THE promised torrential thunder-showers didn’t hit Limerick’s Gaelic Grounds until about an hour after the final whistle, long after the disappointing crowd of 17,365 had headed for home.

BY JULY of 2001, five-year--old Edel Ryan had made a few introductory visits to Ballagh National School in Tipperary, preparing herself for the big day in September when she would join the ranks of the junior infants.

Better than 2006? By general consensus, yes. While the manic fear of losing drove Munster to a first Heineken Cup victory over Biarritz, this time around there was a clinical, cold intensity about the manner in which they squeezed the resistance out of France’s finest. Six of the central characters relive one of this country’s finest sporting achievements.

HE hadn’t even started canvassing in Cork city yesterday but it looked as if Enda Kenny’s Yes to Lisbon train could be derailed even before it left the station.

SEVEN days too late for Chelsea’s liking, John Terry was presented with an opportunity to score and duly obliged.

A DRAMATIC conclusion to this Evening Echo County SHC second round in Riverstown yesterday, as a late goal by Cork defender Brian Murphy rescued Bride Rovers from a defeat by Ballinhassig that looked likely, as the scores finished 3-7 to 1-13.

LIKE the gale force wind at O’Moore Park, Dublin huffed and puffed for three quarters of this Leinster championship opener before finally blowing Westmeath away.

IF a cardiologist had hooked a Munster supporter up to a heart monitor last Saturday evening, he’d have been able to tell what was happening in the Millennium Stadium without switching on the television.

THE Thomond Park cocktail of the raucous and the polite gripped Limerick’s O’Connell Street during Saturday’s epic European Cup final.

MUNSTER have been installed as favourites to retain their Heineken Cup title next May with thousands of euro placed on Paul O’Connell’s side since Saturday’s victory over French giants, Toulouse.

CORK manager Conor Counihan has insisted he will not be drawn into any quick decision about his future position after the disappointment of Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final replay to Kerry.

HARD to believe this was the same Mayo who almost kicked away the All-Ireland MFC semi-final a week ago.

KEVIN KEEGAN has bemoaned Newcastle’s finishing this season, but his saviour could be close at hand.

WHEN Pat McEnaney blew his whistle for the last time yesterday afternoon, Jason Ryan called his panel into a huddle on the Croke Park pitch determined to put his own punctuation mark to the end of Wexford’s season.

SUNDAY was not, for the most part, pretty. In fact it was pretty frustrating to watch and there was much moaning around me from supporters who had expected the dazzling display of last week to continue.

KILKENNY became the first county in the history of the GAA to win four All-Ireland hurling titles in the one year when their Under-21 side beat Tipperary in a magnificent Bord Gais final at Croke Park yesterday.

SHE’S only 12 but already this young virtuoso has won her third national fiddle title.

IT IS an ironic reflection of the rapid deterioration of Ireland’s manufacturing base that we are now even reduced to importing our xenophobia from abroad.

KERRY captain Paul Galvin last night returned to his first county training since being controversially dismissed against Clare on June 15.

UNLIKE coach Brian Cody, Kilkenny captain James ‘Cha’ Fitzpatrick admitted that winning three All-Ireland titles in-a-row was a huge motivating factor for him and his colleagues.