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Red Mills Champion un raced Stake, round 2,

When the fixtures were officially announced last autumn for this year’s National Hurling League most Kilkenny hurling enthusiasts would have been quick to blank off March 22 in their diaries. For this was the date allotted for the 'clash of the champions', last year's national hurling league winners Tipperary against All-Ireland champions Kilkenny.

I think it’s fair to say that there has been a lot of doom and gloom over this past year due to the state of the nation’s economy. For many folk sport has become their one saving grace in these tough times. As weekends go the one just past you could say was just what the doctor had ordered.

Did you know that you have four years to claim tax refunds? Thousands of PAYE workers fail to take advantage of tax breaks available to them annually.

Open week

Castlebar Celtic’s brave step into the Newstalk FAI League of Ireland A league is ready to roll this weekend when Derry City make the trip south to Celtic Park. Last Friday night Celtic launched their campaign in the TF Royal Hotel and Theatre. Declan Kilkelly, manager of the side, praised the club’s decision to enter the competition when he was called on to speak at the launch. “This is a brave, brave, decision by the club to enter this competition. The decision was proved right by just looking at the number of lads we have got back from clubs like Galway United, Mervue United, and Sligo Rovers who are ready to do their part for the club in this exciting venture. Any players, whoever they are, want to play at the highest level they can and now we can offer our players who have come through our own underage system this chance to play League of Ireland football for Castlebar Celtic.” Kilkelly was in charge of the Celtic youth side who claimed the FAI Youth Cup in 2006, took over the club’s senior side midway through last season after the departure of former manager Gavin Dykes who had brought them to an FAI junior cup semi-final, and guided them in their first adventure in the FAI u20 league side in 2007 only to see the club excluded from the 2008 competition because they did not have an A league side. The decision of the club to throw their hat in the ring for the 2009 A league and try to emulate Mervue United which went from junior soccer in Galway to the A league in 2008, and is now a League of Ireland first division club, is a positive one for soccer in Mayo according to chairman of the Mayo League Pat Quigley who said: “I wish Celtic all the best in this challenge, it’s a great step for the club and a very positive one for soccer in Mayo in general. We have played a very small part in this in the Mayo league and we will continue to do whatever we can to help the club in this challenge. This decision offers every lad who starts off playing football with Celtic something to aim for, to play in the League of Ireland.”

Denis Walsh the new Cork manager must have wondered last Sunday evening what the hell he’d let himself in for, after Kilkenny had subjected his side to their heaviest defeat for many a year.

Saturday May 2 sees the return of the monthly underground club Disco Nouveau at The Stables, Mullingar.

Kilkenny hurlers head to Semple Stadium on Sunday — their mission — to relieve the home county Tipperary of the National League Cup. These two sides have avoided each other well on final days over the last decade. Only once during that period, back in '03, have they squared up to each other for a national title decider. It might only have been the second most important competition that day but it was a game Kilkenny fans will savour for a long time. It was a thrilling encounter that saw the Cats come from 10 points down to win by the most slender of margins.

THE CHARNWOOD Symphony Orchestra, along with the Tribal Chamber Choir, soprano Denise Leigh, and bass Simon Thorpe, will perform works by Brahms, Mozart, and Tchaikovsky in Galway.