“I’ve worked in homeless services for nearly 22 years now at this stage and I’ve never seen it as bad. Rough sleeping has increased, family homelessness has increased, the number of children homeless has increased, the lack of good quality accommodation, the lack of any type of accommodation… it’s hitting people very hard.”

A popular eatery will help a homeless charity with a generous scoop from its magic porridge pot.

"I live in a bedroom with my mom, two brothers and two sisters; that’s six of us in a bedroom, you can’t be a family not like this.

The number of people at risk of homelessness and seeking information from Focus Ireland soared by 76% last year, according to the organisation’s annual report. 

At the time, it was labelled the night of the long knives. Brian McIver’s status as Donegal senior team manager wasn’t even on the agenda at the September 2008 sitting of county committee; he was just in Ballybofey to give his annual report.

One day, a young boy asked his dad for a glass of milk.

Spot the difference: “You only complain about the break if you get beaten in a quarter-final.

Ballygarvan were forced to defend deep into the last frantic moments of this game to record a merited victory over St Catherine’s at Watergrasshill last night.

CORK panellists Paddy O’Shea and Kevin McMahon have both opted of Conor Counihan’s senior football squad.

WHILE the Cork team that beat Limerick in the McGrath Cup on Sunday was bolstered with the addition of a few All-Ireland medal-winners, it was still a fairly inexperienced side.

GREATER composure in front of goal ensured Cork set up a first meeting of the season with Kerry as they accounted for their hosts in the McGrath Cup at the Gaelic Grounds yesterday.

KERRY’s Paul Galvin could be ready for a return to Sigerson Cup action — at the ripe old age of 30!

CORK boss Conor Counihan will make his 2011 managerial bow in next Sunday’s McGrath Cup quarter-final against Limerick in Newcastlewest but will operate without the majority of his All-Ireland winning team for the pre-season clash.

Cork defender Michael Shields, who skippered the Rebels to National Football League honours last year, is set to miss the opening stages of the 2011 campaign due to pre-arranged travel plans.

ALAN O’CONNOR and Kevin McMahon are the only two members of Cork’s All-Ireland senior football winning squad set for action for the Rebels’ 2011 season bow in Sunday’s McGrath Cup opener against Waterford IT at Páirc Uí Rinn.

The best of times, the worst of times, as Rebels chase the big one

AN ENTHRALLING game at Brinny last night as Ballygarvan booked a Cork County IHC semi-final berth after a gutsy performance against pre-tournament favourites Bandon.

CORK’s qualification for next month’s All-Ireland final has led to county board chiefs postponing club matches fixed for next week involving members of the starting 15 that defeated Dublin in last Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final.

PAUDIE KISSANE is not the only recent All-Ireland junior football winner who will feature in tomorrow’s All-Ireland SFC semi-final in Croke Park.

Conor Counihan has named an unchanged side for Cork's Munster Football Semi-Final replay against Kerry at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday, (throw-in 2pm).

THE last time Down rolled into Ballybofey for championship Sunday, Donegal manager Brian McIver went against the grain of his predecessors.

JAMIE O’SULLIVAN of Bishopstown has been named at left half back on the Cork team to play Mayo in the Allianz National Football League final at Croke Park on Sunday.

AFTER prolonged absences, Alan Quirke, Anthony Lynch, Graham Canty, Donnacha O’Connor, Kevin McMahon and Colm O’Neill return to the Cork team for Sunday’s final game in the preliminary rounds of the Allianz NFL against Mayo at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

SEAN CAVANAGH will return to the Tyrone starting line-up for the first time since last August’s All-Ireland quarter-final against Kildare for tomorrow night’s crunch NFL Division 1 showdown against Kerry in Healy Park, Omagh.

PEARSE O’NEILL and Nicholas Murphy look set to be sidelined for the remainder of the NFL, as the injury problems continue to mount for Conor Counihan’s Cork squad.

NFL DIVISION 1:

Cork manager Conor Counihan and his Dublin counterpart Pat Gilroy have named their sides for tomorrow night's Allianz National Football League Division 1 encounter at Pairc Ui Rinn (7.30pm).

DOUGLAS dual player Eoin Cadogan faces a busy weekend as both the Cork senior hurlers and footballers continue their pursuit of Allianz National League honours.

CORK boss Conor Counihan is likely to be able to call upon the services of dual star Eoin Cadogan for their NFL Division One clash against Dublin in Páirc Uí Rinn next Saturday night.

THE journey home will have taken Cork the best part of six hours and Conor Counihan was probably still trying to figure out quite how his team had just fallen to their first defeat of the season as they slipped into Leeside.

AND then there were two. Survivors from the Cork forward line that started the 2007 All-Ireland football final are becoming thin on the ground after James Masters’ withdrawal from the squad yesterday meant he became the latest attacker from that day no longer involved in Cork football plans going forward.

DEFENDER Conor Dervan makes his first appearance for Galway since the 2008 championship when he starts against Tipperary in the Allianz NHL at Semple Stadium on Sunday.

Bishopstown clubman Ken O'Halloran will make his NFL debut for Cork in Saturday's Division 1 duel with Galway at Pairc Ui Rinn (throw-in 7.30pm).

DUBLIN make five changes in personnel as well as a couple of positional alterations for their NFL Division 1 clash with Mayo at McHale Park, Castlebar.

RECENT history has taught the Cork footballers to measure the relevance of pre-autumn victories over Kerry in thimble-sized measures, but it would be remiss to ignore the grit and adaptability of Cork’s 13 men in outlasting their old rivals on Saturday night in Páirc Uí Rinn.

RTÉ don’t operate a version of Sky’s player cam but they would be well advised to stretch their limited purse strings for Sunday’s All-Ireland final at Croke Park.

HE’S been pounding the midfield treadmill for over a decade now and Nicholas Murphy is still chasing that twin dream of success.

Influential defender Anthony Lynch has been included by manager Conor Counihan in the Cork side to face Donegal on Sunday, despite doubts over his fitness due to a groin injury.

ROSS CARR was last night ousted as Down senior football manager after a vote of club delegates went against him. Carr wished to stay on for a fourth season in charge but was removed after county board delegates opted to vote him out.

THE SPORTS editor in this place gets a little cranky at times. Write what you really think, sez he, that Cork have seen the whites of Kerry’s eyes and discovered that being that close to the green and gold monster didn’t fill them with dread. Talk about 1987, and that stuff.

KILLIAN YOUNG makes a return, Darragh O Sé gets a starting place at midfield and Tommy Walsh is fit to play in the full-forward position as a new-look Kerry team prepare to take on Cork in the Munster SFC semi-final replay at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday.

CORK goalkeeper Alan Quirke apologised to referee Maurice Deegan at half-time of Sunday’s Munster SFC semi-final in the wake of a controversial penalty decision against the Rebels.

AS ONE Kerry great once said, put me down for what I said last time, just change the date.