Behold the empire of Donegal — destroyer of dreams, kings in the north.

Donegal have progressed to the Super 8s largely unscathed, but also largely untested.

Don't be fooled by the scoreline.

For those who are inclined to believe the whole GAA thing is only a racket, well point in them in the direction of Armagh men this week who have played something in the region of 200 minutes this summer and still haven’t made it into the Ulster final after a draw including extra-time here.

Veteran Cian Mackey emerged as Cavan’s hero as he hit two priceless equalisers to send a thrilling Ulster SFC semi-final to a replay.

Two goals down after four minutes, county champions Thurles Sarsfields recovered well to see off Kilruane MacDonaghs in the Tipperary senior hurling championship second round at Templemore yesterday. 

Defending champions Clonmel got their Munster Junior League campaign off to a winning start with a victory over one of their main challengers, Bandon.

The Boys in Green may have left it until the 85th minute to score the goal that booked their place in the knockout stages of Euro 2016, but there have also been dramatic late developments for a pair of Corkmen.

The Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) are set to order a replay of the Christy Ring Cup final between Antrim and Meath when they meet to discuss the referee’s report from Saturday’s game. 

Sean Curran was the toast of Mullinahone after his goal from a penalty in injury-time ensured victory over Éire Óg Nenagh 2-13 to 0-17 in Templemore.

Bosses at the Irish arm of commercial property firm, Jones Lang Lasalle gave themselves a 25% increase in overall pay as revenue and profits rocketed last year.

Dave McGowan of the UK-based Champions Systems/VCUK Racing team holds a four second advantage over Ed Laverack (Condor JLT/Mavic) going into today’s final stage of the Suir Valley 3-Day in Clonmel.

The An Post Chain Reaction celebrated their second stage win in as many days at the Rás yesterday on a savage day that saw the field split to pieces.

When you ask an Irish person about poetry, the majority suffer an acute case of Leaving Cert flashbacks — nightmarish visions of Sylvia Plath and Robert Frost float before their eyes.

A pre-Christmas let to Butler’s Chocolates was the icing on a good year for Limerick’s Crescent Shopping Centre: it has entered 2015 with six new key brands in place

From Nidge to Peaky Blinders, Ireland’s top casting directors discuss the secrets of their trade with Richard Fitzpatrick

A huge weekend of senior hurling activity saw the Tipperary SHC championship reduced to the last eight, and while there were no major upsets, there were some very significant results, not least the victory of Thurles Sarsfields over Drom-Inch.

Cork SHC Divs/Colleges

The Inquiry is one of the gems from this year’s documentary strand at the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival; although, technically, it’s a drama written from documentary evidence, as its screenplay is threaded with newspaper cuttings and British parliamentary reports.

THE work of 50 artists who have intellectual disabilities will be exhibited at three venues in Cork City this week. Entitled Outside In: The Art of Inclusion, the exhibition is about inclusivity and is the result of a partnership between the Crawford Art Gallery, CIT Crawford College of Art & Design, Mayfield Arts Centre and Cork City Council.

Carbery Rangers 2-14 Newmarket 0-07

Team Sky stormed to victory on the second stage of the Giro d’Italia yesterday.

It took 300 years for the second woman to be initiated into an Irish Freemason lodge, but now it appears the floodgates are to open.

Crossmaglen Rangers 3-09 Pearse Og 0-11

For only the second time ever, a woman has been accepted into an Irish freemason lodge — exactly 300 years after the first.

The clash of the champions in the Mid Tipperary senior hurling championship semi-final ended in stalemate at Templetuohy yesterday as county champions Drom-Inch, courtesy of a pointed free by Johnny Ryan with the last puck of extra-time, forced a 2-21 each draw with Loughmore-Castleiney, the divisional champions, in a thrilling contest.

Carbery Rangers issued a significant statement of intent at the opening hurdle of the Cork SFC in Dunmanway last night when they swept past Clonakilty.

Carbery Rangers produced a significant statement of intent at the opening hurdle of the Cork SFC in Dunmanway last night when they swept past Clonakilty in convincing fashion.

NOEL McGRATH ended his underage hurling career in the best possible style by captaining Loughmore/Castleiney to their first Tipperary U21A HC title when they defeated Burgess in Templederry yesterday.

CHRISTMAS, to paraphrase Andy Williams, is indeed the most wonderful time of the year.

FOR the first time since 2003, Castlehaven will contest a Cork SFC final, bridging that eight year gap in dazzling fashion at Páirc Uí Rinn on Saturday night.

COUNTY star Seamus Callanan capped a sensational display with the winning score from a 90m injury time free to give Drom-Inch a 2-16 to 1-18 over Burgess in Saturday’s Tipperary SHC fourth round tie at Templemore.

THERE were few surprises in the opening round of the Tipperary senior hurling championship over the weekend.

STEPHEN MURRAY started writing poetry at eight years of age. “A teacher, Mr Spark, told us to write a poem based on A Christmas Carol by Dickens. I wrote Marley’s Ghost. Mr Spark said it was brilliant. After that he encouraged me.”

Two Dublin men have given evidence of being shot in a gun attack in their friend’s driveway in which that friend was killed.

O’Loughlin Gaels 3-10 Loughgiel 0-10

PLAYING a far crisper brand of hurling, UCC outplayed CIT to win the Freshers Division 1 Hurling League final at CIT yesterday.

Carlow 1-15 Down 0-14

Antrim 3-20 Down 4-15, Casement Park

Down 2-17 Derry 1-15