New Dublin football manager Pat Gilroy has been more open with the media than his predecessor Paul Caffrey ahead of their Leinster SFC final clash with Kieran McGeeney’s Kildare in Croke Park on Sunday.

VERY few Gaelic football players or teams escape a tongue lashing from Joe Brolly, and Dublin were no exception three weeks ago even if they managed to slay the Meath dragon and advance towards a Leinster semi-final.

JOHNNY MURTAGH missed his two booked rides at Tipperary last night, having failed to arrive back from Heathrow in time.

RADIOHEAD will bid to supplement his Royal Ascot gains in the Camas Park & Ashtown House Studs Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday week.

HINDU Kush landed the featured Seamus & Rosemary McGrath Memorial Saval Beg Stakes for Dandy Nicholls at Leopardstown last night.

THE four-runner BBQ Night At Tipperary Race offers the best chance of showing a profit at Tipperary tonight.

REFEREES’ chief Michael Curley has insisted Rory Hickey was correct to award a Cork penalty in Sunday’s Munster SFC final and hit out at media criticism of the controversial decision.

TIPPERARY have re-arranged their attack for Sunday’s Allianz National Hurling League final against All-Ireland champions in Thurles, making no fewer than four changes from the last round game against Limerick a fortnight ago.

THE Shane Lowry fairytale sucked in a sidekick yesterday with confirmation that his caddie of over two years will make the transition from the amateur to professional game with the new Irish Open champion.

THE twin successes of Dublin clubs St Vincent’s last year and Kilmacud Crokes on Tuesday also produced two father-and-son winners in the AIB Club football championship.

THE inclination is to suggest Crossmaglen Rangers qualified for this afternoon’s AIB All-Ireland club football final too easily to judge their true worth — dismissing Drom-Broadford by 18 points — whereas Dublin champions Kilmacud Crokes proved their credentials by putting out Corofin in a close encounter.

ALL STAR Eddie Brennan has been included on the Kilkenny team to play Galway in the NHL clash on Sunday following his successful appeal against his dismissal against Waterford last weekend.

NONE of the three people involved in the interim Offaly football management is interested in being considered for the position of manager for the year.

JOHNNY Murtagh had to settle for a double, from a strong book of rides, at Dundalk last night, scoring on Royal Entourage and Glowing.

HENRY SHEFFLIN returns to the Kilkenny side for his first appearance of the year in tomorrow’s NHL showdown against Tipperary. Shefflin comes in at centre-forward in place of Willie O’Dwyer, while Ballyhale Shamrocks clubmates TJ Reid and Michael Fennelly are also drafted into the team.

GER REIDY of Castleisland Desmonds and Aidan O’Shea from the Glenbeigh-Glencarr club are the two new faces on the Kerry team to play Donegal in the opening round of the Allianz NFL at Austin Park, Tralee tomorrow.

JUST like two years ago, Dublin and Tyrone will meet in Croke Park tonight long after the sun goes down but it was the defeat to the Ulster side on a rain-soaked August afternoon last summer which Barry Cahill points to as his darkest hour in blue.

MUNSTER fly-half Ronan O’Gara was last night named Guinness Rugby Writers of Ireland Player of the Year.

IF there is a consensus about Offaly football it is probably one of a plucky little county punching several divisions above its weight.

Kildare 1-15 Offaly 1-13