Ambassador Rooney was on a visit to Kilkenny city Wednesday, November 18, home to the tomb of Obama's long lost relative, Bishop John Kearney. He said he has asked Obama to visit Ireland.

The wife of former All Ireland medal winning Kilkenny hurler Adrian Ronan was taken hostage in Ireland Tuesday morning.

News from the 32: Antrim, Armagh, Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Derry, Donegal, Down, Dublin, Fermanagh, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary, Tyrone, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow

News from the 32: Antrim, Armagh, Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Derry, Donegal, Down, Dublin, Fermanagh, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary, Tyrone, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow

The latest GAA news from around Ireland, including Tipperary hurling goalkeeper Brendan Cummins' vow to fight for his place next year and Donegal star Brendan Devenney's decision to retire.

Kerry have been handed a massive boost ahead of Sunday’s All-Ireland final derby date with Cork after both Colm “Gooch” Cooper and Paul Galvin were cleared to play after recent injury scares.

News from the 32: Antrim, Armagh, Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Derry, Donegal, Down, Dublin, Fermanagh, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary, Tyrone, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow

The GAA is facing new calls to use video referees at crunch ties. The calls come in the wake of the hotly-contested final between Tipperary and Kilkenny at Croke Park. Veteran Tipperary goalkeeper Brendan Cummins said he had urged the referee to use the big screen before he awarded the fateful penalty which turned the game for the Cats.

News from the 32: Antrim, Armagh, Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Derry, Donegal, Down, Dublin, Fermanagh, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary, Tyrone, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow

Kilkenny Manager Brian Cody was overcome with the victory over Tipperary in the All-Ireland hurling final but refused to discuss the controversial penalty award that changed the game.

Liam Sheedy seemed on the verge of tears as he spoke with the media, admitting: "I'm hurting ... proud but hurting.” The Tipp's manager had no doubt about the most controversial moment – the penalty call. He felt it was wrong and had changed the course of the game.

Sean O'Shea: When the history of hurling is written, the 2009 All-Ireland final will stand out among the best ever. Kilkenny may well be the best team of all time. They are the only four times successive winning champions since Cork in the 1940s. Next year they go for the mythical five in a row, not often attempted and never achieved.

Analysis: A disputed penalty, a man sent off and the best All-Ireland hurling final in decades ended with Kilkenny beating Tipperary 2-22 to 0-23 points. It means that Kilkenny has now won four All-Irelands in a row, the greatest since a similar Cork run in the 1940s.

Kilkenny made it four-in-a-row when they beat Tipperary by 2-22 to 0-23 to win the Liam McCarhty cup at Croke Park on Sunday.

Kilkenny have named their starting 15 for the All Ireland Hurling Final against Tipperary on Sunday at Croke Park.

Tipperary beat Limerick with ease at Croke Park on Sunday to advance to the All-Ireland Hurling Final on September 6, where they will face three-time defending champions Kilkenny.

Eugne Kyne with the breakdown on all the games played in the Bronx last weekend.

Meath overcame Mayo in the All Ireland Football quarter final and will face Kerry in the semi final, while Kilkenny defeated Waterford in the semi final to become the first team to book a place in the All Ireland Hurling Final in September.

News bits from around the 32 counties in Ireland.

Cathal Dervan highlights the recent transfer news regarding departures and arrivals of some of Ireland's best footballers, the result of the British and Irish Lions' third test against South Africa and the past week's Gaelic action from Ireland.

It is impossible not to get caught up in the mischief and malarkey of one of Irish band Shilelagh Law's shows, with the crowd pumping their fists in the air, screaming soccer stadium chants between songs, and shouting out the words to all the bedrock traditional ditties and original tunes in the band’s repertoire.

John Mullane was in scorching form as Waterford booked their place in the Munster SHC final with an eight-point victory against Limerick in this semi-final replay

Kilkenny lived up to all the hype and clichés that surround them as they produced a sensational comeback to deny a marvelous Galway effort in a compelling clash in Tullamore on Sunday.

After a brief sojourn in America, the 2009 Football Championship returns home this weekend, with the Ulster and Leinster competitions starting on Sunday afternoon.

Thurles will host the Allianz National Hurling League's Division One and Two finals on Sunday.

The name Doyle is found in older annals as O Dubhgaill but is almost never found in this form in modern times. Although the Doyle name is fairly common in Ireland, the origin of the name is not clear. It is generally believed to be derived from the Gaelic "Dubh Gall," meaning "dark foreigner."

Kelly comes second to Murphy as the most common surname in Ireland. The name is popular because it originates from at least seven different and unrelated ancient clans or septs. These include O'Kelly septs from Meath, Derry, Antrim, Laois, Sligo, Wicklow, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Galway and Roscommon, and the McKelly sept from East Connaught.

Ireland was the latest destination for American football star Dhani Jones in his "Dhani Tackles the Globe” series on The Travel Channel.

