Joey Barton is facing the threat of a 10-match ban — or even longer — after the Football Association charged him with two acts of violent conduct following his sending off in QPR’s defeat by Manchester City.

Bonfires lined the roads and hundreds of cheering supporters turned out to greet the victory cavalcade of a rural drama group which has won first prize in a prestigious national competition.

After denying Cork five Bord Gáis Energy Division 1 titles in-a-row, the Monaghan focus immediately switched to summer football.

For the second successive year O’Donovan Rossa surmounted a West Cork challenge in the opening round of the SFC when they defeated Dohenys in Clonakilty on Saturday night.

Two injury-time goals, the second from Sergio Aguero after 93 minutes, brought City a 3-2 victory over QPR, in the most astonishing circumstances at the Etihad Stadium last night.

The euphoria lasted just 30 seconds.

Wigan’s Franco Di Santo enjoys his moment.

It’s 4.52am on a Monday morning and while you’re asleep she’s going to work.

On Thursday night, as Ger Loughnane left Cusack Park following Clare’s easy win over Cork in the Munster minor championship, one would presume the result would be a source of satisfaction.

The way he has Crossmaglen Rangers playing should surprise no one who has ever known him.

Over the last 25 years the Government sells off State-owned land and buildings that realise money in the short term, and on which builders can build unregulated (think “pyrite”) commercial and private dwelling buildings to yield a nice profit.

NUI Maynooth held off a late challenge from 14-man UCD to forge a deserved victory in last night’sfloodlit Sigerson Cup quarter-final.

It may not have been a St Valentine’s Day massacre, coming 24 hours after the day romantics cherish most, but the way the Gunners were gunned down in the San Siro was nothing less than fatal for their Champions League hopes.

He’s a member of Saturday’s opponents, as are the rest of his immediate family, but Anthony Cunningham admits he never asked his club St Brigid’s about taking over neighbours Garrycastle.

IT Carlow just prevailed in this Fitzgibbon Cup group tie at the IT grounds in Carlow yesterday after a competitive contest which featured a shootout between the respective centre-forwards – the home side’s TJ Reid and NUIG’s Niall Burke.

AS weekends go, this one must have been especially tough for Connacht.

AFTER a humdrum week of cup football, one question jostled for attention above all others: What has become of the great English love of mime?

AFTER years of success with Glanmire in ladies basketball, Mark Scannell realised his appetite wasn’t what it used to be.

IRELAND is set to return to the short-term bond markets this year, ahead of a planned resumption of auctioning long-term debt sometime in 2013.

THE first steps have been taken in establishing an unofficial referees’ body, the Gaelic Match Officials Association.