BRAZILIAN trio Ronaldo, Julio Baptista and Roberto Carlos have blamed Real Madrid fans for creating a tense atmosphere that has made it difficult for the team to play well in home matches.

Newcastle 1 Arsenal 1

Kerry 1-10 Limerick 1-10

IRISH rugby has experienced more than its fair share of low points. Forget a dark night of the soul, the men in green have been through enough black moments to put them back to back and form an annus horribilis.

KILKENNY star DJ Carey has continued to play down the significance of their crushing NHL final victory over Clare in Thurles.

This Christmas, many a greying football fan will be looking forward to some light reading. Michael Moynihan goes back to the football magazine that everyone grew up with for a Yuletide read.

Wicklow 4-9 Kerry 2-12

LABOUR’S Brendan Howlin yesterday expressed shock at reports gardaí sought access to his phone records after he highlighted corruption claims in the force.

THE rebel yell could be heard clear across Dublin yesterday as the Cork hordes came, conquered and watched in triumph as Ben O’Connor lifted the Liam McCarthy Cup.

A YEAR after Bishop Brendan Comiskey fell on his sword in a swirl of controversy the Government has announced the terms of reference of an inquiry into how exactly allegations of child sexual abuse were handled

WITH the dust settling on Cork's 30th All-Ireland hurling success, Michael Moynihan examines some of the ways in which the Leesiders put a Clive Woodward maxim into effect:

CORK, surprisingly, contest the Suzuki Ladies Football National League final in Pearse Stadium tomorrow against all-conquering Mayo, who were only allowed back into the competition at the 11th hour.

IN the fall-out from the Laffoy Commission debacle, Minister for Education Noel Dempsey has come up with what can only be described as an inspiration on how to cut down on costs, numbers and delays.

DARREN CLARKE, Justin Leonard, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh were just some of those who brought the so called “unplayable” Whistling Straits course to its knees in yesterday’s first round of the US PGA Championship.

GARDAÍ in an accident blackspot area will set up hundreds of checkpoints over the coming month in an effort to cut fatalities.

SAN FRANCISCO and Pittsburgh pulled off thrilling come-from-behind victories on Sunday night to advance in the National Football League playoffs.

Leeds 1

PARENTS will be well aware of this scenario: You give a child some pocket money to last a week and by Wednesday it’s all gone on sweets and nothing to show for it.

JEREMY PHIPPS resigned from his position as director of security at the Jockey Club last night, conceding in a letter to senior steward Christopher Spence that his role had become ‘‘untenable’’ and that he had caused ‘‘embarrassment, for which I apologise most sincerely’’.