A crisp sunny day for a drive out of the Big Smoke, the lilting Welsh accents of the genial locals, a clean sheet, three goals and a return trip back across the Severn Bridge, plumped up by a seven-point cushion.

Hull City 3 Liverpool 1

“We’ve sold Elvis and bought the Beatles!” crowed at least more than one former Tottenham player shortly after a transfer deadline that saw Gareth Bale finally depart for Real Madrid and the last chunk of £106 million worth of new talent check in at White Hart Lane.

For four years in a row Dr Crokes have been kings in the Kingdom, and for the latter three they’ve ruled the roost in Munster.

Mount Leinster Rangers manager Tom Mullally was honest enough to admit he hadn’t processed his side’s win at the final whistle yesterday.

Entrapment might not always be the most admirable, let alone efficient, way to snare villains — dirty tricks have a habit of leaving all hands unclean — but there was something entirely apposite about this week’s Daily Telegraph sting operation which exposed alleged match-fixing in English football.

Location: Castletownshend, Cork

From pantos to festive markets, Ed Power has the best Christmas events for kids and grown ups.

Like every bar, school, water cooler and gathering point in the land this week, the Munster team room has heard numerous discussions about the remarkable events at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Joe Schmidt stood by his main man yesterday, backing Johnny Sexton’s decision to take that fateful penalty as an historic first victory over the All Blacks beckoned.

St Brigid’s 2-12 Castlebar Mitchel's 3-13 (aet)

Last week we spoke to former National Director of Hurling, Paudie Butler, and he dismissed traditional notions of winter hurling.

Na Piarsaigh (Limerick) 4-14 Sixmilebridge (Clare) 0-8

West Ham United 0 Chelsea 3

As a lifelong fan of classical guitar legend John Williams, he’d always have been at the top of my all-time wish-list of interviewees.

Castlebar Mitchels’ talismanic midfielder Barry Moran is free to line out against Dr Crokes in the All-Ireland Club SFC semi-final after winning his appeal for a red card suspension from the Connacht final.

HEINEKEN CUP POOL SIX:

BLOWING THE WHISTLE

For the recent visit of the All Blacks to the Aviva Stadium, I was on a radio panel with Irish legend David Wallace and Kiwi and Ulster player Nick Williams.

An hour and a half after the final whistle last Sunday, Kieran Lucas was still on the field in Nowlan Park.