Sergiu Ciobanu, the Moldovan native who runs with Clonliffe Harriers, will start favourite to win tomorrow’s annual Ballycotton 10 mile road race in East Cork — the 37th edition of this classic event.

Three derby games in the league this weekend. In Ennis we have Clare and Galway, in Dungarvan it’s Cork and Waterford, and in Semple Stadium Tipperary face Kilkenny.

DIARMUID O’FLYNN on how a north Kerry village is uniting behind Call Her Now in next week’s Oaks in Clonmel

ANOTHER week, another one-side hurling semi-final?

EARLY on, the conversation was much as expected.

AT Laffansbridge the first sign is spotted, nailed firmly to a telephone pole. The Killenaule club colours are prominent with the yellow background and red font, and the message is proclaimed simply: ‘Best of luck Declan, Festy and Gerry’.

THE recent National Hurling League final, won by Kilkenny in Thurles, was very encouraging from a hurling point of view. This was Tipperary playing with a steel that I hadn’t seen in them for a long time, a team that stood up physically to a very strong Kilkenny side.