Rugby players in an Irish Open Pro-Am are not an unusual sight. Along with GAA stars and jockeys, they are a staple of the pre-tournament entertainment at this annual stop on the European Tour.

The ordination of six men as permanent deacons in the parish of Cloyne, in Co Cork, is a great example of the potential for lay people to get involved in ministry.

They said they would come in huge numbers, so much so that 10,000 sandwiches had been prepared for the hordes descending on the capital.

TOM CLEARY was once synonymous with all that was good about Limerick, Munster and Irish rugby.