On the evening of the Clare-Wexford game two weeks ago, I left Cork and headed straight to Whitegate, the last outpost in east Clare, right on the Galway border.

Damien Cahalane had to be helped to the dressing room following today’s Munster final after showing symptoms of heatstroke.

Cork Harlequins women will have to adjust their plans at short notice with the news that the EY Champions Trophy play-offs have been switched at short notice from Banbridge to Grange Road in Dublin.

There were times throughout the last century when a Munster Senior Cup clash of Garryowen and Cork Constitution would have tested the capacities of Markets Field, Thomond Park, The Mardyke or Musgrave Park.

Providing a home for popular if somewhat discordant sporting occasions, from soccer to cycling, rugby to hurling, Gaelic football to greyhound racing.

A “once in a lifetime” season, a “once in a lifetime” opportunity at the end of it.

Cork Constitution are Ulster Bank League 1A champions for the first time in seven years after avenging last season’s narrow loss to Clontarf in a gripping finale at a sun-kissed Aviva Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

After three years of All Ireland League heartache Limerick based UL Bohemian's womens rugby team returned to the top with an an amazing run of form and collecting the All Ireland League, All Ireland Cup, and Munster Cup.

Defiance sounds out through Seán O’Donoghue’s every word; he doesn’t just have belief, he bristles with it.

Joint top of the Guinness Pro12 and a bonus-point win in the bag from the first Champions Cup weekend secured: these are the weeks when dressing rooms should tingle with excitement and intent.

St Patrick’s Athletic 3 Cobh Ramblers 2

Éamonn Fitzmaurice insists the gap between Dublin and Kerry isn’t widening despite this latest defeat being their biggest in his reign.

It was 1995 when a certain “tall, gangly looking fella with a red head of hair” arrived at Young Munster for the first time.

Garryowen 10 Clontarf 3: Clontarf and Garryowen produced 10 tries between them when they met in the previous round of the Ulster Bank League last month on the Dublin club’s all weather pitch.

Cork Constitution 11 Garryowen 9: Another day of drama between the kings of Munster Cup rugby ended with holders Constitution taking a giant step towards retaining their crown with a two points victory over Garryowen at Temple Hill on Saturday.

On a week when Paul O’Connell worked wonders for the reputation of grizzled second-row forwards, another great presence in Munster rugby passed away peacefully after a long period of illness.

Cobh Ramblers 1 Avondale United 2 (After extra-time)

Munster Schools Senior Cup: Glenstal 6 Crescent 3

Shannon 17 Garryowen 34

MSL: A Peter Mooreland strike was enough to put College Corinthians three points clear at the top of the Beamish Stout Munster Senior League Premier Division after a hard-fought 1-0 victory over UCC at Corinthians Park on Saturday-

Anthony Foley and his new management team face a host of challenges this season, not least drawing high-flying English Premiership and French Top 14 sides Saracens and Clermont Auvergne in the pool stage of the new European Champions Cup.

Kerry manager Eamonn Fitzmaurice praised his players for the confident manner in which they closed out this Munster decider.

Anthony Foley wasn’t even a twinkle in his father’s eye when the family name hit the rugby headlines for the first time.

Cork Constitution 10 Young Munster 16

Garryowen 10 Lansdowne 35

Shannon 24 UL Bohemian 22

Cork Constitution 7 UL Bohemian 35

The traditional rivalry between Cork Constitution and Garryowen alone will push today’s Ulster Bank League clash at Temple Hill into the must-see category.

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!

IT MUST have been a rather chastened English contingent that arrived for their first get together under Stuart Lancaster at West Park rugby club in Leeds on Monday morning in preparation for the Six Nations championship after a calamitous weekend for their clubs in the Heineken Cup.

AVONDALE UNITED and Blarney United warmed up for Friday’s FAI Umbro Intermediate Cup fourth round clash at O’Shea Park with cup wins over the weekend.

COLM TUCKER played his rugby the way he lived his life. He was earnest, committed, determined and like all successful sportsmen, certainly didn’t like to lose!

THE Ulster Bank All-Ireland League got back on track over the weekend with some outstanding games and excellent performances.

GARRYOWEN gained vengeance for last year’s final defeat as they beat Bruff 19-9 in a keenly contested ODM Financial Munster Senior Cup decider at Thomond Park last night.

HOLDERS Bruff take on Garryowen in the final of the ODM Munster Senior Cup at Thomond Park tonight, kick-off 7.30pm.

Wanderers and Lansdowne captains Michael Kevany and Ross McCarron join Ulster Bank’s Joanna Fitzpatrick at the Aviva Stadium.

AT a pre-match lunch at Kilballyowen Park yesterday, visiting IRFU President Caleb Powell described Bruff as a remarkable club that embodied all of the positive things in Irish domestic rugby.