By Cathal Dervan

GAA: The GAA is to vote once again on the vexed issue of opening Croke Park to non-national sports. Having already got rid of Rule 42, the association must now vote on a formal request from the IRFU and the FAI to use the ground in 2007. The rank and file of this country’s greatest organization has already cleared the way for soccer and rugby at Croker, but some diehards are still trying to orchestrate a no vote on Saturday. The sooner the old fogeys die off and let the GAA move with the times the better.

SWIMMING: Season’s greetings to well known Laois swimmer Flo Curtis, who is currently enjoying a seasonal break in Fitzers in New York City with her journalist hubby Roy and Irish soccer fanatic Gerry Foran. If you want to meet the great Roy pop in to O’Neill’s or P.J. Clarke’s any night between now and Sunday and you might discover why he’s known as “one more won’t hurt us” Curtis in Dublin journalist golfing circles.

GAA: Sad to report the death of Kerry Gaelic football legend Tim Kennelly, five times an All-Ireland medal winner and twice an All-Star. The Listowel publican, father of Aussie Rules star Tadhg, died on Tuesday and was rightly described by GAA President Sean Kelly as one of the best defenders ever.

SOCCER: Whilst Brian Kerr searches for a job at Portsmouth or Southampton, Irish soccer fans are still feeling the pain of his disastrous effort at World Cup qualification. The draw for next summer’s finals will be held in Leipzig on Friday, with England as top seeds, but we won’t be there thanks to Herr Kerr. Thanks Brian.

HERO OF THE WEEK: Gavin Whelan, nephew of Irish legend Ronnie, grandson of the late Ronnie Senior and son of League of Ireland stalwart Paul, flew the Whelan family flag all across Lansdowne Road with a man of the match performance and a goal as Drogheda United deservedly beat Cork City in Sunday’s FAI Cup final. The Drogs and the Leesiders attracted a massive 25,000 fans to Dublin 4 for the final game of the season and the second half, if not the first, was worthy of the occasion, with Whelan the star of the show and the hero of the hour for United as they won the Cup for the first time.

IDIOTS OF THE WEEK: That broadcasting buffoon Gerry Ryan chose to castigate the FAI Cup final at the start of his radio show for morons on Monday morning, bemoaning the fact that it took him longer than normal to get to the Four Seasons hotel for his lunch because of the traffic around Lansdowne Road. Worst than that, Ryan claimed there has been trouble on the streets of Ballsbridge and that the police had “let the fans blow off their head of steam without getting involved.” Absolute nonsense. There was no “trouble” inside or outside the ground, and I’ve checked with the police and the FAI. Ryan knows as much about sport as I do about knitting.