As Mayo manager James Horan anticipated, Joe McQuillan has been appointed to referee Sunday week’s All-Ireland football final.

“They are enthusiasmus,” protested Giovanni Trapattoni before the start, falling back on his favourite word, one more time.

Sadly, the passion and skill on the field isn’t matched by the promotion of tomorrow’s replay

AFTER the constant blue skies and dry days of recent months, I had forgotten what the view looked like in rain.

Mayo began their journey under James Horan with a talk about what it would take to become winners.

INTERNATIONAL RULES SERIES, SECOND TEST:

Celtic 2 Ajax 1

When the great boxing trainer Eddie Futch stopped Joe Frazier from going out to face Muhammad Ali late on in Manila all those years ago, he had good reason.

Dan Martin slipped back to 13th overall at the Tour de France yesterday following the day’s gruelling 11th stage individual time-trial.

The opening race of the Cork Dry Gin Calves Week saw 60 boats compete around the West Cork Islands yesterday in the first of four days of competition organised by Schull Harbour Sailing Club.

THE vintage roll-top bath remains a popular inclusion in even a contemporary bathroom.

Dolphin 12 Young Munster 11

GUINNESS PRO12:

Ian Keatley freely admits Ireland are a better team with Johnny Sexton at fly-half but that is a motivation for the Munster No.10 rather than a deterrent to proving he belongs at Test level.

Coláiste Dun Iascaigh (Cahir) 4-8 Scoil Mhuire (Carrick-on-Suir) 2-9

St Mullins 0-9 Naomh Eoin, Myshall 0-7

The Comeragh mountain range in Co Waterford is an area of spectacular natural beauty, a relatively undiscovered gem that is home to stunning glacial lakes, picturesque waterfalls and hidden caverns.

All the fuss had surrounded Tottenham’s goal machine and local boy Harry Kane coming into the Capital One Cup final but it was that man Diego Costa who once again stole the headlines for Chelsea as he fired them to their first major trophy of the season.

Barry McGuigan is hoping for the perfect birthday present from his protégé tomorrow night, with the Clones Cyclone calling on Carl Frampton to deliver a knockout in his first world-title defence.

The global sports betting market is worth up to $3,000,000,000,000 (three trillion), the vast majority of that generated by illegal gambling, a United Nations conference on crime being held in Doha has heard.