Imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, Pat Gilroy must have felt the love from all over Ireland in the early months of 2012.

James O’Donovan beat Aidan Murphy in the feature score of the Mid-Cork festival at Ballinacurra on Sunday.

Thomas Mackle will be bidding for a special place in bowling history when he defends his Hurley’s of Midleton King of the Roads title at Ballincurrig next weekend.

Gavin Twohig beat Éamon Bowen by almost a bowl in the first round of the Munster senior championship in driving rain at Templemartin on Monday.

Gary Daly bowled well at Fermoy to take the first win of the 2017 Munster senior championship at the expense of James Buckley.

Michael Harrington beat Seán Murphy by two bowls at Shannonvale to advance to the Munster Intermediate quarter-final.

Susan Greene is set to vacate the chair of Ból-Chumann na hÉireann, having led the national governing body since 2001.

All-Ireland champion Thomas Mackle bowled well to beat Aidan Murphy by almost a bowl in the Willie Whelton Cup at Grange.

Darragh Kiely is the standout player of the past week, having won three critical scores in quick succession, culminating in the All-Ireland U18 final.

Éamon Bowen eliminated hot favourite Gary Daly from the Mick Barry Cup at Ballincurrig and ended his interest in the Hurley’s of Midleton King of the Roads.

Billy McAuliffe and Paul Buckley will contest a classic Munster Junior A final at Templemichael on Friday week, June 26.

Martin Coppinger is back on track to regain the Munster senior title after securing the top spot in Pool D with an emphatic win over Christy Mullins on the Creamery Road in Bantry.

HE MAY have been 72 by the time it hit the record stores, but Gerry Quinn says musician Andy Irvine is justifiably proud of the CD and DVD of his 70th birthday concerts in Dublin’s Vicar St.

Séamus Sexton and Willie O’Donovan will contest what promises to be an exceptional Munster intermediate final at Jagoes Mills on Sunday.

Aidan Murphy and Christy Mullins will contest the Munster senior final on Sunday July 6 at Ballygurteen.

John Creedon won a terrific joust with Edmond Sexton in the Munster senior championship at Templemartin on Sunday.

Tourists and ‘techies’ last year contributed to one of the country’s best known pubs, O’Donoghue’s on Dublin’s Merrion Row, having a stellar year to record post-tax profits of over €310,000.

Pat Gilroy last night stepped down as Dublin manager after four seasons in charge of the county, citing family and work commitments.

On the homepage of Kilmacud Crokes’ football website, there’s a photograph captioned ‘The Magnificent Seven’.

Dave Kenny was amazed to discover a very rare photograph of Michael Collins in his own attic

Catriona O’Farrell-Kidney is All-Ireland senior champion for the first time since 2001 following a determined and focused finish that denied Kelly Mallon the three-in-a-row at Markethill Road in Tassagh.

Trevor O’Meara led from line to line in his bowl-of-odds win over Raymond Ryan in the Munster Intermediate final at Donoughmore on Sunday.

Slightly paraphrased, Jimmy Rabbitte’s immortal quote from The Commitments describes Pat Gilroy’s club.

James O’Donovan had an explosive start in his bowl-of-odds win over John Creedon in the Munster Senior Championship at Rosscarbery.

He opened with a good bowl, which Murphy missed by 30m. Murphy played his second bowl to the right and O’Donovan increased his lead to 60m.

Selector Paddy O’Donoghue admits Dublin’s discipline is not what it should be after deciding not to appeal Bryan Cullen’s one-match ban.

Aidan Murphy had the first win of the 2012 Munster senior championship when he beat Martin Coppinger in the last shot at Baile Mhuirne in Pool A on Saturday.

Trevor O’Meara won the Hughie Desmond Cup final at Curraheen on Saturday where he beat Raymond Ryan by two bowls.

BRYAN CULLEN insists Dublin have enough players with individual talent to make clear their All-Ireland ambitions in Sunday’s Allianz League Division 1 final against Cork.

JOHN CREEDON bowled well to beat Aidan Murphy and Eamon Bowen Jnr in the Kealkill Cup final on Sunday.

ULSTER champion Conor McGuigan will be favoured to regain the All-Ireland Intermediate title when he takes on Paddy O’Donoghue on the Markethill Road, Armagh on Sunday.

DAVID MURPHY won the Jerry Desmond Cup final at Grange on Saturday where he beat Gavin Twohig by a bowl of odds.

PADDY O’DONOGHUE and Killian Kingston were the big championship winners last weekend.

KILLIAN KINGSTON finished strongly to beat Vincent Kiely by well over a bowl in the semi-final of the Murphy’s Stout Munster Junior A championship at Whitechurch.

SEAMUS SEXTON and Paddy O’Donoghue will meet in the Murphy’s Stout Munster Intermediate final.

The Government paid SDLP chiefs top-class expenses and mileage during the 1970s, it was revealed today.