The West’s Awake was a poignant winner of the two-and-a-half-mile novice chase at Punchestown yesterday.

It’s not the job of the Ireland team to sell this Rugby World Cup but Tom Tierney’s side are doing more than anyone to make the wider public, both here and abroad, sit up and take notice of events at Belfield.

Wexford’s Katie Fitzhenry is confident that Ireland can progress from their group at this weekend’s global women’s rugby sevens tournament in UCD.

Ireland coach Tom Tierney has made one enforced change from the side which defeated England for Sunday’s RBS Women’s 6 Nations game with Wales (Swansea, 12pm).

Ireland 5 France 10

A former garda has been jailed for theft after he pleaded guilty to obtaining over €50,000 by telling people his wife had cancer and needed treatment in the US.

This morning, GAA director general Páraic Duffy delivers his sixth and possibly penultimate annual report.

Damien Fitzhenry believes Anthony Nash will be discriminated against if a new motion is brought in to ensure all close-range frees and penalties are struck before the 20m line.

I imagine you turn to these pages out of weariness and disgust with much of what appears earlier in the newspaper. As in the confirmation of the banana-ness of this particular republic with such spectacular own goals such as missing files in the Department of Finance, the kind of hapless cock-up quite at odds with the notion promoted by that same Department of its own expertise...

Tipperary legend Brendan Cummins brought the curtain down on a glittering inter-county career last evening – with a record 73 SHC appearances under his belt.

I was talking to a Kilkenny hurler of the 1960s and 70s lately (And before you ask, no, it wasn’t Eddie Keher).

Cork team doctor, Con Murphy was amongst the 17 recipients of GAA President’s Awards at Croke Park last night.

TIME nor tide, ‘tis said well and often, waits for no man; neither does the treadmill, and every year, as another sporting season begins to crank up through the gears, another sporting stalwart steps off, decides enough is enough.

IT HAPPENS every year at around this time, another retirement announcement as an aging warrior hears the irresistible call of Father Time, but the news that Wexford goalkeeper Damien Fitzhenry is about to hang up his boots will come as a major disappointment to all hurling supporters.

Wexford goalkeeper Damien Fitzhenry has retired from the county's senior hurlers after 17 years.

WEXFORD goalkeeper Damien Fitzhenry will decide this week if he is to commit to an 18th season of inter-county hurling.

THE legendary Damien Fitzhenry could be seen in the Wexford colours for yet another season despite the fact that he turned 35 last month.

ANTHONY MASTERSON can’t believe his good fortune!

HAD he had a mind to do so, Damien Fitzhenry, the last line of defence for the Wexford hurlers in Sunday’s Leinster SHC final against Kilkenny, could easily have been the first point of attack for the Wexford footballers in their provincial decider against Dublin, two weeks later.

Wexford goalkeeper Damien Fitzhenry has declared himself fit for Sunday's Leinster hurling final against Kilkenny at Croke Park.

WEXFORD goalkeeper Damien Fitzhenry will be fit for Sunday’s Leinster SHC final against Kilkenny at Croke Park.

Wexford 2-15 Dublin 1-15

After a long injury layoff, Wexford's All-Star goalkeeper Damien Fitzhenry makes his long awaited return to action for the Model county this weekend against Kilkenny.

YESTERDAY morning, if you were of a gambling bent, you could have had 9/4 that Kilkenny’s Henry Shefflin would outscore Wexford on his own in this All-Ireland semi-final.

David 'Doc' O'Connor has been included in the Wexford team for Sunday's All-Ireland SHC semi-final against Kilkenny (Croke Park, throw-in 2pm) in the only change manager John Meyler has made to the side that saw off Tipperary last weekend.

WEXFORD 3-10 TIPPERARY 1-14

Wexford manager John Meyler has named the same team for Saturday's rescheduled All-Ireland SHC quarter-final against Tipperary (Croke Park, throw-in 2pm), as he did for last weekend's postponed tie.

Rory McCarthy, Mitch Jordan and Barry Lambert have earned recalls to the Wexford team for Sunday's All-Ireland SHC quarter-final clash with Tipperary (Croke Park, throw-in 2pm).

Veteran goalkeeper Damien Fitzhenry will lead out Wexford for Sunday's All-Ireland SHC quarter-final against Tipperary at Croke Park.

Faythe Harriers clubman Stephen Nolan has been included in the Wexford side for Sunday's Leinster SHC final against defending champions Kilkenny (Croke Park, throw-in 4pm).

Nigel Higgins will captain Wexford for their Leinster SHC semi-final showdown against Dublin on Saturday evening (throw-in 7pm).

Kilkenny 2-22 Wexford 2-7

Wexford 1-16 Galway 0-14, Nowlan Park

Tipperary talisman Eoin Kelly has been confirmed as one of the 12 competitors for next week's 2006 M Donnelly All-Ireland Poc Fada final.

For the second year running, Wexford have crashed out of the All-Ireland Hurling Championship at the hands of Clare.

Kilkenny 1-23 Wexford 2-12

Offaly 0-08 Wexford 0-09

TOMORROW’S meeting of Wexford and Offaly at Nowlan Park is much more than a Leinster senior hurling championship semi-final.

Wexford 0-7 Cork 0-19

Wexford manager Seamus Murphy has named an unchanged side for tomorrow's rearranged Allianz NHL Division 1A clash with All-Ireland champions Cork (Wexford Park, throw-in 3.30pm).