INNISCARRA isn’t so much a place as a feeling and, lately, that feeling has been jubilant. The parish, eight kilometres or so from Cork city is home to about 7,000 souls but, right now 33 of them are the ones who really matter.

IT really does come to something when the most exciting moment of a Premier League encounter occurs when two silver-haired 40-somethings have a little tantrum with each other at the final whistle.

BOLTON boss Owen Coyle repeated his belief that he can persuade striker Johan Elmander to sign a new contract after the Swede took his season’s tally to eight with a brace in the 5-1 win over Newcastle.

ANOTHER evening peppered with bad vibes at the Aviva.

THE WikiLeaks highlights make great reading, though strangely enough most of the information is no surprise to the public and no doubt to countries diplomatic services.

ARSENE WENGER has called on his Arsenal team not to let the club’s 125th anniversary celebrations detract them from delivering a match-winning performance against Everton today.

GAA President Christy Cooney has broken his silence on the controversial Leinster SFC final between Meath and Louth admitting he would have liked to have seen the game replayed.

THIS World Cup has been dominated by South American sides, so what odds on them dominating the semi-final line-up by the time the whistles blow in Cape Town and Johannesburg on Saturday?

LOUTH forward JP Rooney admits he had little sympathy for under-fire referee Martin Sludden as he was bundled out of Croke Park last Sunday.

ALEX FERGUSON has played down fears about Wayne Rooney’s fitness ahead of this summer’s World Cup.

LEEDS United boss Simon Grayson paid tribute to his players after they came from behind to beat Bristol Rovers and clinch promotion to the Championship on Saturday.

IT’S ALWAYS hard to lose a game, but to lose to arguably the worst Liverpool side for decades (with only a couple of players excused from that description) is depressing.

AS A measure of the progress of the Waterford footballers, their post-match reaction in the Fraher Field on Sunday afternoon was instructive.

THE handpass rule may not have dominated the headlines in the Fraher Field yesterday but refereeing decisions still dominated post-match discussion.

DIDIER DROGBA provided a frank assessment of Chelsea’s Champions League exit and is only hopeful there is more to come from the current squad in the competition.

There were no manic celebrations. In fact, Jose Mourinho disappeared down the tunnel before the final whistle.

BEWARE the Ides of March?

NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS got their Magners League season off to a flying start with a three-try victory over a poor Ulster at Rodney Parade.