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Bad news travels fast, and when the sad news came last Monday that another ‘Butt’s’ gentleman had passed on, my thoughts immediately flashed back to the Water Barracks, Larry Dowling's (now the Black Cat), Rings – Cards – Darts – and mighty craic – Yes the late great Dixie (Seamus) Brennan was a major part of that era and how we all enjoyed those wonderful times.

Eire Og 2-10

Five Kilkenny business people have appeared on this month’s list of tax defaulters which was published this week by the Revenue Commissioners.

The Michael Lyng Motors Carlow senior football championship final, between the top two teams Palatine and Eire Og ended level 1-10 a piece on Sunday last. The game provided the passion, the spills and thrills, and all that is good in a hard-fought sporting encounter at Dr Cullen Park.

Michael Lyng Motors SFC Replay

Fresh from their county title win seven days previously, Eire Óg senior footballers advanced to the quarter final of the AIB Leinster club championship. They defeated Kiltegan at Dr Cullen Park on Sunday in a highly entertaining game.

Last week I wrote about the remarkable record and tradition that Éire Óg have established in both the Carlow championship and at Leinster and All Ireland level. Well on Sunday last, they began yet another club championship campaign in familiar fashion. An opening round win against Wicklow’s Kiltegan was the first step on what will hopefully be a long road. While the final victory margin was only four points, in truth it was a much more comfortable victory than this might suggest. A very strong first quarter set the foundation for this victory with one of Éire Óg's bigger names to the fore in this period. Simon Rae was back to his sparkling best in this opening quarter and was heavily involved in the opening up of a 1-4 to no score lead in the opening quarter. Indeed when Mark Kelly got the vital touch to a speculative Ber Hennessy ball for the first of his two goals, it looked ominous for the Wicklow champions. To their credit however, they fought their way back into the game and they scored the next four points to leave just a goal separating the sides. Éire Óg weathered this storm well with a pivotal moment being a great save by Michael Hennessy which prevented the Wicklow men drawing level. From this point, the Carlow champions demonstrated their ruthlessness and big game know-how by engineering the second goal of the game in first half injury time when Mark Kelly doubled his own goal tally for the day by finishing a full length move to the corner of the net. This gave them the cushion they needed and despite Kiltegan's best efforts, the margin never dipped below four points. Rae was again influential in the second half, scoring two fine points himself and setting Eric McCormick up for his side’s ultimately decisive, third goal. This was a good performance from the Carlow champions given that they had only won their own championship the previous Sunday. It's never easy to begin another campaign so soon after winning your own championship, but if there is one club capable of doing it it's Éire Óg.

Éire Óg senior footballers are still in the Leinster championship when they drew level with Colmcille of Longford after extra time in Dr Cullen Park on Sunday.

Éire Óg played one of their “get out of jail free” cards last Sunday as they managed to scrape a draw from their encounter with Longford champions Colmcille. When this game is analysed as no doubt it has by the Teach Asca management they will surely look to the paltry scoring return of just 2-4. That's only six scores over an hour and forty or so minutes of football when extra time plus injury time is taken into account. Indeed going the entire second half without registering a score is almost unheard of for the Carlow champions. Finding themselves down three points early in the game it was 18 minutes before Éire Óg got themselves in on the scoring act. As in the county final replay that first score was a goal as ace poacher Eric McCormack added to his tally for the year. Two further scores, a point from Brian Carbery and Mark Kelly's goal provided a nice four point cushion at the half time break. Having weathered that early storm the home side would have been fancied to push on and finish the job in the second half but the Longford men had other ideas. In completely dominating the second half they almost caused the shock of the round by dumping the strongly fancied Carlow men out of the competition. At this stage of the game it was left to the home sides defence to keep them in the game. While forwards often take the plaudits, this time Éire Óg have their magnificent defence to thank for giving them another chance to progress to the semi final. With Colmcille dominating midfield they came in waves at Éire Óg. On two occasions they seemed sure to score what probably would have been a match winning goal but both efforts were saved magnificently by goal keeper Michael Hennessy. Having brought the game to extra time they were then dealt the blow of Shane Myers sending off. Without their regular full back they had to dig even deeper to live to fight another day. That they did is a testimony to the renowned never say die spirit and inner belief that the club has built up over the years. When Colmcille twice took the lead in extra time Eric McCormack showed his worth by holding his nerve to knock over the equalising frees. I always say that there's no such thing as an easy free but when your clubs continued involvement in the competition is at stake you could say there is just a little extra pressure. Well having got the draw out of the game they now must travel to Longford for the replay. For a team with Éire Óg's experience this will not worry them unduly. As has been well documented they have an outstanding record in replays. Hopefully the conditions will lend themselves more to good football unlike what we had last Sunday. Even though they will be away from home I still feel that Éire Óg will be favourites for this one and justifiably so. The forward line will be anxious to put more scores on the board this time round. A similar scoring return next weekend might not be enough. Simon Rea's injury is a blow but Éire Óg are well known for having strength in depth. Cormac Mullins came on the last day to score an important point at the start of extra time and could start in the replay. Experience could be the key to the result on Sunday and Éire Óg have this in spades. This I feel should be enough to see them progress.

Offaly champions Rhode powered their way to the AIB Leinster club senior football championship final when they defeated Éire Óg by 14 points at Dr Cullen Park on Sunday. The sheer physical size of the Rhode team and their footballing ability was something the Éire Óg men could not come to terms with.