Christy Walsh has always known the spice of contrast, different strokes for different places.

Mayo 1-12 Kilkenny 0-8: Kilkenny’s decision to line out with two sweepers in Saturday’s All Ireland Junior Championship semi-final had backfired spectacularly within 20 minutes, as Mayo opened up a 1-5 to no score lead at O’Connor Park.

When Paddy McConigley was growing up kicking football for his local Fanad Gaels club at Triaghalough in north-west Donegal, little did he know where the wind on the gusty peninsula would take him.

There are some words that look out of place sharing the same sentence. Jose Mourinho and modest. Paul O’Connell and ordinary. Kilkenny and football.

AIB All-Ireland JHC: Bennettsbridge (Kilkenny) 3-19 Fullen Gaels (Lancashire) 1-8: Bennettsbridge from Co Kilkenny defeated Manchester side Fullen Gaels to claim the All-Ireland Club JHC title at Croke Park yesterday.

Leinster Club JHC final: Bennettsbridge (Kilkenny) 1-20 Shamrocks (Offaly) 0-3

ON THE face of it, Patrick O’Sullivan appeared to get off lightly. O’Sullivan is the chairman of the Kerry GAA county board, and proprietor of the well known Killarney hostelry, Tatler Jack’s.

Kilkenny’s footballers could be forced to quit the British championship as they are struggling to field a team.

KERRY GAA chiefs are considering two Allianz League double-headers in Fitzgerald Stadium next season.

DEDICATED followers of fashion enjoyed more success in the style stakes than punters seeking to outsmart the bookies on Ladies’ Day at the Listowel Harvest Racing Festival in Co Kerry yesterday.

EARLY on, the conversation was much as expected.

FOR their first Christy Ring Cup final, the hurlers of Kerry will play favourites Westmeath and if they’re lucky, they’ll have the support of a couple of thousand.

LAST month they were celebrating promotion from NHL Division 3A but today it’s back to basics for the Kerry hurlers as they face Down in the opening round of the Christy Ring Cup in Newry.

BISHOP of Limerick Donal Murray, who was harshly criticised in a damning report on the Church’s mishandling of clerical child sex abuse, was last night given the full backing of priests and Mass-goers in his diocese.

VINDICATED relatives yesterday welcomed the British pardon announced for 26 Irishmen executed for military offences during World War I.

LEINSTER MFC champions Laois will be wary ahead of their All-Ireland quarter final with beaten Munster finalists Kerry at Pairc na nGael, Limerick this afternoon (2.30pm).

THESE are heady times for the Toomevara senior hurling captain Paddy O’Brien.