Must the debate and exploration really stop at: Well, one is amateur and one is professional, writes Ronan O’Gara

Quite extraordinary trainer poised to repeat last year’s feat

UCD 2-18 DCU 0-12: UCD finished strongly to claim the Ryan Cup, following victory over rivals DCU in last night’s HE SFL Division 1 Final at Parnell Park.

Following Saturday’s victory with Coney Island, trainer Eddie Harty made it three wins from as many runners at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting when Minella Foru took the valuable Paddy Power Chase and Copy That landed a touch in the two-mile handicap hurdle on day two of the four-day festival, writes Tommy Lyons.

Current crop are a smart bunch, but not by any means a brilliant one. Yes, says Tommy Lyons

YES: Slick jumping and endless stamina can see Mullins hope home and hosed, argues Darren Norris

As a young garda on his first assignment stationed in Cabinteely in south Dublin, Tony Golden had all the attractions of big city night life and entertainment on his doorstep, but nothing could beat for him the thrill of the hurling pitch in his native Ballina.

In a Dublin career that stretched out across 13 years — from 2002 to 2015 — there’s a strong case to be made for Alan Brogan’s last point of a remarkable 11-134 championship haul being his most important.

We are pleased to announce that Tommy Lyons has been appointed Racing Correspondent of the Irish Examiner.

And there you were, thinking you’d never see him or Westmeath again, when who springs up in Croke Park and on your screen but himself. 

Toscanini and Queen Of Sicily, trained by Michael Halford and Jim Bolger respectively, provided the powerful Godolphin team with a double in Naas last night.

Dublin 3-15 Mayo 1-14: It lacked the deliriousness of the All-Ireland semi-final replay 12 months earlier, when Mayo and Kerry set Limerick alight, but this last four second act wanted for little else, save the sort of dramatic ending that seemed a given for so long.

“We’ll leave Kerry happy now,” said in-form trainer Willie McCreery, following the victory of Fact Or Folklore in the featured Guinness Premier Handicap on day four of the Listowel Festival.