Michael D Higgins has led tributes to Dermot Gallagher, a former Irish ambassador to the US and general secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs, who died yesterday.

Sunday’s Bank of Ireland Munster Junior Cup final between Young Munster and Cork Constitution (Musgrave Park, 2.30pm) has all the ingredients required to produce a thrilling spectacle.

Chelsea will learn today if their appeal against the red card shown to goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois during Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Swansea at Stamford Bridge has been successful.

Here, we look at five high-profile mistakes by Premier League referees.

Football Association chairman Greg Dyke is to push for trials of video replay technology as the debate over refereeing standards rages on.

Andre Marriner will find out today if he has been stood down for next weekend’s Barclays Premier League fixtures for sending off the wrong player in Chelsea’s 6-0 win over Arsenal.

Referee Andre Marriner’s confidence would be shattered if he was stood down for the rest of the season for sending off the wrong Arsenal player at Chelsea, according to former Premier League official Dermot Gallagher.

Jose Mourinho admitted the better team lost, and appeared to offer Alex Ferguson an apology, as Real Madrid celebrated reaching the Champions League quarter-finals last night.

Premier League referees would all welcome the immediate introduction of goal-line technology, according to former top official Dermot Gallagher.

Celtic will seek “clarification” from UEFA over referee Alberto Undiano Mallenco’s performance in the 3-0 Champions League defeat to Juventus at Parkhead on Tuesday night, manager Neil Lennon has revealed.

Just as he knew best about most things, it seems Shankly was right again.

Former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin has claimed he would have done the same as Eden Hazard if he had been involved in the controversial ball-boy incident at Swansea.

An explosive report into alleged collusion between gardaí and a convicted drugs trafficker will be completed in the coming weeks.

GAA president Liam O’Neill has strongly defended his commitment to Gaelic football and admitted his shock at the reaction to his misinterpreted Congress comments.

THE interpretation of FIFA’s law 12, which covers fouls and misconduct, has come under the microscope this season following a series of high-profile incidents.

ST OLIVER Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh made hard work in accounting for Lucan Sarsfields at Parnell Park last Saturday.

THE Corrib “rape tape” investigation should be completed within months, the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) has said.

SOME of the gardaí implicated in the “rape tape” scandal have been interviewed by the State’s independent police watchdog.

Rafael has escaped with an £8,000 fine and a warning about his future conduct following an FA disciplinary hearing into his reaction following the red card he received during Manchester United’s goalless draw at Tottenham last week.

GAA referees have been ordered to clamp down on football goalkeepers moving too early off their line for penalty kicks.

OVER 2,000 complaints were made by members of the public to the Garda Ombudsman Commission last year.

THE Football Association have written to Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson to ask him to explain his comments about referee Alan Wiley.

The Football Association have written to Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson to ask him to explain his comments about referee Alan Wiley.

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson could be hit with a Football Association charge for his comments about referee Alan Wiley.

Nine Garda officers were prosecuted last year for offences including assault, perverting the course of justice and false imprisonment, it was revealed today.

THE Justice Minister has declined to explain why the state dropped a case against a presumed Garda informant caught in possession of €1.7 million worth of cocaine and heroin.

Corrupt gardaí may be protecting a convicted drug trafficker from going to jail, it was claimed today.

CONCERNS were raised again yesterday regarding government appointments to powerful public bodies.

THE Government’s choice to chair the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission is still considering whether to accept the job after a week of controversy about his nomination.

THE Irish Council for Civil Liberties has criticised the Government for appointing a retired senior civil servant as head of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC).

Justice Minister Dermot Ahern has announced three key appointments in policing.

Ireland’s ambassador to Britain has been appointed as the Government’s top diplomat.

The Football Association have not yet ruled out taking further action against Sheffield United skipper Chris Morgan for his challenge on Iain Hume last weekend which left the Barnsley striker with a fractured skull.

THE Football League have confirmed there is no prospect of the Coca-Cola Championship clash between Watford and Reading being replayed.

AFTER the first 60 minutes at Middle Eastlands I had mentally crafted this column as a thesis on which set of supporters this weekend looked the biggest set of plums — the Manchester City fans swathed in tea-towels and Brazil shirts or those braying Geordies with their paranoid banners about “the Cockney Mafia.”

The Examiner’s football correspondent Liam Mackey likes a good argument when he hears it, and he’s got strong views of his own.

FORMER top-flight referee Dermot Gallagher believes officials made the “decision of the season” in awarding Arsenal’s late equaliser against Man United on Saturday.

Reading 0 Watford 2

West Brom’s appeal against captain Paul Robinson’s red card in the weekend defeat to Sunderland has been upheld by the Football Association.

WIGAN manager Paul Jewell has claimed any Football Association charge for foul and abusive language following Sunday’s defeat by Arsenal would “smack of double standards”.

Wigan manager Paul Jewell has claimed any Football Association charge for foul and abusive language following Sunday’s defeat by Arsenal would “smack of double standards”.

The Football Association are investigating QPR’s match with China’s Under-23 team yesterday, which was abandoned following a mass brawl.