A man who abused cannabis almost daily since he was 12 requires “intensive” care and counselling, a district judge said yesterday.

A pioneering knee operation for arthritis sufferers which can halve recovery times has been developed, surgeons say.

DUNNES Stores’ right-hand man Dan Barrett has occupied all of the hot seats.

CHAMPIONS Cratloe remain in the hunt to retain their Clare SHC title after a one point quarter-final win over Newmarket-on-Fergus at Cusack Park, Ennis on Saturday.

A DULL afternoon in Thurles yesterday, cold and drizzly, dense and low-lying grey clouds enveloping the whole area; reflective of those conditions, out in Semple Stadium a pitiful crowd of just over 11,000 to witness a fixture which, only a few years ago, was one of the glamour clashes on the GAA calendar.

On the way into Semple Stadium yesterday I met three fine Waterford men, Tony Wright, Michael O’Donnell and a man with a great Clare name but who assured me he was all Waterford, Paddy McNamara.

AN Taoiseach Brian Cowen performed the official opening of Lusmagh’s & new clubhouse yesterday evening.

NUI Galway 1-24 Limerick IT 1-23

THE selection of George Lee as a candidate was as much about Fine Gael taking the easy option to win the seat by putting up a celebrity vote catcher.

A useful exercise for new Clare manager Ger O’Loughlin in this first round Waterford Crystal senior hurling tournament in magnificent Meelick yesterday afternoon, as his charges chiselled out a gritty three-point win over WIT (Waterford Institute of Technology).

Clare 1-22 Tipperary 3-18

BEFORE we get into any details, I want to address something here in general terms, namely the lack of buzz around the championship this year.

BEING set up again, the patsies, the potential fall guys – that’s how Paul Curran feels as Tipperary prepare to meet Clare in the Munster SHC semi-final in Limerick on Sunday.

FORMER All-Ireland winning defender Mike McCarthy is set end his inter-county retirement and rejoin the Kerry squad.

ANOTHER loss for Clare in the 2009 Allianz Hurling League and, though their relegation to Division 2 was already decided, this one still hurt, and a decent-sized home crowd trundled away from sunny Cusack Park with spirits low.

CLARE 0-19 GALWAY 4-16

Ireland recorded a 5-2 victory over Italy at the National Stadium in Dublin tonight to set up what should be a thrilling finale with France tomorrow afternoon.

Beijing-bound John Joe Nevin believes that the Irish junior squad have the talent to do a Round Robin double at the National Stadium in Dublin this weekend.

Light heavyweight prospect Tommy McCarthy is two bouts away from claiming an Irish title at the National Youth Championships just a few weeks after going all the way in the Ulster Senior Championships.

A slight knee injury has ruled team captain Brian O'Connell out of Clare's must-win NHL Division 1B showdown with fellow strugglers Offaly at Tullamore on Sunday.

HEAVYWEIGHTS Eamonn Higgins (UCC) and Martin Donovan (OLOL) claim top billing on Friday night when Cork County Board host a charity boxing show in aid of the Alzheimer’s Association at Neptune Stadium (7pm).

CLARE manager Mike McNamara has praised the character of his side despite losing their NHL opener to Galway (2-24 to 3-17) on Sunday.

Galway 2-24 Clare 3-17

TYSON FUREY weighed in for the national senior boxing championships at the National Stadium yesterday morning but he will have to produce evidence that he has been resident in the country for 12 months before he can take his place in the semi-finals tonight.

TYSON FUREY will discover this morning if he can contest the Irish National Boxing Championship at the National Stadium.

BRIAN PETERS would love to stage a world title fight involving Andy Lee and John Duddy in Ireland.

DAVID BARRETT will take his preparations for next month’s national senior boxing championships to a new level when he boxes former champion, David Joyce, on a 15-bout bill promoted by Rylane boxing club at the Riverside Park Hotel in Macroom tomorrow night.

TWO of Ireland’s leading female boxers, Olga Cronin (Dungarvan) and Laura O’Neill (Kilkenny), will touch gloves when Rylane Boxing Club stage a star-studded charity show in aid of Macroom Hospital at the River Park Hotel in Macroom on Sunday night.

Limerick IT 2-15 NUI Galway 0-13

RYLANE Boxing Club will feature five heavyweights on the bill for its second tournament at the Riverside Park Hotel, Macroom, tomorrow night, and six members of the Irish Garda and Firemen’s team for the world championships in Australia will be in action.

JUST a couple of weeks after a sell-out event at the same venue, Rylane Boxing Club will stage another boxing extravaganza at the Riverside Park Hotel in Macroom on Friday, February 23.

RYLANE Boxing Club is back in action tonight with a rescheduled tournament featuring a star-studded bill at the Community Centre in Aghabullogue.

AFTER all the star pass-catchers who graced Monday Night Football for 35 years, the final memorable receiving performance was left to a linebacker.

DAVID BARRETT (Rylane) bids to emulate older brother Seanie by winning the light welterweight title at the Irish intermediate boxing championship finals at the National Stadium tonight.

RYLANE boxing club will kick off a big week for Munster boxing with a 16-bout tournament at the Wallace Arms Hotel in Millstreet on Friday night while Ballybunion will host some of the world’s best boxers next week for Ireland’s second-ever multi-nations tournament.

NASEEM HAMED yesterday announced he is planning to return to the ring in the Middle East this summer after a three-year absence.

Brendan Mooney