Ireland’s quintet of hopefuls have work to do to make the 72-hole cut today after mixed weekends at the final stage of the European Tour Qualifying School in Spain.

Tramore’s Robin Dawson showed his ability to remain patient in his bid for a precious tour card by opening with a two-under 70 at the Final Stage of the European Tour Qualifying School in Spain.

Paul Dunne's nightmare season took on more Dantesque proportions when he was forced to withdraw from tomorrow's Final Stage of the European Tour Qualifying School with a niggling wrist injury.

Before I led the Clarecastle team out at half-time of yesterday’s Clare county final, to collect our 25-year anniversary plaques, somebody handed me the 1994 county final programme. We beat a young St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield team that afternoon and, as I scanned the teams, Ger Hoey’s name jumped out at me.

He struggled with reading and writing and recalls how at the age of 12, he had to sit at the back of the classroom because his teacher, with a class of 35 children, just didn’t have the time to give him the extra help he needed.

A local authority was "bewilderingly incompetent" in its conduct when it directed a construction firm to trespass on private land to carry out road and drainage works, a High Court judge said.

A voluntary organisation comprised of seven different religious denominations took to the streets of Cork last night for the Leaving Certificate celebrations in order to assist young people who were in difficulty after the festivities.

A new online service that allows people to find out straight away if they are eligible for a medical card is now available from the HSE.

Top-table officials in Clare and Limerick have expressed concern at the growing shortage of referees in either county.

Firefighters giving evidence in a double murder trial have described seeing skulls and a ribcage in a burning car they were hosing more than five years ago.

A man has been charged with knowingly possessing four kilograms of TNT in central Dublin, while another man has been charged with IRA membership, at a bank-holiday Sunday sitting of the Special Criminal Court.

Michael Hoey threatened to record the first 59 in European Tour history before having to settle for a share of the lead on a low-scoring first day of the Rocco Forte Open in Sicily.

The four Irish players competing in the final stage of the European Tour Qualifying School at PGA Catalunya Resort in Girona are all in real danger of missing today’s cut after a brutal day yesterday.

Helen O’Callaghan learns why research on housing is more important than ever

Another autumn of discontent awaits college students as the scramble for scarcer and dearer accommodation is tougher than in any of the last 10 years.

The Union of Students of Ireland (USI) today launch an appeal to encourage more householders to offer ‘digs’-style accommodation — and for students to avail of them.

Update 8.22pm: A Junior Minister has tonight defended the shooting dead of five cattle by Army marksmen earlier today.

Louth captain Adrian Reid says that today’s game against Meath “is our Leinster final, make no mistake about it.” But he doesn’t say it for purposes of revenge. You know - Joe Sheridan, Martin Sludden and all that.

Shane Dowling remembered Ger Hoey of St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield in the clamour of yesterday’s All-Ireland club success.

It is a case of ‘Last Chance Saloon’ for all but two of the seven Irish golfers contesting this week’s Portugal Masters at Vilamoura.

Eamonn Ryan’s Cork remain on course for a tenth TG4 All-Ireland ladies senior football crown in eleven seasons.

Open Championship hero Paul Dunne has stayed true to his instincts and confirmed he will remain an amateur until after the Walker Cup this September.

European Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke looks set to add another first to his illustrious playing career by travelling to Russia later this year.

A week spent playing golf with two former Northern Ireland soccer players along with the acquisition of a very expensive putter has put Michael Hoey in contention at the BMW International Open in Munich.

Being Ryder Cup captain means showing faith in your big gun and both 2014 skipper Paul McGinley and 2016 European boss Darren Clarke had sympathy for a struggling Rory McIlroy.

Shane Lowry has given himself eight events up to the first week of June to secure full PGA Tour playing rights. 

There was no hiding Peter Lawrie’s delight after moving inside the top-10 on day two of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters in Doha.

After more than 500 rounds of European Tour competition, Rory McIlroy recorded his first hole-in-one on day two of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

Rory McIlroy made an early move for a fifth success this season in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, while good friend Shane Lowry finally looks set to secure that much sought after top-50 World Ranking.

A father of two who left an elderly priest with a fractured skull and multiple facial cuts after he attacked him with an iron bar in his home has been remanded on bail pending sentence.

The Portugal Masters has been reduced to 54 holes after heavy rain caused lengthy delays in Vilamoura yesterday with only six players, including leader Alexander Levy, completing their second rounds.

He may never match the feats of his major-winning father Darren but Tyrone Clarke has dipped his toes into competitive golfing waters this year and yesterday strutted his stuff in the Pro-Am ahead of this week’s Northern Ireland Open Challenge at Galgorm Castle.

Bobby Browne is nothing short of a legend at Laytown and Bettystown and the 71-year old PGA professional was beaming on Saturday as the ladies claimed the AIG Senior Cup for only the second time in the club’s 105-year history — 26 years after their breakthrough win in 1988 — with victory over a youthful Killarney. 

Michael Hoey’s Open Championship came to a painful end at Hoylake yesterday as he was forced to withdraw during the second round due to a foot injury.

Northern Ireland’s Michael Hoey was forced to pull out of the 143rd Open Championship after just seven holes of his second round today.

Graeme McDowell will tee off in his second round at The Open this afternoon hoping for an ill wind to blow across Royal Liverpool and give him a chance to play catch up with Rory McIlroy.