The Irish track team brought their World Championships campaign to a conclusion in Paris yesterday, with the standout performances coming from Caroline Ryan and Eoin Mullen.

Páidí O’Brien is one of the hot favourites to win the final major stage race of the domestic cycling season, the Suir Valley 3-Day, which starts in Clonmel today and runs until Monday afternoon.

When Pádraig Marrey was booted out of the An Post Rás last year along with 28 others for missing the time limit on stage three, he would have been be forgiven if he decided to call time on his 27-year racing career.

Ireland’s Dan Martin suffered one of the biggest disappointments of his career yesterday when he crashed within sight of the line in the iconic one-day Belgian classic, Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

Mark Dowling claimed the biggest win of his career at the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan in Killorglin yesterday when he wrestled the yellow jersey from overnight leader Paddy Clarke by 12 seconds.

Paddy Clarke takes the yellow jersey into today’s final stage of the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan – level on time with Mark Dowling (DID Dunboyne) – following yesterday’s thrilling third stage.

John Cornwell

Dr Crokes 3-12 Tir Chonaill Gaels 0-06

Aidan Dooley

A multinational construction firm has held talks with the Quinn Group amid continuing speculation about a possible takeover of parts of the beleaguered business empire, it was revealed toda

The number of trucks taking part in a protest in Dublin city centre - in support of workers at the Quinn Group - has been reduced to 50.

TRIBUTES were paid yesterday to the 2007 Man Booker winner, Dubliner Anne Enright.

Former Dublin midfielder Paul Bealin has been backed to bag some silverware for Wexford next season.

John Banville’s Booker win is a triumph for artistic merit over popularity, writes Arts Editor Ian Kilroy.

LOUTH senior football manager Val Andrews has resigned his position after just two years in the job.

THE Man Booker long list announced yesterday has a strong Irish showing, with authors John Banville, Sebastian Barry and William Wall all in the running for the prestigious £50,000 book award.

NO major regrets from manager/trainer Fergal O’Sé at not having an active role in his team’s impressive victory in Thurles yesterday, but real pride in the achievement of reaching the AIB All-Ireland club football final against Caltra on St Patrick’s Day.

THE buntings are in abundance in Blanchardstown this week. The home town club, St Brigid's, are heading to Thurles on Sunday for an AIB All-Ireland club SFC semi-final appointment with the mighty Gaeltacht.

When sprawling suburbia enveloped Castleknock and Blanchardstown, the local GAA club didn’t sit on their hands. St Brigid’s instigated a juvenile programme which has brought them all the way to an All-Ireland Club SFC semi final on Sunday. Mark Gallagher visited Dublin 15.

AT first glance, they might appear a strange partnership - former Meath hero Gerry McEntee and ex-Louth guru Paddy Clarke combining their talents to manage a Dublin team.

PADDY CLARKE joked after St Brigid’s impressive victory in Páirc Tailteann yesterday that he could ‘die happy’ after finally getting to coach a winning team in a Leinster football final – almost 30 years after his first attempt!

PADDY CLARKE was in the air, flying to Australia as part of the Irish management for the 2001 International Rules Series, when Brigid’s lost heavily in the Dublin county football final to a Na Fianna side captained by Kieran McGeeney.

St Brigid's Rory Gallagher has been cleared to play in the Leinster club semi-final against Clonguish on Sunday after a Leinster Council GAC meeting.

A FATHER and his young daughter were fighting for their lives last night after a gas explosion ripped through their south Dublin home.

Jubilant St Brigids boss Paddy Clarke has revealed he's on the trail of a Leinster club title after Sunday's historic Dublin SFC win.

St Brigids 0-17, Kilmacud Crokes 1-8

Louth football boss Paddy Carr has resigned his position following the county's disastrous championship campaign and heavy defeats to Dublin and Cavan.

Irish assistant manager Paddy Clarke has been handed a five match ban following a man handling incident proceeding Ireland’s Coca Cola Tour win over Australia on Friday.

Former Down player and Cavan Boss Liam Austin has entered the race to become Senior manager of Louth.

Louth remain unchanged for Saturday’s Bank of Ireland Football Qualifier against Westmeath at Páirc Tailteann in Navan.

Louth manager Paddy Clarke has seen his panel become heavily depleted through injury ahead of Saturday’s All-Ireland Football Championship losers series match against Tipperary in Clonmel.