More than eight decades of education provision ends today when 33 city and county vocational education committees (VECs) are consigned to history.

Cork senior footballer Denis O’Sullivan has applied for a transfer from Ballinascarthy to neighbouring club Clonakilty.

Cork City have branded claims on Twitter that the club’s players were on strike as “nasty rumours”.

With 2012 drawing to a close, Kevin Doyle has spoken candidly about how the Republic of Ireland players’ pre-tournament optimism was destroyed at the European Championships.

The head of City of Cork Vocational Education Committee says he looks forward to continuing in the role after changes to a planned reshuffle of VEC chiefs nationally.

The wife of Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore is to become a policy specialist for his Labour Party colleague Ruairí Quinn as part of redeployment arrangements for vocational education committee (VEC) chiefs.

Castlemagner 0-14 Rathpeacon 1-7

BELIEVE it or not, I was once the feckless type of young man who’d only wear a suit when I reached the cup final in Championship Manager 97-98 on the Amiga 1200.

AIRTRICITY Premier Division title contenders Shamrock Rovers and Bohemians will both be jockeying for position this evening ahead of next Tuesday’s big meeting between the big two at Dalymount Park.

It’s an all First Division clash as Cork City Foras Co-op entertain Monaghan United at Turner’s Cross tonight, kick-off 7.45pm.

LAST week’s narrow defeat to Waterford may mean that promotion will prove a bridge too far for Cork City FORAS this year, but the FAI Ford Cup remains a potential path to glory for the club in its first year after coming back from the dead.

THE World Cup is barely over but, already, the Champions League is kicking off.

NEW Airtricity League-leaders Dundalk take their narrow advantage to Morton Stadium tonight for a tough assignment against third-placed Sporting Fingal (kick-off 7.45pm).

IN a Premier Division season dominated by Dublin derbies, the most high-octane of them all takes place at Tallaght this evening when Shamrock Rovers host Bohemians (7.45pm, RTÉ 2).

GEORGE O’CALLAGHAN was a familiar face at training yesterday as the Cork City squad held their first session of the season under the watchful eye of new manager Roddy Collins.

BOHEMIANS last night insisted that Pat Fenlon remained their manager despite claims he has agreed a deal to take over as Dundee United boss.

AFTER an unhappy spell with Dundalk, George O’Callaghan’s next port of call could be Malta.

CORK CITY stalwart Neal Horgan has confirmed he will be leaving the club at the end of the season.

St Patrick’s Athletic will be missing influential centre-half Jason Gavin as they travel north to take on Dundalk at Oriel Park tonight (kick-off 7.45pm).

Dundalk 1 Galway United 0

Dundalk 1 Cork City 2

WE MIGHT be only seven games into the season but predictions that the League of Ireland title race would be a tight affair this year are already being given credence by a table in which just five points separates the top four, with plenty of other teams not too much further off the pace.

Bray Wanderers 1 Dundalk 1

DARREN MANSARAM, Liam Burns and Chris Turner returned to haunt their former club as Dundalk beat Sligo Rovers 3-1 in the League of Ireland Premier Division at The Showgrounds on Saturday night.

Sligo Rovers 1 Dundalk 3

Dundalk 3 Drogheda United 0

FAHRUDIN Kuduzovic has no fears about beginning his Cork City career at former club, Sligo Rovers, tonight (Showgrounds, 8pm). With a past like his, how could anything faze him?

Dundalk 0 Bohemians 1

ONE OF nervous anticipation is probably the best way to describe the mood on the opening night of the 2009 League of Ireland season.

GEORGE O’CALLAGHAN is back in the League of Ireland, having signed for newly promoted Dundalk.

THE €1 million-plus bill incurred by schools on building work applications that were never considered by the department has sparked outrage among school manager organisations and principals, who have said they would rather have spent the money on classroom resources.

UNLUCKY defender Daniel Agger believes he has got to start his Liverpool career all over again after almost 10 months of injury anguish.

Tranmere 0 Liverpool 1

GEORGE O’CALLAGHAN is set to make a dream debut with Tranmere Rovers in a televised Merseyside derby friendly with Liverpool today just two days after completing his switch from Cork City.

Relegation-threatened UCD are at full strength for tonight's visit of Cork City in the eircom League of Ireland Premier Division (kick-off 7.45pm).

Cork City will be looking to close the gap at the top of the table when they take on Cobh Ramblers at Turner’s Cross tonight, kick-off 7.45pm.

The FAI have published their list of disciplinary committee decisions.

FOR the second league game in succession, Cork City ended up with 10 men and no points, despite a stirring comeback from two-down against St Patrick’s Athletic in Inchicore last night.

WITH the three goals they have scored this season supplied exclusively by George O’Callaghan, Cork City will be hoping their strikeforce doesn’t wait a whole lot longer before getting in on the act, with their next opportunity to do so coming against Derry City in the eircom League tomorrow night.

Shamrock Rovers 1 Cork City 1

IT WAS the sweetest return for prodigal son George O’Callaghan at Stangmore Park last night as the midfielder marked his first game back with a nice pair of strikes that set Cork City on their way in Group One of the Setanta Cup.

Cork City Football Club have announced that George O’Callaghan and Dave Mulcahy have signed for the club following completion of their medicals earlier today.

Cork City manager Alan Matthews was the bearer of good tidings when he and assistant Paul McGee met with the Official Supporters Club at the Telecom Club last night.

Cork City may have to part with close on €50,000 before the end of the month if they want George O’Callaghan back in the club colours.