By the time the first rounds of the Derby and the Oaks began in Clonmel yesterday at the National Coursing meeting, which pares the numbers down from 64 to 32 for today’s second day, I was below in Cork.

For 87 years they’ve been travelling to a green, mostly windswept corner of Co Tipperary for the highlight of their sporting year, and yesterday was no exception as up to 10,000 hardy annuals attended the National Coursing Meeting.

I AM looking at a photograph in the programme for the Tipperary-Kilkenny All-Ireland final of 1967 (priced, incidentally at an old shilling).

LORD Thady Dunraven brought the Irish Cup back home to Kilgobbin, Adare, last night for the first time since the Dunravens let loose greyhounds in pursuit of the trophy 100 years ago.