THE gap at the bottom of AIB Division 1A widened and Garryowen took another step closer to hitting the panic button when they slumped to their fourth defeat of the campaign at Dooradoyle on Saturday.

GARRYOWEN ended a run of three defeats with victory over an understrength St Mary’s College in Saturday’s AIB All-Ireland Cup at Dooradoyle.

THE pace, skill and opportunism of winger Stephen Kelly and the quality of a pack who used the atrocious conditions to their advantage were crucial factors as Shannon qualified for another AIB League final at Coonagh on Saturday.

THESE two great rivals have a habit of producing the unexpected.

CORK CONSTITUTION coach Brian Walsh won’t find it difficult to motivate his troops before today’s ODM Munster Senior Cup semi-final with old rivals Garryowen at Musgrave Park (2.30pm).

Cork Constitution 12 Garryowen 12

SHANNON and Garryowen look in good shape ahead of the new AIB League season next weekend.

DESPITE the inclement weather, a huge crowd turned out for day one of the Ballabuidhe Racing festival yesterday.

MUNSTER rugby giants, Cork Constitution and Garryowen, bring their provincial rivalry to the national stage in this afternoon’s AIB League final at Musgrave Park (2.30pm).

GARRYOWEN ended a 13 year drought without a national title with this AIB All-Ireland Cup final victory on Saturday.

RARELY has a scoreline offered a more distorted picture of 80 minutes of rugby.

Dolphin 14 Garryowen 34

Garryowen 18 Cork Constitution 13

Garryowen 14 St Mary’s College 23

Limerick 2-3 Cork 0-7

ACTION aplenty in the permanent TSB Cork County SFC over the weekend, pride of place going to a youthful St. Nick’s side who edged out last year’s beaten finalists, Clonakilty, 1-11 to 2-7 in Newcestown.

Douglas 0-9 St. Nicholas 0-7

RACIAL tauntings of players is not a malaise confined to Cork.