Reigning champions St Thomas will meet Turloughmore in the semi-finals of the Galway SHC, while last year’s runners-up Liam Mellows will take on Cappataggle following the quarter-finals at the weekend.

Reigning Galway SHC champions Liam Mellows will face Tynagh-Abbey/Duniry in the quarter-finals this year.

You’d be forgiven for thinking the Croke Cup had become exclusive to Leinster and Munster schools.

Mark Kennedy sealed Presentation College Athenry’s spot in this year’s All-Ireland Post-Primary Schools Hurling final with a four-point comeback win against Kilkenny CBS.

Gardaí were forced to climb scaffolding to the top of a partially constructed four-storey building in Killarney town centre to rescue a drunken man who was throwing empty buckets down at revellers in the early hours of the rally weekend.

Two young men who crept into the Aqua Dome, one of the country’s largest indoor water parks three nights in a row for a late night swim were convicted of trespass yesterday and warned not to take such a dip again — or face jail.

It feels appropriate that we’ve parked for the night in Tours, to break up our mammoth, 900km trip from Bordeaux to Lille.

CBC Cork 16 Crescent CC Limerick 16: A magnificent Clayton Hotels Munster Schools Junior Cup final between two quality teams ended in a draw at Musgrave Park yesterday and the schools will meet again on April 6 at Thomond Park to settle the issue.

St Kieran’s College (Kilkenny) 0-19 Presentation Athenry (Galway )0-17

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has warned waste facilities to improve standards of operation and storage as it was revealed that six companies were fined a total of €86,000 for licensing breaches in 2013.

AIB All-Ireland Club SHC semi-final: Gort (Galway) 1-15 Ballyhale Shamrocks (Kilkenny) 2-17

Henry Shefflin rolled back the years with a vintage display as Ballyhale Shamrocks sealed a place in the AIB All-Ireland senior club hurling final this afternoon.

Up to 80% of all houses are expected to have a brown bin by 2018 as Ireland becomes more environmentally friendly.

Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-21 Kilcormac-Killoughey 1-14 (AET)

Another week, another huge haul from TJ Reid and, predictably, another big victory for star-studded Ballyhale Shamrocks.

Ballyhale Shamrocks 2-15 Kilmacud Crokes 0-12

KILKENNY SHC FINAL:

We were lucky enough to grab a sneak peek of the 2015 version of the Irish Farmers Calendar.

Kilkenny passed a test of stamina to take back their second Tony Forristal U14 title in three years at Walsh Park on Saturday evening.

Game of Thrones and Champions League soccer are the big tickets in town this week.

Off the track since April, Boston Bob returned in triumph to justify 8/11 favouritism in the Follow Punchestown On Facebook Hurdle at Punchestown, sparking a New Year’s Eve double for Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh.

Ben Dalton proved himself to be a real super sub when guiding Sword Fish to an easy success in the featured Paddy Power Cork Grand National Handicap Chase yesterday.

Trainer Andy Oliver doubled up with impressive winners All Set To Go and Jazz Girl in Roscommon last night.

The eagerly-awaited clash between Rebel Fitz and Beachdale Lad in the Christy McSweeney Memorial Novice Chase at Killarney last night had a tragic outcome.

Stressed out after all the shenanigans in the Dáil last night?

DIT 1-15 Wexford 1-11

Prince De Beauchene made a successful return to action and proved himself on course for the Aintree Grand National when coasting to a smooth success in the Woodlands House Hotel Hurdle in Limerick yesterday.

Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-16 Dicksboro 0-12

Eoin Larkin inspired James Stephens to victory over gritty Graigue-Ballycallan in an exciting Kilkenny SHC quarter-final in Freshford yesterday.

They are hot favourites with the bookmakers, have won their last two championship games by margins of 23 points and 15 points, and the county has won two of the last three provincial titles in this grade.

“It’s only my luck to have a child that can only celebrate its birthday every four years,” laughed one Cork mum after she gave birth to her first born in the early hours of Feb 29.

JAMES STEPHENS collected the Kilkenny SHC title at a damp Nowlan Park yesterday, where 8,742 spectators saw an entertaining replay after last week’s draw disputed by two fully committed sides – sometimes too committed, as evidenced by the second-half sendings off of Jackie Tyrrell, captain of the new champions, and Ballyhale’s Colin Fennelly.

IT may not have been a footballing classic but few in Monaleen will complain after successfully defending their Limerick SFC crown at the Gaelic Grounds yesterday.

IT may not have been a footballing classic but few in Monaleen will complain after successfully defending their Limerick SFC crown at the Gaelic Grounds yesterday.

THE Kilkenny senior hurling league final, which will be played two weeks after the All-Ireland final, will be contested by champions Ballyhale Shamrocks and old city foes James Stephens.

All-Ireland MFC semi-final

MAYO are chasing a hat-trick of titles when they play Galway in the Connacht minor football championship final in Castlebar tomorrow.

Opponents of a controversial incinerator today questioned the independence of a study by a leading think-tank backing the scheme.

THE ESRI has found itself on a collision course with the Department of the Environment after the think-tank described the department’s waste management review as “flawed,” adding that it failed to create jobs, enhance competitiveness and meet EU Landfill Directive targets.

ANDOR Technology has marked its 20th year in existence with a strong set of results, including a 67% rise in pre-tax profit to £3.5 million (€3.9m).

ANDOR TECHNOLOGY, the IEX-listed maker of high-end digital camera equipment for the scientific imaging and spectroscopy markets, said yesterday that it is expecting to generate full-year sales of over £21 million (€30.3m) — around 10% up on the previous year.

A WOMAN and her 11-year-old daughter were rescued after their dinghy was taken out to sea by strong winds off the Dublin coast yesterday morning.