HEARING a magnificent dawn chorus this morning brought back an embarrassing memory.

WHEN Torres scored on Saturday, the man himself looked delighted, but that was nothing compared to the reaction of the fans or his team-mates.

Declan Kidney doesn’t do surprises. Especially not when he has settled on a team he likes. That’s why there were no great gasps from the fourth estate when he named his team to meet France yesterday.

I’ve never seen singing as work.

CORK’S finest are running out of time to catch Catholic Institute, after the Limerick side showed off their clinical short corner conversion ability with a 5-1 win over UCC at The Mardyke on Saturday.

Bridesmaid. It’s a word that seems to provoke equal amounts of fear and loathing from members of the opposite sex, much to the incomprehension of men everywhere.

Shamrock Rovers maintained their unbeaten start to the Airtricity League Premier Division campaign with Gary Twigg’s fifth goal of the season and an injury-time second from Billy Dennehy helping the champions grind out victory at Tallaght Stadium last night.

IT MAY go down in the history books as having finally drawn a line under centuries of animosity between two neighbouring nations.

I KNOW it’s juvenile but perhaps my favourite moment this past memorable weekend was hearing BBC Radio reporting live that a stunt mounted by the Red Issue fanzine had succeeded perfectly.

HIS clinical free-taking was the toast of Cork in last year’s All-Ireland final and last week’s Allianz Division 1 opening win over Kerry but Conor Counihan has found fault with Daniel Goulding’s game — his tackling.

I AM probably an exception to the rule but I’m not a lover of hurling under lights.

CLARE claimed the spoils in this competitive McGrath Cup quarter-final at Cooraclare yesterday.

MANY Irish people — especially those in the second half of life — hold their health insurance premiums as dear to them as their family home or their family life assurance policy.

TRALEE IT were crowned Higher Education SFL Division Two champions after overcoming a robust and spirited challenge from Waterford IT at Mallow last night.

THREE GOALS in the opening half paved the way for Coachford Community School in a hopelessly one-sided Munster Senior A Vocational Schools football semi-final at Kilmichael yesterday.

HOLDERS Inter Milan staged a remarkable second-half revival to knock Bayern Munich out of the Champions League at the Allianz Arena.

IT was total domination from Waterford United in their opening game in the Airtricity League of Ireland First Division but Stephen Henderson’s side came unstuck by a very defensive Athlone Town outfit that held out for a share of the spoils at the RSC last night.

BARCELONA eased to their third successive La Liga title with a low-key draw away to Levante last night to retain their crown with two games to spare.

Sam Maguires 2-5Clonakilty 0-5