Several thousand spectators thronged the Portmore-Blackwatertown Road on the Armagh–Tyrone border to witness the clash of Ulster senior champion Thomas Mackle against his Munster counterpart David Murphy for the All-Ireland senior title.

Republic of Ireland 2 Oman 0

A €460 million sport and leisure venue in Tipperary – incorporating a major casino development – moved a step closer last night when it was granted planning permission by the local council.

A STORMING finish at Páirc Tailteann – albeit after a third quarter slump – saved Skryne’s blushes and booked them a Leinster club SFC quarter-final spot.

THERE’S a subtle connection between Killarney and the Scottish Highlands – both became big tourist destinations in the 19th century and both entertained Queen Victoria.

THERE’S history aplenty at Sheares Villa – but what of its future?

THE elevated setting of 6, Dunvale Rise in Cork’s Frankfield suburb gives it a surveying view westwards up the Lee Valley – and this house’s sale prospects also look good.

FROM Pinehurst to St Andrews – golf whizz-kid Zak Collins is almost as busy as a professional tour player.

IVOR CALLELY is slicker than a BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico – and just as prone to PR disasters.

SPEAKING in Bantry last summer the wonderful American writer Annie Proulx said one of the things that fascinated her about Ireland was trying to understand why West Cork people who emigrated to Wyoming – where she then lived – in the 1850s were so utterly destructive of the environment around them.

THERE’S only a handful of houses along the front row of the road around Rossbrin in west Cork – it the most scenic of ways of navigating the distance between Ballydehob and Schull.

IT is not such a long way to Tipperary for any relocating Department of Justice officials moving from Dublin – and, appropriately enough, those relocating to Tipp town are from the Department’s immigration and naturalisation services (INIS.)

A HOTEL redevelopment and extension has been given the go-ahead at one of the country’s top blue flag beaches on the Dingle peninsula – made famous also by the film Ryan’s Daughter.

THE nearest village to my house is a small place but it does boast something that is becoming rather scarce in rural Ireland – an old-fashioned working farm with an entrance half way down the street.

ST PATRICK may have banished snakes from Ireland – but they are set to return to Bunratty Folk Park his national feast day.

FOREIGN Minister Micheál Martin will tackle his Israeli counterpart in Brussels this morning over the fake Irish passports used by the hit squad who killed a senior Hamas commander in Dubai – but is unlikely to get any answers.

ITALIAN energy giant Eni has withdrawn its interest in two of Heritage Oil’s exploration assets in Uganda – effectively confirming Tullow Oil’s takeover of them.

DO the numbers on 17 Grangevale – they stack up.

YOU don’t lightly make the decision to move to Churchtown – people tend to stay.

JEAN-BAPTISTE ELISSALDE is out of France’s RBS Six Nations opener against Scotland at Murrayfield – and is likely to miss Saturday’s week crunch clash with Ireland.

ROBBIE Keane may have hung on to the Tottenham captaincy despite his role in the infamous Christmas party in Dublin – but he could still be on his way out of White Hart Lane next month.

DESPITE an epic campaign to keep it open, Cork’s Kino – the only independent arthouse cinema outside of Dublin – is to close this weekend. The building on Washington Street will be put up for sale.

NOVEMBER, Friday 13, 2009, might have gone down as a fateful, black day in west Cork – but developer John Fleming bucked the ominous nature of the date when the High Court approved a rescue plan for his troubled companies.

WALES survived a punishing physical examination by Samoa at the Millennium Stadium – but were made to sweat for victory.

THE third wet summer in succession – rainfall for July alone was more than three times above normal in parts of Munster and Leinster – again sparks fears of landslides.

A FAMILY moved to Co Limerick to escape increasing gun crime in South Africa – only to have the family pet they brought with them shot.

DID we witness the defiant last bite of a maligned football force yesterday at Croke Park – or the greatest rope-a-dope since Ali duped Foreman way back when?

CLAIRE PTAK makes wonderful cakes. It all started when she was little girl in Point Reyes, California – every time her Irish grandmother visited they baked cakes together all day long.

TWO further Tesco Ireland stores – at Bettystown in Co Louth and Ballinasloe in Co Galway – will come in line with the company’s ongoing re-pricing initiative as of today.

AFTER this dramatic finale to yesterday’s Munster football championship semi-final in Fitzgerald Stadium – when a Bryan Sheehan free earned Kerry a replay in the third minute of injury time – the big question supporters from both sides were asking themselves was how holders Cork failed to win a game they dominated for long periods.