The game was over and a damp dusk drawing in but the people walking around Walsh Park were in no hurry to leave.

Former Down player Marty Clarke has begun a new role mentoring young Gaelic footballers identified as Aussie Rules prospects, as the AFL switches its recruitment focus away from the USA and back to Ireland.

A woman who set fire to an apartment, killing two men, had to be dragged by gardaí to safety still clutching a bottle of cider.

Jazmine Sands is grateful for the occasional telephone call from Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin, checking up on how she is doing, more than eight months after her baby girl passed away.

Mallow 1-13 Bantry Blues 0-10: A crucial Micheál O’Rourke goal helped Mallow overcome Bantry Blues in the first round of the Cork PIFC at Newcestown yesterday evening.

Mallow 0-18 Cloyne 2-9: Goal-hungry Cloyne came close but Mallow held on in a rousing finish to last night’s exciting Cork Premier IHC quarter final at Páirc Uí Rinn.

Irish consumers are still spending less and saving more in the last six months — despite the pick-up in the economy.

Two more young Gaelic footballers are set to leave these shores to pursue a professional career in Aussie Rules.

Garryowen 15 St Marys College 24

A new survey shows consumer spending is expected to decrease slightly this Christmas compared to last year.

Irish people are going to splurge almost €1.5bn on food, drink, and presents this Christmas — more than any country in Europe.

Watergrasshill 3-17 Mallow 2-09

With ground conditions extremely testing at yesterday’s Doneraile Hunt point-to-point meeting at Dromahane, it was a case of the best wine being left until last as the Mark Spillane-trained Lanespark cemented his position as one of the best front-runners, participating in points, at present by recording a pillar-to-post success in the closing novice riders’ open.

Young Munster 16 St Marys College 14

CBC students were recently part of the largest group ever to climb Kilimanjaro, says Sharon O’Reilly

Hotel room prices in Dublin have risen by 7.8%, according to business advisory firm Deloitte.

Mallow 3-20 Newcestown 3-19 (AET)

Hotels in Dublin are continuing to grow business though at a slower rate than 2011, according to Deloitte.

Hotels in the centre of Dublin performed strongly in 2011, with occupancy rates increasing 6%, according to a recent study.

A report has revealed that Dublin hotel figures performance in the city was considerably stronger in 2011, compared with 2010.

OCCUPANCY rates in Dublin hotels rose by 8% year-on-year during the first nine months of 2011, according to figures published yesterday.

Occupancy rates at hotels in Dublin rose to 73% for the first nine months of the year, an improvement of almost 8% compared to the same period last year.

AVONDHU enter unchartered territory for the division in modern times when they contest the Cork SFC quarter-final next weekend after they fashioned an extra-time win over Aghada in last night’s fourth round replay in Castlelyons.

HOTEL prices in Dublin edged higher in the first half of this year but prices are still a long way from the heights they reached during boom times.

THIS was a contest to forget at Donoughmore on Saturday, Blarney and Mallow failing to ignite.

SEVEN out of 10 of Ireland’s leading companies plan to recruit this year.

THEY have relied on their wits and battling qualities to escape from several matches this season, but Cork minor football selector Donal O’Sullivan is confident that there is a complete performance in his team in tomorrow’s ESB All-Ireland MFC semi-final against Galway in Croke Park.

CORK’s qualification for next month’s All-Ireland final has led to county board chiefs postponing club matches fixed for next week involving members of the starting 15 that defeated Dublin in last Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final.

CORK boss Brian Cuthbert has made three changes to his starting 15 for next Sunday’s Munster MFC final against Kerry in FitzGerald Stadium, Killarney.

CORK boss Brian Cuthbert has made six changes for tomorrow night’s Munster MFC semi-final against Tipperary in Semple Stadium at 7pm from the team that scraped to victory over Clare in their quarter-final in Ennis four weeks ago.

Coca Cola Ireland squad coach Sean Boylan and Sean Cavanagh have appeared in front of the media with Aussie coach Mick Maltouse and captain Brent Harvey before tomorrow's first International Rules test in Perth.

TCH All-Ireland School’s Quiz number 187 saw a very close win for Ard Scoil Phobal Beanntrai who won with a score of 96.

Graham Geraghty has his family on his mind after coming out of tonight's hearing at Croke Park, which cleared him of foul play and made him eligible to play in Sunday's International Rules second Test.

Sean Boylan's Ireland squad is gathering in the manager's native Dunboyne today, ahead of Sunday's International Rules second Test against Australia.

GRAHAM Geraghty is expected to play in the second International Rules Series Test in Croke Park on Sunday (2pm).

Cardiff Blues 22 Munster 13

Under-fire Australian co-captain Chris Johnson will defend the actions which saw him red-card in last month's International Rules second Test by video link later today.

MATTHEW JAMES, criticised for his handling of last week's first International Rules Test, will again be the home official today in Melbourne, alongside Michael Collins from Cork.