By the time Brendan Maher left the Gaelic Grounds last Sunday, he had moved on. After that weighty loss to Limerick, Liam Sheedy gave him and the other Tipperary players a couple of evenings off to decompress before returning to training but he was already thinking of an All-Ireland quarter-final.

Paddy O’Brien, one of the country’s foremost crusaders on behalf of the elderly, said the difficulties people are experiencing accessing home help are “worse now” than he has ever seen.

Gardaí are preparing a file for the coroner’s court following the death of an elderly woman in a house fire in Cork City just hours after she was visited by a relative.

Last Saturday, I was in Waterford watching some games in the Tony Forristal tournament: under-14 intercounty hurling.

A well-organised and determined campaign, set against the background of a presidential election, helped farmers secure a fairer price for their milk 50 years ago, writes Ray Ryan

James Barry knows the opposition in next Sunday’s Munster SHC final well. The Tipperary full-back lined out in some tough Harty Cup battles in 2008, when current Waterford boss Derek McGrath was managing De La Salle.

Finalists in Ireland’s largest social event for senior citizens were feted yesterday ahead of the climax of the hugely popular Over 60s Talent Competition this weekend.

A “miracle escape” was how shocked witnesses described the mini-tornado which caused the collapse of a large section of the roof in Cork train station.

Carlsberg might not like it but pensioners yesterday rewrote the drinks’ giant’s catchy slogan to reflect their anger at the Government: “Ireland. Probably the most corrupt little country in the world.”

Ireland 13 France 13

Members of the Tipperary hurling team yesterday took time away from preparing for tomorrow’s All-Ireland semi-final to support their team-mate John O’Brien as he buried his older brother who died during the week.

Underdogs Portroe overcame a well-fancied Toomevara side to capture their first North Tipperary SHC title following a memorable final at MacDonagh Park, Nenagh last evening.

A man who has been responsible for showering people with accolades for two decades was on the receiving end yesterday when he was lauded by the Lord Mayor of Cork.

The prospect of glorious sunshine this weekend helps kick off a summer of weekend festivals and events that extend from Baltimore to Charleville and Youghal to Cork City and Clonakilty.

Declan Kidney’s misgivings about the performance of referee Dave Pearson during the recent RBS 6 Nations campaign appear to have been taken fully on board by the International Rugby Board (IRB) with the sport’s governing body set to axe the English official from it’s tierone panel.

Declan Kidney hailed his team for overcoming the loss of two iconic captains, Brian O’Driscoll and Paul O’Connell, to bring the smile back to Irish rugby.

Keith Earls will rejoin the Ireland squad at Carton House today to give head coach Declan Kidney a much-needed boost ahead of the RBS 6 Nations trip to face France in Paris on Saturday night.

Referees for this season’s RBS 6 Nations championship have been told to carry on their emphasis on the International Rugby Board’s five main areas of concern outlined before the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Arty McGlynn will showcase his hybrid mix of musical styles at the Ennis Trad Festival, says Gerry Quinn.

THE powers of rugby’s Television Match Official (TMO) will be extended to the entire field in selected northern and southern hemisphere games in 2012 and, if successful, it may become permanent.

IRELAND’S Alain Rolland has been named an assistant for the Rugby World Cup final.

WAS Alain Rolland passed over for his second successive World Cup final because he sent off Welsh captain Sam Warburton in Saturday’s semi-final?

VETERAN Bakkies Botha is a doubt for South Africa’s World Cup opener against Wales in Wellington on Sunday.

Veteran Bakkies Botha is a doubt for South Africa’s World Cup opener against Wales in Wellington on Sunday.

SORRY.

IRELAND prop Tom Court is confident the Irish pack will not fall foul of the latest clampdown on scrummaging issued by IRB chief referee Paddy O’Brien.

WORLD referees boss Paddy O’Brien is confident there’ll be no video howlers at the Rugby World Cup after firing off a memo instructing match officials to stay within IRB guidelines when calling on the man upstairs for a ruling.

TOP rugby referee Jonathan Kaplan has been rested from his August Test duties in order to maximise recovery from minor injuries sustained during a road accident last week.

GREG FEEK has earned his crust since leaving New Zealand and his post with the Hurricanes by moving to Dublin to find a cure for Leinster — and then Ireland’s — ailing scrums.

THE touch judge who mistakenly advised Jonathan Kaplan to award Wales’ try against Ireland on Saturday is likely to be sanctioned by the IRB today.

IT WAS not the performance Ireland would have wished for but Declan Kidney’s side just about got back to winning ways at Murrayfield yesterday.

IRELAND enter tomorrow’s Six Nations clash with Scotland insisting they do not have a problem with discipline, and having been backed by rugby’s refereeing chief.

DECLAN KIDNEY will seek further clarification from International Rugby Board referees’ manager Paddy O’Brien following a day of frustration in Rome at the whistle of French referee Romain Poite.

NINE changes, a first cap and a couple of Six Nations debutants will put Declan Kidney’s faith in the depth of his carefully assembled squad to the test on Saturday when Ireland face Italy in Rome.

A MAN who has crusaded tirelessly for the elderly for over six decades was yesterday named the Cork Person of the Year for 2010.

THERE’s no clear favourite for the title of Cork Person of the Year but, according to the bookies, five people — including a sporting father and son — are definitely in the running.

NEW ZEALAND will consult with IRB referee manager Paddy O’Brien before Saturday’s game against Ireland to establish a clear picture of what is expected from both packs at scrum-time.

IRELAND captain Brian O’Driscoll has warned of an outbreak of confusion at scrum-time after the introduction of yet another ruling for referees to enforce.