For the second successive week, UCD required extra-time before eventually prevailing past Ulster opposition, edging St Mary’s Belfast by four points in their Sigerson Cup quarter-final at Billings Park on Sunday.

The strength and power of Armagh’s Oisin O’Neill and Tyrone’s Conn Kilpatrick, around the middle third, was too much for Maynooth.

Never-say-die Dromid Pearses ended St Mary’s dominance of the South Kerry senior football championship with victory, after extra-time, in Saturday's replayed final.

Adam Idah’s brilliant hat-trick in Norwich’s 4-2 win at Preston may have grabbed the majority of the headlines but the Cork native wasn’t the only Irish player to shine in the FA Cup third round.

In annexing Cork and Munster championship victories, they have already shown battling qualities. The hope now, is to continue that march into the All-Ireland series.

Keane’s Supervalu Killorglin came out on top in a thrilling Premier Men’s final at the St Mary’s Castleisland Christmas blitz.

The corridors of power in the GAA have proven a tougher battleground than anything Liam Griffin experienced on the field of play when leading Wexford hurlers to All-Ireland glory in 1996.

St Mary’s’ bid to complete the six-in-a-row of Jack Murphy Cups will have to wait until the middle of January at the earliest, as Dromid Pearses secured a late draw with two Niall Ó Sé frees during six minutes of added time in the Kerry SFC final at a bitterly cold Portmagee yesterday.

The curtain came down on the Munster club championships with Russell Rovers taking the last piece of silverware in front of 1,610 enthusiastic spectators at the Fraher Field and adding another chapter in a fairytale season for hurling in East Cork.

Shanahan teams up again with manager Fergal O'Brien, who served alongside the Lismore man as physical trainer in Derek McGrath's backroom team.

Hurling is going from strength to strength in the east Cork area.

“He was the difference between the teams today,” declared an ecstatic St Mary’s coach, Dan Shanahan. “His puckouts were good and he hasn’t conceded a goal in four games.”

2007 hurler of the year Dan Shanahan helped St Mary’s to their maiden Munster championship win on Saturday afternoon at Fraher Field in his first year as team coach.

It is unusual to find a team heading into a provincial club fixture having not played championship in seven weeks. Then again, it is an unusual position Austin Stacks find themselves in.

Five months on from retaining their Division 1A status through the play-offs, UCC are the early leaders of the Energia All-Ireland League following a terrific 30-20 win at Dublin University.

“It’s United’s worst start for 27 years!” shrieked one UK tabloid yesterday. “Blimey, that sounds horrific,” I briefly muttered to myself, before remembering what season they were referring to: 1992/93.

Thirty years on from Tipperary beating Antrim in the All-Ireland final, there was a strong Saffron influence running through the team for Sunday’s All-Ireland win over Kilkenny.

So off we go again. It’s our year; take 30…

Dr Crokes ended Comortas-winning An Ghaeltacht’s proud 100% record in the County League Division 1 in Kerry yesterday.

A number of field event records were the highlights of the first day of the South Munster Schools T&F which took place in cool and wet conditions at Cork IT.

A UCC or a Kerry double, that is the question as Shane Conway and Seán O’Shea have been honoured as the best Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon and Sigerson Cup players.

Former county star Timmy Hammersley scored 1-16 for Clonoulty-Rossmore as the county and West Tipp champions had a comfortable win over newly promoted Cashel King Cormacs, 1-27 to 0-16, in the West Tipperary SHC at Dundrum.

It was third time lucky for Mercy Ballymahon as Clodagh Lohan’s hat-trick helped them claim the Lidl All-Ireland PPS Senior C title with an emphatic win over St Mary’s, Midleton in Bannagher.

Paddy Deegan has watched enough football in his life, going back to his sons’ first steps on the Downpatrick pitch, to seeing them win

Two of the key men in UCC’s recent GAA successes enjoyed contrasting fortunes last weekend.

UCC’s Jack Kennedy has given the thumbs-up to the midweek staging of the Sigerson Cup final.

“A victory for football” is how Billy Morgan described this latest Sigerson Cup final win, his fifth as a player or manager.

Playing at midfield, Jarly Óg gave an inspirational performance against IT Tralee to send his team into next week’s quarter-finals.

IT Tralee manager Liam Brosnan accused the referee of 'targeting' their Kerry county players as the college exited the Sigerson Cup with 12 men and lost Kerry defender Gavin Crowley to injury.

Garveys Tralee Warriors staged a dramatic second half comeback to deny Keane’s Supervalu Killorglin in the Premier Men’s final at the 49th annual St Mary’s Castleisland Blitz played in front of a packed house at the Castleisland Community Hall.

Kerry GAA is today mourning the loss of three-time All-Ireland winner Jerome O’Shea, who passed away at the age of 87 yesterday.

On the basis that former manager Pat O’Shea and Laois boss John Sugrue are unavailable or not interested and potential candidates for the future like Declan O’Sullivan and Seamus Moynihan aren’t ready, the shortlist to be the next Kerry football manager is just that — short.

Strolling along the Salthill promenade tomorrow afternoon, in and among the thousands headed for Pearse Stadium, will be a most surreal experience for Mark Breheny.

Sam Allardyce’s five-and-a-half-month reign at Everton could end later today with Marco Silva being lined up for the Goodison Park hot-seat.

St Ronan’s, Lurgan 1-9 St Mary’s, Magherafelt 1-7

Leinster Senior Schools Cup quarter-final: St Mary’s College 32 Cistercian College Roscrea 29

Former Mayo star Maurice Sheridan described the demands placed on his NUI Galway players as ‘obscene’ and ‘absolutely horrendous’ after their Sigerson Cup final defeat.

The body was sore after his long-awaited return to first-team action but Conor Oliver is relishing the opportunity to prove his worth in the Munster back row all over again.

A few big-money Premier League transfers are expected to go through before deadline day.

Connor McAliskey scored a goal on his first game for Tyrone in exactly a year as the Red Hands beat Antrim 4-20 to 2-11 in the Athletic Grounds.

Manchester United responded from the derby loss with a victory over Bournemouth.

The draw has been made for next year's Sigerson Cup and Fitzgibbon Cup.

Knocknagree advanced to a Munster Club JFC final with Dromid Pearses yesterday after defeating Waterford’s Sliabh gCua St Mary’s in impressive fashion at Mallow.

Mauricio Pellegrino believes attack will be the best form of defence when he takes his misfiring Southampton to Liverpool in search of a morale-boosting victory.