The Fota Wildlife Park in Cork has a new red panda baby, and they're looking for name suggestions from members of the public - with a prize for the best one.

A flame-haired Kiwi whose community fundraised for her airfare to attend Ireland’s biggest festival of foxiness has set her sights on the ‘Queen of the Redheads’ title.

Red will be in fashion next month as the fifth Redhead Convention welcomes people from all over the world to Crosshaven in Co Cork.

Imports like Mils Muliaina and Bundee Aki can leave a lasting legacy at a club. It’s not just what you learn on the Saturday, it’s as much about what you’re picking up from Monday to Friday.

It was long past his normal bedtime when Sean Dougall got to sleep in the early hours of Saturday morning. However, the disruption didn’t prevent him from producing an outstanding performance that led to him being hailed as the unsung hero of Munster’s Heineken Cup victory over Gloucester.

During the summer, Ronan O’Gara, his wife Jessica and their four kids left Cork for a new life in the French capital. Tony Leen found a family adjusting well, and the former kicker revelling in his role as coach.

Ronan O’Gara says he would love to link up with Paul O’Connell on a joint coaching ticket at some stage in the future.

The latest addition to our stellar team of rugby writers reflects on the ups and downs of a magnificent playing career — and reveals the reasons why he’s chosen to move to Paris to kick-start his coaching career.

HE doesn’t look like An Fear Rua.

Former champion Pat Smullen was seen at his brilliant and determined best when getting odds-on favourite Ceol Rua home a narrow winner of the Ladies Day At Ballinrobe Maiden in Ballinrobe last night.

WILLIE Mullins is the trainer to have on your side at Ballinrobe tonight, where there is every chance he will land a double with Ceol Rua and Chiltern Hills.

RONAN O’GARA vowed tonever turn his back on hiscountry and pledged hisimmediate future to Ireland on hisreturn from the Rugby World Cup yesterday.

IRISH rugby star Ronan O’Gara is to be accorded a civic reception in Cork within weeks to mark his 100th Irish cap.

A baby red panda at Fota Wildlife Park in Cork has been given an Irish name - Rua - meaning "red".

WITH another former Cork minor star making some serious waves across the Tasman Sea, Tomás O’Leary is out to strike another blow for the Rebel alumni in New Zealand this weekend.

RONAN O’GARA last night revealed the depth of his hurt at being dropped for Ireland’s clash with world champions South Africa last November.

ONE EVENING, while I was relaxing at home on my couch, I got a phone call out of the blue from Rua Tipoki. We had never set foot on the pitch together, but mutual respect meant we often consulted each other for an opinion. Munster were to play the All Blacks in about a week and rumours were flying that a Red Haka would take place.

MUNSTER fans are sweating over the future of All Black legend Doug Howlett with the province after the New Zealander admitted he has unfinished business at international level.

DOUG HOWLETT hasn’t shut the door on a possible return to New Zealand at the end of this season and bid to reclaim his place in the All Blacks squad for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

TONY McGAHAN is taking his players away for a seven-day training camp to sunny Vilamoura in Portugal next Wednesday but yesterday the Australian had to equip himself with the worst elements of the Irish ‘summer’ at rain-lashed Clonakilty Rugby Club.

TONY McGAHAN has a ringside seat to Munster’s phenomenal work ethic and he believes there’s only one word for it: “unmatched”.

THE tantalising prospect of an All-Ireland Heineken Cup semi-final between Munster and Leinster moved closer after yesterday’s semi-finals draw in Edinburgh.

RUA TIPOKI has recovered from a knee injury to make an earlier than anticipated return for Munster in Saturday night’s sell-out Magners League game against Ulster at Thomond Park (Setanta Ireland, 7.30pm).

IN a sport as directly confrontational as rugby, on a pitch that has really levelled out physically since the advent of the professional era, more and more nowadays at the top level it’s the psychological battles that can end up deciding the outcome of the war.

Munster captain Paul O'Connell is looking to his players to show a distinct improvement on their Magner's League showing against Llanelli Scarlets when they travel to Clermont-Auvergne for their crucial Heineken Cup game on Sunday.

THERE was a time when the loss of one or two key players would have been a devastating blow to Munster.

ONE of Munster’s heroes from an unforgettable night at Thomond Park has revealed the Heineken Cup champions considered performing a Haka in Irish.

THE Haka — it’s an All-Black tradition, one of the most spectacular, one of the most fearsome in rugby.

HE HAS been there for some of Munster’s greatest triumphs — the away wins at Stade Francais (2002) and Leicester Tigers (2003) or the Gloucester ‘Miracle Match’ (2003) form a neat highlights reel of Frank Sheahan’s career.

THE All Blacks have arrived on Irish soil for matches against Ireland and Munster.

ACCOMPLISHED Kilkenny hurlers don’t often turn away from the black and amber, but Ian Dowling found fame elsewhere.

A FEW of his attempted touch finders that ended up in the arms of speedy Toulouse wingers might have given Munster fans a few undesirable palpitations but Ronan O’Gara was a man among men once again in the Millennium Stadium.

WHEN HE arrived, the first cameo only painted a fragment of the complete Lifeimi Mafi.

DONNCHA O’CALLAGHAN is issuing a call to arms to Munster supporters this week as his side bids for a win that would see them head for another Cardiff final, scene of their great triumph of 2006.

Gloucester boss Dean Ryan believes Munster will treat a Heineken Cup trip to Kingsholm as “part and parcel” of their assault on another European title.

IRISH internationals David Wallace and Denis Leamy are named in the Munster squad for tomorrow night’s Magners League clash away to Connacht, (Sportsgrounds, 7.30pm).

ONCE described by his former North Harbour coach, Allan Pollock, as “a tortured genius” the only anguish Rua Tipoki suffered this week was having to sit through a re-run of Munster’s 10-3 defeat to Leinster last weekend.

THERE will be a reunion of sorts for Munster centre Rua Tipoki at Musgrave Park tonight.

Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan decision to call up Tony Buckley for the ill Simon Best has led to the last minute promotion of Federico Pucciariello onto Munster's tight-head side of the scrum for tomorrow's clash with Newport-Gwent Dragons at Rodney Parade.

Munster forwards, Niall Ronan and Denis Fogarty, are both attempting to overcome injury ahead of Friday's Magner's Leaguer clash with Newport Gwent Dragons.