Cork-born doctor Madoline O’Connell (nee Horgan), who was apprenticed to the discoverer of penicillin, Alexander Fleming, in Harefield Hospital in Britain during the second world war, died last month.

DERVAL O’ROURKE will commence building on the phenomenal year that was 2009 when she travels to Portugal for warm weather training tomorrow – she already had a session in Cork over the festive season when she sneaked into the CIT track in Bishopstown.

SHE may still have to thrill the fans with a win at The Mardyke, but at least they could marvel at the way Derval O’Rourke finished the 100m hurdles at Cork City Sports on Saturday.

ROBERT HEFFERNAN faces his first big test of Olympic year when he lines up for the first leg of the IAAF Race Walking Challenge in Chihuahua, northern Mexico, on Saturday.

TWO years ago Ailish McSweeney shared a room with Derval O’Rourke when her Leevale clubmate won the 60m hurdles title at the world indoor championships in Moscow.