Australia coach Ewen McKenzie has suspended six members of his squad ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Scotland after they were involved in a late-night drinking session.

Munster A coach Peter Malone predicts a difficult assignment against Scottish outfit, Stirling County, in this evening’s British and Irish Cup opener under floodlights at Bandon RFC (5pm).

Dolphin 15 St Mary’s College 10

Munster 28 Gloucester 17

New Australia coach Ewen McKenzie has no concerns over playmaker Quade Cooper’s ability to perform under pressure ahead of his likely Test return against the All Blacks next month.

BRITISH & IRISH LIONS TOUR:

GATHERINGS may be all the rage for 2013, but the concept is old hat to Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, which has been gathering together musicians from across the Irish diaspora for over 60 years.

Highfield 9 UCC 14

Dolphin and Highfield will contest the Cork Charity Cup final while Young Munster and UL Bohemian go head-to-head in the Limerick competition decider following the four semi-finals played over the weekend.

Australia coach Robbie Deans has brought in five players to an extended squad for the Wallabies’ next Rugby Championship match against South Africa.

County U21 star Justin Cahill gave a man-of-the-match performance as Kilruane MacDonaghs defeated Knockavilla Kickhams 1-20 to 0-16 in the delayed Tipperary SHC first round clash at Templetuohy last night.

Wingers Drew Mitchell and Lachie Turner have been included in Australia’s training squad as they prepare for the Rugby Championship.

Jonathan deBurca Butler compiles 10 things you never knew about the Olympics, from medals for art and ‘gold’ that was silver

Calf prices are even higher at selected marts for lucky sellers of Hereford calves.

Kilbrittain 5-15 Aghabullogue 0-5

KILBRITTAIN advanced to the next round of the Premier IHC as they finished strongly to overcome Inniscarra at Cloughduv yesterday.

ST NICK’S were everyone's favourites to drop down a grade in the Cork SFC but they pulled off the great escape at Bandon last night, beating Dohenys 2-6 to 1-8, to deservedly maintain their senior status and at the same time stay in the title race.

PADDY RYAN — P.S. Ó Riain — whose death took place on Saturday night, gave a life-long commitment to the GAA in Limerick and was one of the best-known figures at national level with close to 35 years of continuous service on the Central Council.

A FORMER council engineer accused of deceiving a superior officer over an €18,920 contract was acquitted yesterday when a judge directed a jury to return a “not guilty” verdict.

ALL-IRELAND League champions and current leaders, Cork Constitution, face what the coach Brian Walsh believes will be the biggest test of the season when they meet local rivals Dolphin at Temple Hill this afternoon (2.30pm).

LIMERICK is to honour the late award-winning author Frank McCourt with a bronze bust which will be unveiled in the city centre on May 13.

Classic action returns to Curraheen Park this weekend with the start of the 2009 Cashmans Irish Laurels and many of the best in training will take their chance in the Southern classic.

NINE counties were represented among 20 qualifiers who lined up for the GVM All Ireland €2,500 commercial championship at last week’s Cappamore Show in Co Limerick.

THE story of “The Bull” who became a “Lion” provided a delightful backdrop to Cappamore Show in Co Limerick yesterday.

IT WAS a day for the brolly at Cappamore Show in Co Limerick, an event at which heavy rain traditionally never fell.

THE organisers of tomorrow’s Cappamore Show in Co Limerick are hoping their unique record of fine weather for the event over 53 successive years will be maintained.

IT is probably inevitable that we will be told that the Chinese are exploiting the Olympic Games for their own political purposes, as if the Americans, the Germans, the Russians, the British, or all the others had not done so already.

ADRIAN NEILAN, the recently-appointed CEO of the Irish Greyhound Board, has completed a top-level review of the organisation and yesterday announced a number of appointments as part of the board’s strategic goal of improving operational efficiency and providing greater value to the industry.

PADDY FITZGERALD’S lifetime of rural voluntary endeavour will be recalled Thursday night when the award which commemorates him will be presented at Adare, Co Limerick.

FARMER opposition is building to retain electro-immobilisation for treatment of livestock.

HAVING waited most of her life for the man of her dreams, 86-year-old Limerick bride Mary McGrath did not keep her 83-year-old groom waiting too long at the altar on Saturday.

Clonakilty CC 4-8 Belmullet CC 0-8

CROWDS flocked to Cappamore, Co Limerick, yesterday, to celebrate a golden jubilee cocktail of shows, sunshine and success.

Ronnie Delaney has been invited to unveil a full sized memorial statue to Paddy Ryan, winner of a gold medal and a silver insignia for the 16lb hammer throw and 56lb weight, respectively at the Olympic Games in Antwerp, in 1920.

THE BONFIRES were blazing again in Newtown on Sunday night, the bunting-bedecked village rocking into the small hours as all 800 souls in the parish appeared to congregate around Paddy Ryan’s pub to celebrate winning the Munster hurling club title.

ST COLMAN’S open the defence of their Irish Examiner Dr Harty Cup title with a tricky first-round tie against Cashel CS in Clonmel tomorrow.