The best match of his life also probably generated more nerves than any games he played for Muster, Ireland, or the Lions as rugby legend Paul O’Connell married his long-term girlfriend, Emily O’Leary in France at the weekend.

She may be the fastest woman in Ireland but sprint champion Ailís McSweeney was fashionably late for her wedding yesterday.

THIS was a contest to forget at Donoughmore on Saturday, Blarney and Mallow failing to ignite.

IT TOOK a while, but Blarney eventually wore down Valley Rovers in their Premier IHC clash at Ballygarvan on Saturday evening.

MUSKERRY put themselves in pole position in the Divisional section of the Cork County senior hurling championship following their defeat of Duhallow at Cloughduv last night.

UP to 569 people forced to wait on trolleys on January 5, and 59 waiting at a single hospital on Monday raise questions about our emergency department crisis.

CORK senior hurling manager Denis Walsh has admitted that the coming season will be considered a disappointment if the Rebels are not in the mix come the business end of the Championship.

MISMATCHES were the order of the opening day of the hockey season in Munster, with the province’s heavy hitters all recording big wins on Saturday.

IT’S been a mutually beneficial relationship. Since Anthony Nash first stood between the posts for the Cork intermediate hurlers in 2003, he’s given the grade unwavering focus. In return he’s picked up three All-Ireland medals – in 2003, 2004 and 2006 – and even though he’s played in bigger matches since, his interest in this afternoon’s All-Ireland IHC final is undiluted.

Castleview moved level on points with leaders Avondale after a hard-fought 3-2 home victory over Ringmahon Rangers in the Premier division of the Beamish Stout Munster Senior League as the weather again played havoc with the fixtures.