Every year provides an opportunity to reach a new height. Once you go past your prime, that’s it. You can never scale those summits again, writes Paddy Heaney.

In sport and in life, everybody wants to be like Eddy Merckx – the outrageously gifted Belgian cyclist whose natural talent and extra-terrestrial strength allowed him to brush aside his rivals with contemptuous ease.

Of all footballers looking to catch a break, Paul Geaney’s paw is raised the highest. Heaven knows he’s due one.

Cork Church of Ireland showed they could be a dark horse for this year’s Irish Hockey League by routing Glenanne 4-1 at Garryduff on Saturday.

Brian McIver has come out in favour of the colleges in the row which has engulfed the Power NI McKenna Cup.

The draws for the 2012 Higher Education GAA Championships, including the prestigious Sigerson and Fitzgibbon Cups, were made this afternoon in Croke Park.

Derry manager John Brennan reckons that Joe Diver (knee) and Niall Holly (ankle) could be fit to play in Sunday week's Ulster SFC quarter-final against Fermanagh.

UCC's quest for a first Sigerson Cup title since 1995 was kept alive today as the Cork outfit took the scalp of a major Dublin side for the second time in the space of 24 hours.

THESE are heady times for GAA in the University of Limerick. Last Saturday afternoon their hurlers ended a frustrating nine-year drought when they claimed the Fitzgibbon Cup.

CORK IT claimed just one second-half point, and rued seven first half wides as a more clinical UUJ secured an Ulster Bank Sigerson Cup quarter-final berth at Newcastle yesterday.

GMIT’s encouraging Fitzgibbon Cup campaign continued at Innisfalls GAA Club yesterday where they beat UUJ. and set up a quarter-final meeting next Tuesday with UCC.

While Cork and Kerry have mightily impressive credentials, Ulster teams will be confident that the Munster superpowers are far from invincible

WEDNESDAY lunchtime in Cork IT and in Paul Kerrigan’s sporting life, success screams from everywhere.

HAVING achieved their initial target of reaching the Sigerson Cupsemi-finals, hosts Cork IT now shift their focus to this afternoon’s semi-final test against NUI Galway.

The Ulster Bank Sigerson Cup is back on track after the GAA's Higher Education Council tonight fixed the remaining games in the competition.

Laois have booked a place against Dublin in this year's O'Byrne Cup final after narrowly beating Offaly in their semi-final clash yesterday.

Irish Colleges 47 Welsh Colleges 0

QUB 0-10 UUJ 1-6

DUBLIN will discover today if one of their football selectors is mentioned in the referee’s match report on their ill-tempered O’Byrne Cup game with Wexford.

CENTRE-HALF forward: it’s a tough station. You’re usually marking one of the opposition’s best players and your mission statement can be vague.

QUB 1-9, UUJ 1-8

Jordanstown 0-13 Athlone IT 1-8

It's make or break this weekend as the Cup battle for a final four spot hots up.

Ulster University Jordanstown claimed their first Sigerson Cup since 1991, and just their fourth in all, when they dispatched a plucky UCD outfit in Scotstown this evening.