Public holidays are the busiest times for self-harm emergencies, with St Patrick’s Day the worst of all, according to the first study of its type in Ireland.

Twenty-one years ago Larry O’Gorman was Hurler of the Year. Now, he reflects on a life in the game, how precious his All-Ireland medal is, the second father Liam Griffin became, how hard it was to finally put down his hurley, and his central role in Wexford’s band of brothers

Stephen’s Day, or to give it its proper title Stephenses….es n  Day is an underrated day. (The added es is part of a great Irish tradition of adding ‘extreme possessiveness’ to certain nouns to be sure, to be sure. Another example would be Jameseses Street in Dublin.)

Involvement in a major “derby” game on St Stephen’s Day used to be a novelty for Munster’s New Zealand out-half Tyler Bleyendaal. It’s high summer and off-season back home where he would normally be enjoying the beach and sunshine.

Departing Dublin defender Rory O’Carroll has dropped the bombshell news that he may never play for his county again, admitting his break from the panel could last “six months or six years”.

A St Stephen’s Day derby was always no less an integral part of my own festive ritual than the retelling of my dear old dad’s ancient joke about the kids doing show and tell in class after the Xmas holidays.

Just a few days left to pick up some last minute presents and to prepare for Christmas.

TOM McGlinchey was 28 — “just a baby,” he says — when he was appointed manager of the Tipperary football team in 2000.

The jury in the trial of a Waterford man charged with the murder of Martin Brophy has heard that gardaí were provided with a clip from the film American History X in which one man tells another to bite the kerb before applying bodily force to the head.

Jessica Harrington is weighing up whether to let exciting mare Rock On The Moor take on the boys in Saturday’s Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.

Gas what you end up watching over Christmas, and I don’t mean your own waistline, expanding softly over your belt like a runaway pudding.

A Galway man has won €421,587.08 from Paddy Power bookmaker when all 20 selections on his €5 accumulator came in on Stephen’s Day.

Connacht arrive at Ulster’s Kingspan Stadium on Stephen’s Day evening with real hopes of recording a first win in Belfast since 1960.

MICHAEL KELLY and his merry team of GIYers are definitely ‘ change makers’. Similar to Slow Food, this movement was born out of frustration and indignation. 

Defender Pablo Zabaleta accepts the second half of the season is when Manchester City have to step up their game.

The dominance of Willie Mullins this season has, on a number of occasions, produced some rather uncompetitive racing and he is set to saddle three odds-on shots at Leopardstown on Stephen’s Day.

Swansea 1 Everton 2

IMAGINE. We’ll spend €1.5bn on food, drink and presents this Christmas — more than any other EU country.

As most people break up for their Christmas holidays this weekend, the football fixture list goes into overdrive.

Pub crawls, bonhomie and midnight Mass do not transfer to sunny LA, says Robbie Williams’ party friend, Corkman Mark Hayes

Some day he’ll enter those turnstiles in Thomond Park.

The two-day Leopardstown meeting is one of the busiest and most important we have had for a while.

HOW Captain Chris performs in his next race will determine whether he lines up in the Ryanair Chase or the Gold Cup at Cheltenham in March.

THE Duke of Edinburgh thanked hospital staff who cared for him over the Christmas period as he was discharged yesterday.

DEFENDER Daniel Agger insists no radical changes are required in order to solve Liverpool’s goalscoring problems.

STRIKES in protest at austerity measures delayed flights in Paris, grounded traffic in Belgium and promised headaches for travellers around Europe.

KAUTO STAR’S trainer Paul Nicholls has cast doubt upon the notion Long Run will emerge a much-improved horse when the pair clash yet again in the William Hill King George VI Chase.

DAVID PIPE is intending to run Great Endeavour in the Spinal Research The Atlantic 4 Gold Cup at Cheltenham this weekend.

Bitter warring exes further hurt their children by withholding access at traditional family time, says Áilín Quinlan

NICKY HENDERSON has vowed to have Long Run primed to defend his crown in the William Hill King George VI Chase at Kempton on Stephen’s Day.

PAUL NICHOLLS and Clive Smith are weighing up their options for the King George VI Chase at Kempton after both Kauto Star and Master Minded staked their claims for the Stephen’s Day highlight with victories on Saturday.

How strange is it to look at the programme for today and to see the King George and the Christmas Hurdle being run at Kempton?

RETAILERS are expecting bargain hunters to flock to the shops this St Stephen’s Day with even more stores planning to break with tradition and open their doors.

WITH some of Dublin’s stores planning to open on St Stephen’s Day, some of the biggest stores in Cork city are planning to follow suit in a bid to generate extra sales after a difficult year for the retail industry.