The Ireland team to play Italy in the RBS 6 Nations Championship at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday has been named and coach Declan Kidney has opted for an unchanged lineup.

This week’s Offaly GAA Fixtures and results which includes a mouthwatering double header of Leinster Colleges SF A Championship semi-finals in Navan

St Mary’s of Edenderry secured the final place in the semi-final line up of the Leinster Colleges ‘A’ championship when they overcame Athlone Community College by a comfortable eight point margin at Páirc Chiaráin in Athlone on Friday afternoon.

The 2011 Offaly GAA Senior Footballer of the Year Richie Dalton picked up another award last weekend when he was chosen as Edenderry GAA Club Senior Footballer of the Year.

See this week’s Offaly Express for your full page poster which is part of 7 pages of dedicated coverage.

All roads are leading to Abbeyleix for this weekend’s Birr and District Motor clubs annual tarmac stages rally. The Abbeyleix Manor Hotel sponsored event kicks off the first round of the Rally Championships on Sunday morning.

Ireland’s rugby squad finally get the opportunity to bounce back from the opening Six Nations defeat to Wales this week.

THREE drop goals from three different players in the second-half were the all important scores as Tullamore deservedly claimed their second All Ireland Junior Cup title in Dubarry Park on Saturday.

TWO members of Offaly Rowing Club were invited to Newry last weekend for the second round of trials for the national team. Adam O’Donohue was entered as a lightweight man, and Cathal Phelan as a junior.

With fine individual wins in the U-13 and U-17 races Claire Rafter and Nadine Donegan led a team of Tullamore athletes who literally hoovered up silverware at last Sundays Ras na hEireann.

This week’s Offaly GAA Fixtures plus a full rundown of last weekend’s results.

KILLURIN cyclist Francine Meehan and her partner Catherine Walsh were in spectacular form at the 2012 Paracycling Track World Championships in Los Angeles bringing home a gold and bronze medal along with a coveted Rainbow Jersey which signifies their status as World Champions.

Derry Rovers Schoolboys travel to the UK this week to take on their underage counterparts at Woolton FC in Liverpool. The trip sees three teams in action, playing twice in two days for a weekend of football to remember.

Offaly and Leinster Champions Coolderry are through to play in their first ever AIB All Ireland Club Senior Hurling Final in Croke Park on St Patrick’s Day after a 3-16 to 0-17 win over Gort.

Offaly are languishing at the foot of Division 3 of the Allianz Football League on score difference after a second straight defeat to open their 2012 campaign

St Brendan’s Community School, Birr, have become the team to beat in the Offaly Post Primary Schools Competition.

Tullamore Coach John Moylan had a tough act to follow when he took over the reigns at the club this year as while his predecessor Andy Melville had missed out on the league title, his sides had been prolific in getting to cup finals.

Despite being just 21 years old, Tullamore Brian Geraghty has a wealth of experience at the highest level in both rugby and Gaelic Football.

TULLAMORE won the AIB All Ireland Junior Cup for the first time in 2009 in Dubarry Park with a tremendous 23-13 victory over NavanThe Spollenstown outfit were the better side throughout and they richly deserved the victory.