Athletics guru Brother John Dooley has been attending All-Ireland Schools Track and Field Championships for more than 40 years, and the magical appeal of the showpiece is still as strong as ever.

The North Monastery primary school in Cork has withdrawn controversial plans to start teaching infant boys, but its board hopes agreement can be reached with local schools on future enrolments in time for September 2015.

A meeting between the Catholic Bishop of Cork John Buckley and three city schools has failed to bring about an agreement on how to deal with dropping pupil numbers.

The first day of spring sunshine marked celebrations at a northside school in Cork City, days after a reprieve from possible closure. The 170 boys — along with teachers and parents — of Scoil Mhuire Fatima took their party outdoors at lunchtime on Friday as they marked victory in their campaign against its planned closure.

Hundreds of people took to the streets of Cork to demand removal of plans that would close the North Monastery primary school on the city’s northside.

The trustees of a Cork city school whose management and parents oppose plans to close it are being asked to explain their proposal to TDs and senators next month.

Parents fighting to prevent the closure of a historic Cork school are taking their campaign on to the streets.

The Harty Cup has been competed for since 1918 so it’s hardly a surprise that there have been eight one-county derby finals.

Parents at the second of two Cork city primary schools proposed for amalgamation have voted unanimously against the move.

The Department of Education has not been approached about reform plans for four northside Cork schools that include closing the North Monastery primary school.

Parents of pupils at Cork’s North Monastery primary school have vowed to chain themselves to the gates as they insist plans to move the boys into a merger with a nearby convent school will not go ahead.

As a player, Daithí Regan was a force to be reckoned with, and as an analyst, the Offaly man is proving equally formidable. But there’s a deeper, reflective side to Regan the public rarely gets to see

Dual All-Ireland minor medallists are rare, making it an even smaller club those to have achieved that as well as winning a Dr Harty Cup.

The former Bord Gáis chief John Mullins has been appointed the chairman of the Port of Cork.

The former group chief executive of Bord Gáis is hotly tipped to fill the role of chairman of the Port of Cork.

He was apprehensive, he says now.

IT’S a familiar, hackneyed old show. And one which is rerun a lot these days.

CORK hurling manager Denis Walsh acknowledges that there are some “serious” contenders in their training panel for a small number of places in the squad.

Cork 8-22 North Monastery selection 0-8

WHEN he was still a political greenhorn Cork’s Fianna Fáil powerhouse Joe Walsh offered Micheál Martin advice: “You should be prepared for the long road and the long term”.

THE skies over Cork will be lit up by a spectacular laser show this week to honour the father of vocational education in Ireland.

DEFENDING champions Ard Scoil Rís play Thurles CBS in the quarter-final of the Dr Harty Cup.

PERHAPS it was fitting that having first crossed hurleys 16 years ago, Dan Shanahan and Seán Óg Ó hAilpín would finish their inter-county careers at the end of the same campaign.

A ROW has erupted over plans to hold a local authority meeting in one of the country’s most famous schools as part of its bicentennial celebrations.

RONAN McGARRITY will be back in the starting five when Merry Monk Ballina travel to Neptune Stadium on Sunday to renew rivalry with Neptune in the NIVEA for MEN SuperLeague.

THE draws for next year’s Munster Colleges Corn Uí Mhuiri (SFC) and Dr Harty Cup (SHC) have been made.

DEFENDING champions Midleton CBS have a must-win game with Our Lady’s in the Credit Union Dr Harty Cup at New Inn today (1.30pm).

NEXT year’s Dr Harty Cup will have one new entrant following the decision at the Munster Colleges AGM to allow a number of schools in Limerick city to amalgamate.

St Colman’s, Fermoy 2-15 North Monastery 0-6

St Munchin's 1-7 Gaelcholáiste Mhuire 0-7

TOMORROW is make or break time for a number of colleges in the Dr. Harty Cup.

ONLY one round of the Dr Harty Cup may be completed but it is already obvious that St Flannan’s and St Colman’s are firm favourites for the Munster Colleges senior hurling title.

DESPITE persistent overtures from Cork GAA chairman Jim Forbes, Donal O’Grady refused to reconsider his decision to step down as coach to the All-Ireland winning Cork hurlers.

A CONTROVERSIAL plan to amalgamate two of Cork City’s best-known schools must go ahead, despite opposition from teachers and parents, the Bishop of Cork and Ross has told the Irish Examiner.

CORK’S famous hurling nursery, Na Piarsaigh, celebrated its 60th anniversary last Friday.

TWO of the most famous hurling nurseries in Munster - Farranferris and Limerick CBS - have opted out of the Irish Examiner sponsored Dr. Harty Cup.

DE La Salle, Waterford expect to be at full strength for tomorrow’s Dean Ryan Cup semi-final meeting with Our Lady’s Templemore at Ardfinnan (1.30 p.m.).

THE satisfaction of finishing top of their group and avoiding one of the big guns in the knock-out stages should ensure a rousing contest between Doon CBS and Our Lady’s in the Irish Examiner Dr. Harty Cup at Boherlahan tomorrow.

WITH the Harty Cup and the Corn Uí Mhuirí put on hold for a couple of weeks, attention turns to the Dean Ryan Cup tomorrow with two quarter-finals down for decision.

The biggest ever international basketball tournament to take place in Ireland begins tomorrow.