Win or lose at Croke Park tomorrow you will probably find a bleary-eyed Ben Brennan clutching a bottle in the wee hours of Monday morning.

Paddy Deegan has watched enough football in his life, going back to his sons’ first steps on the Downpatrick pitch, to seeing them win

Some say Samcro disappointed at Down Royal, where he was picked off by the fitter Bedrock (Rachael Blackmore), but Kennedy won’t be hanging around today, writes Ruby Walsh

Off the beaten track It took the impending birth of his son and a sense of responsibility to his new family to focus Cathal Landers’ mind at last.

At school, there was nothing quite like fight day, writes Tommy Martin.

Ulster secretary Brian McAvoy admits the recent spate of brawls at county matches in the province is “disturbing”.

A former three-time All-Ireland winner who works as a Clinical Specialist Physio in the Trauma and Orthopaedics ward in Craigavon Hospital, has insisted that a ‘one-punch fatality’ is inevitable on GAA playing fields if the current cycle of violence is not halted.

The Galway Plate looks a really good and competitive renewal, but I fancy my own horse, Saturnas. I thought he was a decent hurdler and off a mark of 142 and with just 10-8 on his back he’s got a great chance.

The 2018 Cheltenham Racing Festival is now in full swing. This year’s event is the penultimate one before Brexit on March 29, 2019.

It’s not everyone that has the President of Ireland attend their funeral, but Dr Maurice Hayes, who passed away at the age of 90 a couple of days before Christmas, lived enough for several men.

A former public servant in the North, Dr Maurice Hayes, has been remembered as a diamond standard citizen and servant of the people.

A winter wonderland event in the North has been cancelled after organisers apologised for falling short of expectations.

A 21-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in County Down.

There’s a terrific card tomorrow at Fairyhouse, but the feature of today’s action is the Ladbrokes Trophy (formerly the Hennessy Gold Cup) at Newbury, and Willie has sent across two live contenders, writes Ruby Walsh.

A motorcyclist who died after a road crash in Co Down has been named by police.

In the week when the UK started to negotiate its departure from the EU, horse racing is an interesting if unusual place to study the ramifications of Brexit.

The discovery of a man's body on a beach has prompted a police investigation in the North.

A motorcyclist in his 20s has died after a road crash in Co Down.

Listen Dear, trained for the Supreme Horse Racing Club by Willie Mullins, proved the star of Ballinrobe’s final meeting of 2016 yesterday when making an impressive chasing debut in the Connacht Tribune Beginners Chase.

Chris Meehan, the jockey who hit the headlines after being run over by an ambulance, rode out for the first time on Wednesday.

Jack Kennedy followed up Sunday’s double at Downpatrick by claiming another brace in Ballinrobe last night.

It’s day six at Ballybrit and Capri gets the nap to take the one-mile maiden for trainer Aidan O’Brien and jockey Seamie Heffernan.

Leopardstown hosts this evening’s flat racing fare, while the national hunt action takes place in Tramore, where Trade Marked can carry top weight to victory in the Tramore Golf Club Handicap Hurdle.

The Fleming family of Downpatrick maintained their grip on the dairy interbreed title at the Balmoral Show in Belfast, winning it for the third consecutive year with an animal from their well-known Potterswalls Jerseys herd.

Federici proved himself on course for next week’s Punchestown Festival when coasting to an emphatic victory in the Next racing At Fairyhouse June 2nd Handicap Hurdle in Fairyhouse yesterday.

Denis O’Regan can make a successful start to his new role as retained rider to owner Barry Connell by taking the beginners’ chase at Fairyhouse aboard the Alan Fleming-trained Pistol Park.

After three abandoned meetings, the horse racing action returns at Limerick this afternoon, and punters can get their reward early by siding with Plain Talking in the opener and Pakman in the second race.

Roger Loughran rode his first winner for Gordon Elliott when Buyer Beware, having his first run for the trainer and returning from a winter break, captured the opening Count Me In Maiden Hurdle in good style from Sold Heat at Downpatrick yesterday.

Steel’s Cotton gets the nap to land the Supporting the Irish Injured Jockeys’ Fund Mares’ Maiden Hurdle on this afternoon’s six-race card at Downpatrick.

St Patrick is an archetypal Christian saint, baptising entire clans and tribes who became synonymous with the biggest religion in the world, writes Jenny Butler.

Teenage sensation Jack Kennedy, who has not yet turned seventeen, registered his first wins as a 3lb. claimer when completing a hard-earned double on Steamboat Bill and Finea in Down Royal yesterday.

It’s a big weekend for the Graham Wylie novices, with Bellshill and Yorkhill both in action in Grade One company, and Yorkhill plays his hand first, in this afternoon’s Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown.