IN bygone days when the extent of my sporting horizon was confined to whether Cork could win an All-Ireland, the highlight of the year was witnessing the hurlers, or occasionally the footballers, parading silverware through the streets on an open-topped lorry.

FIVE points down with 15 minutes left In dark and deepest France, few people would have given Leinster much hope of securing their first away win of the Heineken Cup campaign.

ANTHONY HORGAN, who had to withdraw from last Sunday’s game at the Arms Park at the 11th hour because of an Achilles problem, remains Munster’s only serious injury worry prior to Saturday’s return Heineken Cup clash with Cardiff Blues at Thomond Park.

LET’S get the obvious out of the way first; this weekend, for the final round of pool games in the Heineken Cup, Trevor Hogan should be preparing for Munster’s massive game against Leicester in Thomond Park.

AN HOUR after the final whistle in Geneva yesterday, the Munster front row emerged from their dressing room, and what a sight. Marcus Horan, Frankie Sheahan, John Hayes, all looked like they’d just gone 15 rounds with a young Muhammad Ali.

THIERRY HENRY insists France’s win over Spain was the perfect answer to Luis Aragones.

COMPANIES doing business in the developing world spend nearly €800 billion a year bribing officials and politicians — 20 times more than the current spend on international aid.

WHERE does the time go? Seems like yesterday Jim Purcell was giving a pal a dig out, walking divots back into the Semple Stadium turf.

THE most pulsating, dramatic, heart-stopping contest of a thrilling World Cup ended with Australia booking a last-16 meeting with Italy. Harry Kewell’s 79th-minute angled drive sent the Socceroos bouncing into the knockout phase for the first time in their history.

DWIGHT YORKE has revealed he may end his international career in the aftermath of Trinidad and Tobago’s world cup exit in Kaiserslautern.

A SIZZLER of a Sunday in Munich, although that had more to do with the scorching weather than the fairly modest amount of heat generated by the boys from Brazil.

YEATS stands out among the 11 confirmations yesterday for Saturday’s Irish Field St Leger at the Curragh.

IT wasn’t pretty but Munster coach Declan Kidney was delighted after his side sneaked to the narrowest of Magners League wins over Border Reivers at Thomond Park on Saturday night.

THERE’S not a moment to lose. We cannot allow the college points system to die a natural death; we have to get out there and make sure we kill it stone dead. A stake through the heart, that’s what it needs.

GAA chiefs may revert to a pitch presentation of the Sam Maguire for the All-Ireland football final in two weeks after another pitch invasion by celebrating Kilkenny fans yesterday.

AS gracious in defeat as he is in victory, Cork manager John Allen had no qualms about the result of yesterday’s All-Ireland SHC final, a result that robbed his side of three in a row.

ONE word best explains it: pride. It was what made underdogs Kilkenny such a driven team going into yesterday’s excellent Guinness All-Ireland hurling final in Croke Park and ultimately inspired a memorable victory.

We put Michael Moynihan in a darkened room with a DVD player, two discs from the All-Ireland semi-finals and a mandate to come up with something different. Our experiment resulted in the following...

CORK CITY’S advancement into the next round of this season’s UEFA Champions League was down to the team’s “experience and mental strength”, according to manager Damien Richardson.

PROPOSED changes in the policing of the medical profession are long overdue and to be welcomed.