A Dublin man has had the amount of jail time he will serve for the possession of nearly €2m worth of cannabis resin reduced by two years after a successful appeal.

It’s torture and in a way he’s tortured, but Pádraig Harrington has the good grace and awareness to realise he’s still one of the lucky ones.

Ruaidhrí McGee and Kevin Phelan are one step away from securing a European Tour card after both qualified from second stage events in Spain.

A Dublin car dealer has been jailed for 13 years for possessing over €1.9 million worth of cannabis resin after judge said he was the operator in charge of the entire consignment.

WHEN the definitive history of television is finally written, perhaps the date of Feb 1, 2013, will be marked as a significant milestone.

Rory McIlroy shot his first par round with his Nike clubs as Graeme McDowell turned a green light into a rip-roaring start in the Honda Classic.

Seamus Power birdied the penultimate hole to keep his PGA Tour dream alive by a whisker at the first stage of the Q-School in North Carolina.

Irish amateur star Alan Dunbar survived a collapse over the closing seven holes at Wychwood Park before managing to squeeze through to the second stage of European Tour qualifying.

Paul Cutler’s European Tour career remains on hold after the former Walker Cup star missed the 54-hole cut at the first stage of the Qualifying School for the second year in a row.

A three-under-par 67 earned Fred Couples a two-shot victory at the British Senior Open Championship at Turnberry.

It was agony and ecstasy for two of England’s stars at golf’s richest event today.

THERE was joy in southern Spain last night for four Irishmen who battled their way through Stage 2 of the European Tour qualifying process and now go forward to the marathon six-round decider beginning at Catalunya, Girona, on Saturday.

THE MAJORITY of the 13-strong Irish contingent at the second stage of the European Tour School in Spain remain in contention for places in next week’s final Tour School.

MUNSTER golfers Cian McNamara, Aaron O’Callaghan and David Higgins yesterday played themselves into promising positions after the first day of the second qualifying stage of the European Tour School at four venues in Spain.

YOU could be forgiven for thinking the end of the competitive golf season had finally arrived now we are almost into the month of December.

NIALL TURNER flies into Spain today to prepare for what he describes as the biggest pressure week of the professional golfing year.

TWELVE months ago, Rory McIlroy arrived in Dubai leading the Euro-pean Tour order of merit but was caught on the line by the fast finishing Lee Westwood.

Waterford United 1 St. Patrick’s Athletic 1

UCD 1 Waterford United 3

Grant Engineering of Birr - which laid off 30 seasonal workers this week - said it hopes to be able to avoid any further job cuts.

Baltray's Simon Ward scorched to a six under par 66 to lead the Irish

Muskerry's Niall Turner closed with an eagle three to lead the Irish

French ace Romain Bechu and England's Jamie Moul shared the Brabazon

Rory McIlroy missed the cut as fellow Ulsterman Richard Kilpatrick moved to within a shot of the lead in the Brabazon Trophy at the Forest of Arden.

Rory McIlroy struggled to a six-over par 78 in the first round of the Brabazon Trophy at the Forest of Arden.

Defending champion Rory McIlroy struggled to a four-over par 75 as Co Louth's Simon Ward led the qualifiers in the Radisson-SAS West of Ireland Amateur Open.

Former Shamrock Rovers striker Stephen Grant fired a sensational course record 64 in the first round of the Radisson SAS sponsored West of Ireland Championship at Rosses Point.

Rory McIlroy's dream of winning the British Amateur Championship ended in tears when food poisoning forced him to withdraw.

Defending champion Rory McIlroy cruised into the last 16 of the Golfsure Irish Amateur Close at The European Club.

Bohemians 4 Waterford United 2

Republic of Ireland Under-21s captured the Madeira Invitational Tournament for the second time in two years with a deserved 2-1 victory over Portugal in Machico.

Republic of Ireland Under-21 manager Don Givens believes the Madeira Tournament could again nurture a future star in the making.

REPUBLIC of Ireland manager Steve Staunton will be an interested spectator as the national U21 side contest a four team Madeira tournament.

Manchester City midfielder Stephen Ireland has withdrawn from the Republic of Ireland Under-21 squad for this week’s Madeira Tournament.

THE destination of the eircom League Premier Division title might be going right down to the wire but one thing is certain - there will be a new name on the championship trophy this season.

CORK CITY manager Damien Richardson has turned the daunting prospect of four successive away games into a positive by insisting his players will react better to smoother surfaces away from a very cut up Turner’s Cross.

CORK CITY have offered a new contract to George O'Callaghan against the backdrop of a bid for the player by Drogheda United, as the July transfer window opens in the eircom League.

Goals from Trevor Molloy, Stephen Grant and Stephen McGunniess were enough to see Shamrock Rovers beat St Patrick’s Athletic tonight.

Tonight's clash between Waterford United and Shamrock Rovers has been postponed due to flooding. It is provisionally rescheduled for Sunday at 2pm.

Longford Town 1 Shamrock Rovers 1

The eircom League Premier Division clash between Derry City and Waterford Utd has been abandoned tonight due to floodlight failure at the Brandywell.

There seems to be little more than local bragging rights up for grabs when St Patrick’s Athletic face Shamrock Rovers at Richmond Park tonight (7pm).

New Bohemians player-manager Gareth Farrelly continues his gentle immersion into eircom League tonight when he watches his players take on Shamrock Rovers at Dalymount Park (7.45pm).

Shamrock Rovers 0 Longford Town 1