THE Italian and Irish flags were draped side by side in Feakle, Co Clare, as a capacity crowd squeezed into the community hall to witness a small miracle.

The referee who missed Thierry Henry’s infamous handball effectively ended his own career with the decision which ended Ireland’s World Cup dreams.

Liam Rushe says he owes Cork forward Pat Horgan an apology for striking him last weekend, admitting that a replay of the Croke Park incident looked ‘like a scene from Gladiator’.

Suspended Tyrone pair Conor Gormley and Martin Penrose have requested a hearing with the GAA’s Central Hearings Committee.

A system to appoint the next Cork senior football manager is yet be put in place after the issue was not discussed at last night’s county board meeting in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

The first All-Ireland SHC semi-final of 2013, Cork versus Dublin on Sunday, began in orthodox fashion with both sides happy to play a traditional 3/3/2/3/3 formation.

Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill faces a late change of plan ahead of tonight’s World Cup qualifier against Russia, with Kyle Lafferty missing out with an Achilles injury.

A county Meath referee has been the subject of abusive phone calls over the past week following his officiating of a club football game.

Tradition packed its nasty wallop into Croke Park yesterday, to paraphrase the great AJ Leibling.

Cork 1-24 Dublin 1-19

SCOTTISH CUP FINAL:

It would be the perfect way to mark a significant milestone.

ULSTER SFC QUARTER-FINAL:

Connacht 9 Toulouse 37

GAA referees chief Pat McEnaney admits the black card could see an escalation in the number of players feigning fouls.

Peter Stringer is poised to write his name into the history books as only the third player to secure 100 caps in European competitions should he get the nod to start in Bath’s Amlin Challenge Cup game against Rugby Mogliano tomorrow.

Sports stadiums can be drab places long after the final whistle has blown, when all that humanity has trickled away into the surrounding streets and countryside and left behind are the memories, the cold and the detritus of a day well spent.

Renowned TV chef, cook and cookbook author whose latest book is Rachel’s Everyday Kitchen.

A Westmeath hurling supporter has been banned for 48 weeks for clashing with a referee after the county senior hurling final.

Newcastle 2 West Brom 1