What a difference a year makes; from the historic jubilant scenes after beating Cork in Semple Stadium last year to the sheer devastation of Saturday night’s narrow loss.

If Galway progress in a business-like manner, it will augur well for more than a Leinster semi-final, writes PM O’Sullivan.

Ronan O’Gara breaks down that Racing 92 match you fortunately missed...

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but to think that Peter O’Mahony was not meant to start against England now seems faintly ridiculous.

Dylan Hartley is considering swapping the Bible for rugby's law book after accepting responsibility for England's slow reaction to Italy's tactics at Twickenham on Sunday.

Outgoing captain Darren Clarke has urged the European Tour not to follow the Americans and make sweeping changes to their Ryder Cup system in the wake of his team’s defeat at Hazeltine National.

Anthony Foley will send his under-fire Munster players out at Thomond Park this evening confident in their abilities to be all right on the European night after two poor league returns.

Europe’s Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke says there will be no controversial gamesmanship at next year’s competition following the uproar at the women’s Solheim Cup.

He’s spent the greater portion of his life in Cork, even winning an All-Ireland in the blood and bandage, but John Meyler knows they’ll never allow him to be a Rebel.

Kevin Fennelly said it was a regret of his he didn’t produce Henry Shefflin when he was Kilkenny manager in 1998.

Tears and joy as wheelchair-bound Nicole receives new puppy, just days after losing her beloved assistance dog.

Wexford footballer Adrian Flynn has apologised for his outburst against referee Anthony Nolan on social media.

IT was 2013’s craziest, most dramatic four minutes in Irish sport.

KEITH ANDREWS: Time to hold my hands up: I wrote a couple of months back that I felt Man United would turn things around and challenge for the title but I have been proven very wrong.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but Rory McIlroy insists he will learn from the mistakes he’s made this year and use the 17 days he has to get ready for The Open to find the perfect driver for Muirfield.

Blackburn‘s global advisor Shebby Singh has revealed he is in discussions with some experienced candidates to fill the managerial vacancy at Ewood Park.

It was difficult not to be heartened by the sight of Colm O’Neill dancing around Gaelic Park last Saturday evening.

There’s a myth Marc Ó Sé would like to dispel but he knows only an All-Ireland title will do it.

A Cork hotel snug has a long-held reputation for romantic hook-ups. Louise Roseingrave couldn’t resist trying it out

A top-level probe into how a Sinn Féin TD managed to leave taxpayers with a €50,000 bill for ink cartridges in two years was demanded last night.

ANOTHER potential embarrassment in the ugly controversy dividing Donegal GAA has been averted by Kevin Cassidy’s absence from a Sligo IT Sigerson Cup reunion on Saturday.

RORY McILROY’S bid for a second Major title effectively ended the moment he picked his seven iron out of the bag and took aim at a tree root on Thursday.

Rory McIlroy was left wishing he could have one shot again after a second-round 73 at the USPGA Championship in Atlanta today.

DEFENDING the US Open in a fortnight’s time is the big date coming up for Graeme McDowell, but first comes this week’s SAAB Wales Open — and he wants to win that again too.

ABANDONED by his coalition partners, left with less than half a Cabinet, and facing an ultimatum from the opposition to call an election by the end of the week, Brian Cowen has nowhere left to turn.

CARLOS TEVEZ was blithely unaware his departure from Old Trafford in the summer would lead to such extensive inquests into why he was allowed to leave and how much of a contributing factor it would be in the decline of Manchester United.

ALMOST 12,000 people are receiving state assistance to help pay their monthly mortgage bills.

“THAT’S twice he’s folded like a cheap suit as if there’s something wrong”, was the verdict of Tom Segal (Pricewise) in Monday’s Racing Post.

TOMÁS O’LEARY’s meteoric rise from Munster’s bench to a first international start against the All Blacks is certainly uplifting but it pales into comparison against the story of the man wearing the other number nine shirt tomorrow.

A legal challenge against how police handled the loyalist protest which targeted Catholic schoolgirls at Holy Cross Girls' School in north Belfast could end up in the European Courts, it was revealed today.

AS the Irish banking sector continues to struggle it raises the prospect of a merger or takeover of one or more of the banks.

THE sunshine streamed in the Burlington Hotel yesterday morning but for Diarmuid Murphy the fine weather did little to brighten his mood.

LONG before yesterday’s qualification rounds of the women’s hammer in Beijing, there were doubts about Eileen O’Keeffe’s wellbeing, even about her participation.

Brave Inca, winner of the 2006 Champion Hurdle, has been ruled out of the upcoming National Hunt season with a tendon injury.

Sheffield United chairman Kevin McCabe has backed Bryan Robson and Brian Kidd as the dream team that can propel the Blades back to the Barclays Premiership at the first attempt.

RIVAL coaches Declan Kidney and Pat Howard made hugely important calls before and during yesterday’s bruising Heineken Cup game at Welford Road.

New clubs, no practice round and a pain in the neck surprisingly added up to a share of the lead for Denmark’s Anders Hansen in the KLM Open in Zandvoort.

Brendan Larkin

Mayo 1-12 Kerry 0-14