Enthusiasts are going bonkers for conkers

AFTER a morning in front of the television roaring on the Irish rugby squad, sports fans engaged in a very different pursuit for the afternoon yesterday.

It involved plenty of hooks, the odd close brush and a lot of very hard tackles. And there were a lot of splits too as over 200 revellers gathered in Kilkenny for the annual Irish Conker Championships.

It's the fourth year of the event in Freshford and organiser Grace Kearney says its lost none of its appeal, particularly for international competitors.