Golf: Galway clinched the Bulmers Irish Senior Cup for the second time in four years when they held off a brave challenge from West Waterford to run out 3.5 to 1.5 winners at Tullamore.

With the scores tied at 1-1, West Waterford's spirit was embodied by 16-year-old schoolboy Gary Hurley, who came back from three down with four to play to take Eddie McCormack to the 19th.

They halved the first extra hole in pars but Hurley's fightback proved to be in vain as his match was called in when Damien Coyne beat 19-year-old Philip Spratt on the 18th and the 2007 West of Ireland champion Joe Lyons defeated 20-year-old David Curran 2 and 1 to get the Connacht champions over the line.

In the Jimmy Bruen Shield, Nenagh claimed the title for the second time following their 1997 win when they cruised to an emphatic 4-1 victory over Waterford.

Loughnane displays class

athletics: World Championship silver medallist Olive Loughnane was yesterday heavily involved in the action at the IAAF Walking Grand Challenge final in Russian city of Saransk.

And once more the Irish woman showed her class when she finished fourth in a top-class field in the 10km event.

There was extra reward for Loughnane in that her time of 43 minutes 22 seconds was a new Irish record. and her fourth place earned her sufficient points to finish second in the overall event behind the winner, Kjersti Platzer of Norway.

Loughnane had the satisfaction of taking the scalp of Italy's Elisa Rigaudo, the bronze medallist in Beijing, who was third overall.

Connacht lift title yet again

rugby: Connacht recaptured the Inter-Provincial Youth Championship to make it three years out of four as champions by seeing off Leinster 13-0 at the Sportsground yesterday.

It was all about a fast start for the home side with full-back Calum Boland striking an early penalty, converting centre Jack Vaughan's try and knocking over his second three-pointer for a lead at the break and neither side could muster further points in the second half.

Walsh strike rescues Cork

camogie: A late goal from Marie Walsh at the Gaelic Grounds yesterday means Cork and Galway will have to meet again on October 10 to decide the destination of the Gala All-Ireland intermediate camogie championship trophy.

Following an exciting tussle, the sides finished deadlocked, 2-9 to 0-15.

Cork did all the running in the opening period, playing with the aid of the wind, and led 1-7 to 0-7 at the break.

Galway responded well and points from top-scorer Martina Conroy from Killimor ensured the westerners were leading coming down the home straight. But Cork never gave up, and they were rewarded on 60 minutes when Niamh Dilworth passed to Walsh for the equalising score.

Glenanne get pass to semis

hockey: Holders Glenanne were given a walkover against Skerries in their Leinster Men's Neville Cup quarter-final yesterday, due to their opponents failing to field a team.

Pembroke Wanderers -- short all their internationals due to the build-up to the pending World Cup qualifiers -- lost 4-2 to Corinthians, for whom Lucas Piccioli notched a hat trick.

Monkstown edged out Fingal 2-1 with a golden-goal winner from Stephen Cole and YMCA's 6-0 win over Clontarf sees them take their place in the semi-finals, which are due to be played on November 29.

Cattigan fires Achill to glory

Gaelic Games: Mayo island Achill were crowned the 2009 Bord Gais Energy St Judes All-Ireland Cup Football Sevens champions last night thanks to a 2-8 to 2-6 final win over St MacCartans, Tyrone.

It was a trio of late points from Bord Gais Energy 'Laoch an Lae' David Cattigan which earned the islanders back-to-back titles.

Meanwhile led by Cork star Ciaran Sheehan Eire Og, Ovens claimed the Bord Gais Shield title following a 4-13 to 3-10 extra-time win over the Arainn Islands.

Morrissey just short in semis

tennis: John Morrissey's bid to clinch a final place in the ITF U-18 Grade 1 event in Lexington, Kentucky, came up just fractionally short yesterday.

The 17-year-old Dubliner, the No 7 seed, turned in yet another fine performance, but his South African opponent Nikala Scholtz, the No 6 seed, prevailed on a 6-4 7-6 (7/5) scoreline.

Dublin aces win epic final

HANDBALL: Dublin star handballers Eoin Kennedy and Egin Jensen defeated defending champion Meath aces Tom Sheridan and Brian Carroll in an epic All-Ireland softball (60x30) doubles final yesterday.

The Dubliners were forced to come from behind on several occasions. But eventually, Sheridan and Carroll simply had no answers to the dazzling onslaught from the Dubliners, as they pointed six consecutive times to seal victory on a decisive scoreline of 21-12 in the second game.