It isn’t quite a top of the table clash – since joint leaders St Pat’s are not in action until they travel to Sligo tomorrow – but Oriel Park is the venue for a big SSE Airtricity League game this evening, as third hosts first with the meeting of Dundalk and Cork City.

With the upcoming sale of the letter from Harry Quinlisk to the authorities in Dublin Castle, about informing on Michael Collins — and the excellent article by historian Ryle Dwyer about this episode in the Irish Examiner last week — when there was a bounty of £10,000 on Michael’s head, I have a contribution.

Goals by Mark Quigley and Pascal Millien late in the first half and a cracking third by Romauld Boco in the 76th minute powered Sligo Rovers to a convincing win at the Showgrounds last night.

Declan O’Brien’s first-half goal proved enough for Drogheda as they cut Sligo’s lead at the top to a single point with a hard-earned win at Hunky Dorys Park.

This was not the return to the Premier Division which Cork City were hoping for on a night in which a defensive lapse and a couple of squandered chances for the visitors meant that a well-organised UCD deservedly emerged with the spoils in what was, overall, a disappointing game at the Belfield Bowl.

The managing director of the West Clare Railway has claimed a planned €200 million windfarm — with pylons topping 400ft — places the railway’s future development in considerable doubt.

OVER 70 potential retail units in a county town are vacant, independent retailer representative body RGDATA has claimed.

THE promoter of contentious plans for a €34 million retail development for Ennis is making a late bid to win the hearts and minds of the public ahead of a crucial vote on the development.

A CHAMBER of commerce has described a proposal to zone additional land for an out-of-town retail centre as “quite remarkable”.

Derry City will look to keep the pressure on Shamrock Rovers at the top of the table as they take on UCD at the Brandywell, kick-off 7.45pm.

UCD 0 Shamrock Rovers 6

Shamrock Rovers 6 UCD 0

THERE was a time, not too long ago, when people would look at events in history, such as the penal laws in Ireland, and wonder how any society could really believe in such practices.

Dundalk 2 UCD 0

BRAY WANDERERS ended a run of four successive league defeats to move into sixth place in the Premier Division table with a narrow victory over a battling UCD at Belfield last night.

UCD 1 Bray Wanderers 2

SHAMROCK ROVERS will face Estonian champions FC Flora in the UEFA Champions League second round qualifiers, the draw for which was made at UEFA headquarters in Nyon yesterday.

UCD 1 Shamrock Rovers 6

UCD will be looking to bounce back from their third defeat in a row as they take on St Patrick's Athletic tonight at the UCD Bowl, kick-off 7.45pm.

SHAMROCK ROVERS, two points clear at the top of the Airtricity Premier Division, bid to return to winning ways when they face Bohemians in the Dublin derby at Tallaght Stadium tonight (8.05pm, Setanta Ireland).

CHRISTY FAGAN made a telling full return for Bohemians to give them a first home win in seven outings.

Bohemians 1 UCD 0

IT’S back to his Alma mater, and back to basics for Greg Bolger tonight as Dundalk strive to put last weekend’s Setanta Sports Cup final disappointment against Shamrock Rovers behind them.

Bray Wanderers will look to put their last two results behind them as they take on UCD at the Carlisle Grounds tonight, kick-off 7.45pm.

UCD will be hoping to bounce back from their Derry drubbing when they entertain Galway United at the UCD Bowl tonight, kick-off 7.45pm.

GOALS in each half from Robbie Benson and Graham Rusk earned UCD their second league win of the season in a tense encounter withSligo Rovers at the Belfield Bowl last night.

Sporting Fingal 4 UCD 1

Bray Wanderers 2 UCD 2

UCD will be looking to put their recent bad form behind them as they take on bottom-of-the-table Bray Wanderers at the UCD Bowl tonight, kick-off 7.45pm.

UCD will be hoping to bounce back from last week’s defeat to Shamrock Rovers when they take on Galway United at Terryland Park tonight, kick-off 7.45pm.

A young father who threatened to kill himself and his ex-partner when he suspected she was seeing someone else after they had broken up has had his sentencing adjourned for six months.

A US sergeant convicted of murdering four bound and blindfolded Iraqis was sentenced to life in prison today.

A SECOND US soldier was convicted yesterday of murder in the execution-style slayings of four bound and blindfolded Iraqi detainees in 2007 and sentenced to 35 years in prison after he pleaded guilty at his court-martial.

A second US soldier today pleaded guilty to executing four bound and blindfolded Iraqi prisoners in Baghdad.

A 26-year-old US Army sergeant is to be court-martialled on murder charges over the deaths of four Iraqi prisoners.

THE slump in financial markets has not had an impact on the confidence of the population, a new survey indicates.

Standard Life’s financial confidence index, released today has shown an increase from 62 to 66.

India’s Tata Steel won the battle for Corus early today after a dramatic night of bidding sent the Anglo-Dutch firm’s value soaring to £5.75bn (€8.66bn).