Giovanni Trapattoni believes the Republic of Ireland’s qualification for Euro 2012 has lifted the mood of the nation at a difficult time for the country.

American hall of fame trainer Bob Baffert reportedly suffered a heart attack in Dubai in the early hours of Monday morning.

IT’S a rainy morning in Los Angeles, and Elisabeth Moss, who plays Peggy Olson in the television series Mad Men, is standing outside the stage door smoking.

Michael Hoey put his rivals to the sword, including fellow Irishman Damien McGrane, in being presented with a ceremonial dagger as his prize for winning the Hassan II Trophy in Morocco.

Munster could be without their frontline second row for Saturday’s RaboDirect Pro12 top of the table derby clash with Leinster after Donnacha Ryan joined captain Paul O’Connell on the list of injury doubts for the Thomond Park showdown.

It is a sign of the malaise afflicting Liverpool, in the league at least, that the biggest cheer of the day from home supporters — save for that which greeted Luis Suarez’s equalising goal — was the one which met the introduction of Andy Carroll at half-time.

It is rare in modern football to see something quite so startling as Athletic Bilbao’s two victories over Manchester United.

One of the problems with past success is that it can freeze time for declined teams.

The record books show that Paul Nicholls has won all four championship races at the Cheltenham Festival. A brilliant feat, no doubt.

Outrage fits us like a spring jacket and is as easily slipped on as off.

It’s Old Firm day tomorrow. Or maybe that should be infirm day.

All these years later and so much about them remains the same.

Declan Kidney’s misgivings about the performance of referee Dave Pearson during the recent RBS 6 Nations campaign appear to have been taken fully on board by the International Rugby Board (IRB) with the sport’s governing body set to axe the English official from it’s tierone panel.

The Breeders’ Cup have announced that four races on the Irish calendar are to form part of the ‘Win and You’re in’ series.

Munster have called David Wallace into their 41-man Heineken Cup squad for their quarter-final clash with Ulster.

Munster’s iconic Thomond Park will host Ireland’s plum tie of the 2013 Rugby League World Cup against Australia.

Archimedes had his famous eureka moment while sitting in the bath. Paul Watson — like many of us — had his while sitting on his couch.

MUCH has changed on the Irish food scene since I started the Ballymaloe Cookery School in September 1983.

Adam Nolan, with Olympic qualification secured, rounded off a memorable week with the gold medal around his neck after beating the teak tough German welterweight Patrick Wojcicki on countback at the Olympic qualifying tournament in Trabzon.

Leinster utility back Isa Nacewa is hoping he won’t be forced out of the province by bureaucracy — but says he will accept it if he must leave.