster look to beat Munster in the 2007 M Donnelly Interprovincial football final.

Connacht manager John O'Mahony will wait until before the throw-in of tonight's M Donnelly Interprovincial championship semi-final against Munster before confirming his starting side (Ballyforan, throw-in 8pm).

Kerry's Kieran Donaghy has surprisingly been named in the Munster team for tonight's M Donnelly Interprovincial championship semi-final against Connacht (Ballyforan, throw-in 8pm).

Rory McIlroy was in form again today as Ulster secured the Interprovincial Championship crown at Ballyliffin.

Ulster and Leinster both hold comfortable leads at the Interprovincial Championship at Ballyliffin after today's action.

Dublin's captain for 2006, Colin Moran, is back in full training with the county panel.

AS a goalkeeper, Donal Óg Cusack is used to life in the line of fire. However, Diarmuid O’Flynn found it’s not just sliotars he has to worry about.

THE feelgood factor around Boston on Sunday last, after Munster pipped Leinster in a high-quality Martin Donnelly Interprovincial Championship hurling final, was in marked contrast to the poisoned atmosphere in Australia at the conclusion of the International Series.

Reggie Corrigan has gone from amateur to professional, from club player to international, but the rivalry between Munster and Leinster is as intense as ever, he tells Charlie Mulqueen.

Former Louth boss Val Andrews has been chosen to manage the Leinster football team for the forthcoming Interprovincial Championship.

ULSTER may have slipped down the Celtic League table after losing the last three games, but they’ll still go all-out to protect an enviable home record against Munster at Ravenhill this afternoon (5.15pm).

Munster U21 23 Leinster U21 17

ULSTER swiped the Golfsure Boys’ Interprovincial Championship title from treble-chasing Munster with a whirlwind singles show at Warrenpoint yesterday.

IT isn't easy for players or spectators when the weather is as unwelcoming as it has been at Lahinch over the past few days.

LAST year’s Munster Junior Cup champions, Ard Scoil Rís of Limerick are setting their sights on the Munster Schools Senior Cup.