Is this a new trend? asks Donal Hickey. 

Horse racing mogul JP McManus opened up for the first time about his dream to host the Ryder Cup at Adare in 2026.

Ciara O’Sullivan doesn’t remember hitting her head. The assist that whizzed by her as she slipped on the Parnell Park turf she does recall. After that, things become hazy.

Mark Walsh, who led the title-race for most of last season, until injured at Thurles in February, has started the new campaign in great style and doubled-up on Whatsforuwontgobyu and Mollyanna in the opening maidens hurdles in Sligo last night.

Limerick rolls up its sleeve today as a 10,000-strong volunteer army sets out to tackle tons of rubbish strewn along streets and by-ways in the city and county.

Cork 6-13 Limerick 2-18

Limerick’s senior hurlers will enjoy a trip to Cheltenham next month, courtesy of team sponsor JP McManus.

Exciting young chaser Defy Logic is back in training with Paul Nolan after recovering from a broken blood vessel at owner JP McManus’ stud in County Limerick.

Eye Of The Storm dug deep to strike gold for the first time this year in the Group Three Ballyroan Stakes at Leopardstown last night.

Eye Of The Storm, who hasn’t made the impact one might have expected this season, can get back on track by landing the Group 3 Ballyroan Stakes at Leopardstown tonight.

Jimmy Two Times, a horse who has caught the eye on a couple of occasions, can enjoy a first success in the GAA Race Day 19th August Maiden Hurdle at Sligo tonight.

Up to 100 charity and voluntary organisations are bracing themselves for a €60m hit after confirmation that the JP McManus Invitational Pro-Am will not take place in 2015.

Waterford’s withdrawal from this month’s McGrath Cup hasn’t aided league preparations, admits manager Niall Carew.

Champion jockey Tony McCoy paid handsome tribute to Binocular after the former Champion Hurdle winner was retired following the discovery of an underlying heart problem.

Former Limerick boss John Allen says an unexplained nervousness in the defeat to Clare cost the Treaty hurlers a place in the All-Ireland SHC final.

Limerick legend Eamonn Cregan has delivered a damning verdict on the county’s senior hurling team — insisting no progress is being made.

Lar Corbett is winning his battle to be fit for Tipperary’s Munster semi-final against Limerick on June 9 — but Kilkenny are remaining surprisingly tight-lipped about their injury list ahead of facing Offaly on the same day.

Limerick 1-25 Kilkenny 1-20

Founded in 1886, Staker Wallace GAA is one of those clubs that typifies all that makes the GAA what it is — the heartbeat of small communities nationwide.

Davy Russell makes a somewhat surprise return to the saddle at Cork this afternoon, having punctured a lung at Cheltenham a week ago.

The highly-regarded Rule The World coasted to an impressive victory in the Grade 2 Slaney Novice Hurdle in Naas yesterday as 1/4 favourite Champagne Fever flopped badly, trailing in a distant third before being found to have “a respiratory tract infection”.

There are six games down for decision in today’s Dr Harty Cup.

A security expert who protected one of the richest men in the world found a guard asleep on the job at JP McManus’s €100m home at Martinstown Stud, Co Limerick.

The Colm Murphy-trained Rye Martini continued the impressive early season form being enjoyed by Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown House Stud when making a successful racecourse debut in the opening maiden hurdle on yesterday’s truncated card at Tipperary.

The Jim Bolger-trained Annie Power sent punters home happy when powering to victory in the Enniscorthy Mares Flat Race in rain-soaked Wexford last night.

The most lavish summer party of the year has been organised to honour a sporting hero who died when taking on his last great challenge.

Champion trainer Willie Mullins has his string in superb midsummer form and recorded his second double in 24 hours in Roscommon when Letherbelucky and Connaught Manor triumphed last night.

As wide-scale searches continued in West Limerick last night for three members of a Cork City-based burglar gang, gardaí discovered a large quantity of cash and jewellery discarded in a field.

A man suspected of being a member of a Cork Traveller gang responsible for a spate of burglaries and robberies across Limerick has been arrested following a massive Garda operation.

Alfie Sherrin claimed the JLT Specialty Handicap Chase at Cheltenham for Jonjo O’Neill.

THE improving Charlie’s Vic gets the nod in the five-runner Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares’ Novice Hurdle at Downpatrick this afternoon.

Broadstrand Lad may be approaching his fourth birthday, but the brilliant son of Hallucinate retains all his ability and he will be bidding for the biggest title of his career when he lines out in the final of the Tyrur McGuigan @ Stud Open 575.

Greyhound folk will have their stamina tested to the limit in the coming week with some top class racing at tracks all over the country while the National Coursing Meeting will commence at Clonmel on Monday morning.

Noel Meade’s Monksland booked his ticket to the Cheltenham Festival with a runaway victory in the Slaney Novice Hurdle at Naas.

BARRACK BIMBO (Bexhill Eoin-Barrack Court), owned in Tournafulla, Co Limerick by young Shane Curtin, served notice to all opponents in the Greyhound and Pet World Oaks next month she is ready, willing and well able to challengeall-comers.

CABRA NOEL bids totighten his grip on the Comerford Cakes National Puppy Stake at Shelbourne Park tonight. Graham Holland’s charge was brilliant in the three earlier rounds and looks a banker in the second semi-final.

JIMMY MANGAN’S daughter, Jane, was 18-years-of age yesterday and certainly celebrated the occasion with a real sense of style when landing a double at Limerick.

DERMOT WELD’S Unaccompanied has to be the nap choice in the Listed Naas Vet Panel Supporting Racing Fishery Lane Hurdle at the Co Kildare track this afternoon.

KEVIN DOWNES confesses it was weird. When he entered the dressing rooms of the Staker Wallace club in Martinstown near Kilmallock last January, he was unsure. On a black winter’s night, he was introduced to the world of senior inter-county hurling, just over four months since he’d torn open the envelope and digested his Leaving Cert results.

PAUL KINNERK takes you through his week. On Monday night, he trained with the Limerick senior footballers.