Brendan Irvine has upgraded his light-flyweight boxing medal to at least a silver after a unanimous points victory over Ukraine’s Dmytro Zamotayev at the European Games in Baku.

It’s not just Unionists who have a deep-rooted pride in their northern identity. Ulster Gaels also possess a loyalty to their province which simply doesn’t exist in the other green fields.

FORTY FIVE years later, Castleisland’s Christmas basketball blitz in Kerry is still going strong. But getting stronger?

Basketball crazy Jordan Lee is an exceptional young man with an incredible story to tell.

While other parents stared at his son Jordan’s arm, his father Jarlath Lee didn’t see disability. Instead all he saw was possibility.

HEINEKEN CUP POOL FIVE:

EVERY day after lunch, teacher Margaret O’Riordan and her teenage students meditate for five minutes. The students love it.

Antrim senior captain Neil McManus has expressed anger after the county’s U21s were deprived of the services of Chris McGuinness for Saturday’s historic Bord Gáis Energy All-Ireland semi-final victory over Wexford.

It has been quite the week for Ireland winger Craig Gilroy.

St Paul’s Bessbrook easily claimed the All-Ireland Colleges SBFC title on Saturday at Breffni Park.

It’s a friendship that will firmly be parked outside the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght tomorrow night.

Scruffy’s St Paul’s claimed the Basketball Ireland Senior Women’s Cup to end a miserable day for rivals Tralee Imperials at the National Basketball Arena on Saturday.

Tralee Imperials will be hoping to become the first Irish club to win the U18, U20 and senior women’s national cup titles in one season.

THE curtain came down on another basketball extravaganza in Castleisland last night, their 42nd consecutive blitz, at a packed Castleisland Community Centre.

Anti-capitalist protesters will today be told to remove their tents outside St Paul’s Cathedral or face legal action.

The Dean of St Paul's Cathedral in London has resigned.

The Bishop of London today backed legal measures that could lead to anti-capitalist demonstrators being evicted from their camp outside St Paul’s.

St Paul’s Cathedral in London could open its doors to the public tomorrow, a week after it closed because of anti-capitalist protesters.

The Bishop of London has stepped into the row over campaigners camped outside St Paul’s Cathedral, saying it is “time for the protesters to leave”.

THE Nivea for Men SuperLeague comes to a conclusion today with Limerick side UL Eagles going head-to-head with National Cup champions Killester at the National Basketball Arena.

KILKENNY goalkeeper PJ Ryan has played down his chances, and indeed the significance, of winning an All Star award later this year.

KIERAN DONAGHY had his first full training session with defending champions Abrakebabra Tigers in Tralee on Tuesday but coach Mark Bernsen does not expect him to play a part in their opening Nivea for Men Superleague game at home to UCD Marian on Saturday night.

A NEWLY-ESTABLISHED dispute resolution service for Irish sport believes controversial cases don’t have to end in the courts, costing prohibitive sums of money.

Hoops are Belfast Star clash on Saturday with the winner guaranteed third place in Conference A and a place in the quarter-finals of this season’s Nivea For Men’s SuperLeague.

SINGLETONS SV Donoughmore produced a magnificent performance to win the Senior Women’s National Cup title after a thrilling final on Saturday.

STEPHEN McCARTHY will add a new and exciting dimension to an illustrious basketball career when he leads Neptune into their critical SuperLeague game against Merry Monk Ballina as coach in Cork tomorrow night.

CHAMPIONS DART Killester got their defence of the title off to a winning start against UCD/Marian on Thursday night and were able to watch from the wings as the NIVEA for MEN’S SuperLeague got back into full swing over the weekend with significant victories for Abrakebabra Tigers, Limerick Lions, and Neptune.

The final weekend of the Nivea For Men SuperLeague Northern and Southern Conferences has arrived.

MICHEÁL QUIRKE turned in the performance of the afternoon and probably the best of his entire career as he inspired Abrakebabra Tigers to a spectacular 95-88 victory over St Vincent’s to claim a place in the final of the National Cup.

NEPTUNE coach Saisa Ponosevac is hoping for good news on Gordon Fitzgerald’s recuperation ahead of tonight’s Nivea for Men SuperLeague derby against UCC Demons at The Mardyke Arena.

There are three second-round games in the SuperLeague National Cup this weekend with a place in the quarter-finals of the competition at stake.

WHAT a difference a year can make. Twelve months ago, the teams from the Southern Conference were dominating the NIVEA for Men Superleague but, after taking a hammering over the cross-conference weekend, a lot of them are heading into the first round of the cup this weekend with one eye on the back door.

Club doctor Mark Waller has revealed Liverpool refused to accept the initial diagnosis that Mohamed Sissoko would never play again after his eye injury, despite the the midfielder being “blind in his right eye for 36 hours”.

FORMER Bishop of Galway, the disgraced Dr Eamon Casey, returned from a 14 year exile last evening.

UCC Demons 113 Gleneagle Lakers 120

DARREN SUTHERLAND opens his bid for a first national senior title at the National Stadium tomorrow night when he meets Waterford's Keith Whelan (St Paul's) in the first of the middleweight semi-finals.

ATHLETES from all 32 counties will converge on the Tullamore Harriers Track for the Kit Kat Irish Schools championships today.

Mustang Sally's, St Paul's 56 DART Killester 78

FOR three seasons UL Aughinish have ruled Irish women’s basketball with an iron fist. For that reason they remain hot favourites tonight as their defence of the National Cup gets underway against Vienna Woods Glanmire at the ESB Arena.

SURGICAL services at Cavan General Hospital are continuing to nosedive despite repeated recommendations for ways to improve the situation, the latest in a series of damning reports warns.

The Dr McKenna Cup gets underway today, with 12 Ulster sides getting their first taste of 2005 action.

New Antrim manager Mickey Culbert has gone for a mixture of youth and experience ahead of Sunday's Dr McKenna Cup clash with the University of Ulster Jordanstown at Casement Park.

Roma St Vincent's 97 MDS Star 72