The depth of Justin McCarthy's already understrength panel will be severely tested when Limerick take on Offaly in Saturday's All-Ireland SHC phase 2 qualifier in Tullamore (throw-in 7pm).

Cork 2-19 Limerick 0-12

Nine players in Limerick's selected starting line-up will make their Championship debuts this Sunday when they take on Cork in the Munster SHC semi-final at Pairc Ui Chaoimh (throw-in 4pm).

Dublin 6-30 Limerick 2-11

A special meeting of the Limerick County Board has been fixed for next Tuesday with the future of senior hurling manager Justin McCarthy set to be the main topic for discussion.

The 24 members of the 2009 Limerick senior hurling panel, who are refusing to play under current manager Justin McCarthy, have issued a statement in which they accuse the Limerick County Board and the senior management team of using underhand tactics in an attempt to end the ongoing impasse.

James O'Brien, who was among the players to withdraw from the Limerick hurling panel late last year, has become the first of those players to rejoin Justin McCarthy's squad.

Gareth MacHale, driving a Ford Focus WRC, dominated today's nine stages of the opening leg of the Cork "20" International Rally, the final and deciding round of the Irish Tarmac Championship.

London-based Corkonian Mike O'Brien made a winning return to his native county with victory on the Jim Walsh Cork Forest Rally, a qualifying round of the Petro Systems Irish Forest Championship.

Galway 1-14 Limerick 1-12

Three drivers are involved in a titanic struggle for supremacy in the Ordnance Survey Ireland Rally of the Lakes in Killarney, the third round of the Global Group Irish Tarmac Championship.

Talented Limerick forward James O'Brien has decided to focus on the club scene for 2008 and has withdrawn from the Limerick senior hurling squad ahead of next year's league campaign.

Limerick boss Richie Bennis has made four changes to his team for Sunday's NHL Division 1B tie with Galway (Gaelic Grounds, throw-in 2.30pm).

Having played there during last month's Waterford Crystal Cup, Stephen Lucey will continue to man the full-back role for Limerick's hurlers as they get their National League campaign up and running against Tipperary on Sunday (Nenagh, throw-in 2.30pm).

Kilkenny 0-18 Limerick 0-13

Andrew O'Shaughnessy will start for the Limerick hurlers' in Sunday's do-or-die All-Ireland SHC quarter-final against Kilkenny - despite his recent absence from the county panel.

Dublin slumped to their 11th straight defeat in 12 months of competititve hurling as Limerick picked off a 3-14 to 3-08 NHL Division One relegation section win at Parnell Park.

A 14-YEAR-OLD schoolgirl on the run with her 23-year-old cousin asked a maverick bishop in the North to marry them before fleeing south of the Border.

Limerick 3-11 Tipperary 4-14

All-Ireland champions Cork take to the road today and face Wexford, the opposition they overcame in last year's semi-final, in their Division 1B second round clash at Wexford Park.

Last year's Limerick captain, TJ Ryan, has been dropped from Padjoe Whelahan's side to face Tipperary in Sunday's National Hurling League clash at the Gaelic Grounds.

Pallasgreen 1-9 Bruree 0-9

WHEN two experts take polar opposite viewpoints on the same simple subject, what chance the rest of us?

Galway 3-15 Limerick 1-10

DEFENDING champions Kilkenny have named an unchanged team from the side which beat Clare for Sunday's Allianz NHL clash with Dublin at Nowlan Park.

A Mullingar businessman has told an alleged Ir£151,000 insurance fraud conspiracy trial that invoices purporting to come from him were spurious documents and had not been signed by him.

Offaly 1-18 Limerick 0-14

Offaly lead Limerick by a clear goal in the early stages of their All-Ireland qualifier tie at Semple Stadium.

Waterford 1-12

The reigning Irish Tarmac Rally Champions, Andrew Nesbitt and James O'Brien, are the top seeds for the Ordnance Survey Ireland Rally of the Lakes 2003.

Limerick 3-17 Galway 0-8

Limerick 3-09 Tipp 2-12

The first day of the Buy & Sell Circuit of Ireland was dominated by the Subaru Ireland team of Andrew Nesbitt and James O’Brien. Even though they had a few niggling problems, they ended the day’s seven stages with a 40 second leading margin.

Rory Galligan, co-driven by Kerryman, Paul Nagle has won the Peugeot Super 106 Cup category of the Banbury Rally and has clinched the 2001 title. Galligan, from Oldcastle, was in superb form all through today's 14 stages.

Garry Jennings, co-driven by James O'Brien, took fine win on the Ashford Rally in Kent, the penultimate round of the Peugeot Super 106 Cup.