When Dundalk and Waterford United met in a promotion/relegation play-off in November 2012, the two clubs appeared to be travelling in polar opposite directions.

Cork City 1 Bray Wanderers 0

The ESB has paid a dividend of €60m to the State for the first half of this year; double the amount it paid for the same period last year.

ESB Group has reported an increase in its operating profit and revenue for the six months to the end of June.

Last night the League of Ireland’s top two produced the latest episode of their ongoing anthology and there’ll be plenty more chapters to run.

After watching his Swindon Town side plummet into English League Two earlier this month, owner Lee Power is hoping his Waterford FC side can bring him better news this weekend.

These are hectic times for Waterford FC. Friday’s First Division win over Athlone Town attracted their biggest crowd of the season at almost 2,000, a fundraiser was held at the greyhound stadium on Saturday and another healthy attendance showed up yesterday at the RSC for the EA Sports Cup game against Cobh Ramblers.

From tears of anguish to tears of joy, a year has changed a lot for Mikey Drennan.

The rebirth of Waterford FC has sparked huge interest in the capital of the southeast, a long-time power in League of Ireland football.

Shamrock Rovers 0 Bray Wanderers 0: Shamrock Rovers booked their place in the Europa League last night but it appears Stephen Bradley won’t be at the helm for the 2017 season.

The depreciation of sterling in the aftermath of the UK’s Brexit vote coupled with intense competition in the Irish market saw ESB record its weakest half-yearly operating profit in years.

Dan Murray didn’t expect to be playing on Fridays.

Shamrock Rovers 3 Sligo Rovers 0: Shamrock Rovers brightened up a damp and dreary night at Tallaght Stadium by recording their biggest home of the season and rising to third in the Premier Division.

Shamrock Rovers 2 Bray Wanderers 0: Killian Brennan and Dean Clarke scored second-half goals to earn Shamrock Rovers a much-needed win against 10-man Bray Wanderers at Tallaght Stadium.

Cork City 2 Shamrock Rovers 0: A Steven Beattie goal inside the first 30 seconds set vibrant Cork City on their way to this fully deserved victory over a largely outfought and outclassed Shamrock Rovers, the win lifting John Caulfield’s team up to the third in the Premier Division.

Shamrock Rovers 0 Dundalk 2

While many could have anticipated that Dundalk would make up one half of an early top-of-the-table clash, far fewer would have predicted that their opponents would be Derry City.

Finn Harps 0 Shamrock Rovers 1: Shamrock Rovers were forced to battle hard to overcome a resolute Finn Harps side in a stop-start encounter in Ballybofey last night.

As Dundalk know better than most in recent years, points win prizes.

Vaccinations and visas all up to date, Shamrock Rovers will boldly go where no League of Ireland team has gone before when they fly out to India today to participate in an international football tournament.

There were times when, such was his enduringly youthful enthusiasm for the game, it seemed as if Damien Duff would go on forever, but yesterday came the news that, reluctantly, one of Ireland’s best-loved players has had to call time on his football career.

Dundalk 2 Shamrock Rovers 0: Dundalk restored their eight-point lead at the top of the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division table as former Hoops Ronan Finn and Sean Gannon came back to haunt Rovers in Oriel Park last night.

Shamorck Rovers 3 Cork City 0: Damien Duff finally made his League of Ireland debut last night, coming on in the dying moments in Tallaght immediately after a third Shamrock Rovers goal had ensured the comprehensive victory which boosts the Hoops European dreams while leaving Cork City’s title aspirations hanging by the slenderest of threads.

Damien Duff has been swotting up on Cork City ahead of his expected Shamrock Rovers debut against Cork City tonight at Tallaght Stadium (7.05pm).

Shamrock Rovers midfieder Keith Fahey has been forced to retire from professional football after succumbing to injury.

Short of Paul McGrath doing a Bejamin Button and reconstituting himself as the fabled ‘Black Pearl of Inchichore’, it’s hard to think of an Irish footballer whose appearance in the League of Ireland will generate more genuine delight than that of Damien Duff.

Shamrock Rovers 0 Odds Ballklub 2

Damien Duff might be an Irish football legend but Shamrock Rovers boss Pat Fenlon has made it clear that the club’s new star signing is not automatically guaranteed a place in his team.

Shamrock Rovers 3 Progres Niederkorn 0

The ECB pushed Greece to the precipice of leaving the euro last night; Mortgage rules introduced by the Central Bank earlier this year are already affecting consumer sentiment and house prices; A Naval Service crew was forced to ‘abandon ship’ when further problems were detected on the new €70m LÉ James Joyce. Here’s this morning’s irishexaminer.com catch-up.

Shamrock Rovers manager Pat Fenlon refused to be drawn on the potential signing of 100-times capped Republic of Ireland winger Damien Duff as he stressed the importance of keeping the focus on what is Rovers’ biggest match in three years.

Damien Duff is expected to end speculation on his future by finalising a move to Shamrock Rovers this week.

FC Progrès Niederkorn 0 Shamrock Rovers 0: Craig Hyland made two remarkable second-half saves at the Stade d’Oberkorn in Differdange, Luxembourg last night.

Former Ireland winger Damien Duff admits the transition to coaching has been a tougher challenge than any of his battles on the pitch.

Already missing the injured Keith Fahey, Shamrock Rovers begin their Europa League campaign in Luxembourg tonight (Stade Municipal Differdange, 6pm Irish time) without another experienced ex-international, Stephen McPhail.

With a Uefa Europa League draw to look forward to during it, Cork City players and staff will hope to enjoy the upcoming summer break.

St Patrick’s Athletic 2 Shamrock Rovers 1: Holders St Patrick’s Athletic kept their cup ambitions alive when defeating local rivals Shamrock Rovers by 2-1 in their FAI Cup second round encounter at Richmond Park last night.