Ireland: The regular season of the Allianz National Hurling League came to a close on Sunday with action in all three divisions around the country.

The GAA have acceded to popular demand and fixed the NFL Division One and Two finals as a double header in Croke Park on Sunday, April 26.

A roundup of all the action in the last round of the Allianz National Football league

A review of Sunday's action in the Allianz National Hurling League

A roundup of all the action in The Allianz National Football and Hurling Leagues.

GAA President Nickey Brennan has admitted that the payment of managers is a major problem within the amateur sport.

The lowdown on the weekend's action in the Allianz National Football and Hurling leagues.

All the latest on the teams for this weekend's fixtures in the Allianz National Football and Hurling Leagues.

The All-Ireland Senior Club Football and Hurling finals took place at Croke Park today.

Sunday was a busy day in the Allianz National Football League with action in all four divisions.

KILKENNY native Darren Holden, best known in these parts for his starring role on Broadway and on the road in the Billy Joel musical Movin' Out, will head back to Ireland for a special cause, as his native team have once again made the All-Ireland hurling final.

Darren will perform on the show Up for the Match on RTE on Saturday, September 1, the night before the big match against Limerick. He'll sing "The Rose of Mooncoin," in honor of his native town.

After their shows last spring supporting Irish traditional super group Celtic Woman, it's finally time for the High Kings to step out on their own. Their U.S.

Bearing a national passion for the world of sport, Ireland can reverberate to the drums of Gaelic football, hurling, soccer, rugby, horse racing, athletics, boxing and even snooker. Next year will see the sports fan's heart beat to a different pulse when Ireland steps up to the tee for the 2006 Ryder Cup. For three days in September all eyes will turn to the sculpted countryside of Co.

Finn McCool's Irish bar located in the heart of New Orleans' Irish community re-opened its doors six months after Hurricane Katrina's aftermath, only to have them shut again on Sunday, August 31, as Hurricane Gustav approached.

This time, however, no damage was done and proprietors of Finn McCool's in the Mid-City area of New Orleans (mostly residential) are hoping to have their doors re-opened by the weekend, just in time to see Ireland play Georgia in a World Cup qualifier and Kilkenny hurlers take on Waterford hurlers in the All-Ireland final.

Finn McCool's was busy on Sunday evening when Stephen Patterson and his wife Pauline, both from Belfast, were told they had to shut up shop and evacuate the town immediately, as Gustav was on route.

SEVERAL senior Offaly players are threatening to lead a walkout if Richie Connor is left in charge of the county's senior football team after just three games in charge. Reports on Tuesday claimed that a row erupted between Connor and some players at halftime in Sunday's NFL defeat to Roscommon . .

Leinster's preparations for Sunday's Heineken Cup decider against Edinburgh at the RDS have been thrown into chaos after lock Malcolm O'Kelly was cited. O'Kelly faces a disciplinary hearing in Dublin on Thursday after he was sin binned for stamping on the England prop in a bizarre 19-12 defeat to Wasps at Twickenham last Saturday. A ban will cause major problems for coach Michael Cheika ahead of a game when Leinster will book their place in the last eight against Edinburgh if they match the Wasps result away to Castres.

With 2009 now here, the last 12 months already seem like a lifetime ago. I don't know if that is age or experience talking, but looking forward is sometimes far more enjoyable than the actual doing in this crazy world of ours. Last year the New York GAA had far more hills than valleys in its 365 fun packed days, and we will look back at both as we recollect over the sporting highlights of the last twelve months.

A MAN I know is rushing back from World Cup duty in Germany on Sunday morning in order to get to Croke Park in time for the All-Ireland hurling final. Two more men I know, Irish footballers by the names of Stephen Hunt and John O'Shea, are already scouting out venues in Mainz to watch the game live.

It will come as no surprise to know that all three gentlemen in question are from Waterford, all three have a vested interest in how their team goes in Sunday's showdown with Kilkenny.

TYRONE will provide Kerry with a stiff All-Ireland final challenge in just over a two weeks -- and manager Mickey Harte can't wait to take on the Sam Maguire Cup holders. The Ulster side booked their place with a well deserved 0-23 to 1-14 win over surprise packets Wexford in Croke Park on Sunday.

"It's very satisfying to be back in an All-Ireland final.

WATERFORD boss Davy Fitzgerald had admitted he was left dumbfounded by the margin of Kilkenny's All-Ireland final victory on Sunday. "I believed coming up here today that we were going to win," he said. "If I didn't I would be no good to them boys in the dressingroom.

Kilkenny 3-30

Waterford 1-13

BEFORE presenting the Liam McCarthy Cup to winning captain Cha' Fitzpatrick for an historic three in a row, GAA President Nickey Brennan suggested this is "the best ever Kilkenny team."

The fact that Brennan is himself a proud Kilkenny man made little difference, as even the most ardent Waterford supporter in the crowd of 82,186 would have to admit this black and amber outfit is one magnificent collection of hurlers.

They ran out winners by 23 points, the third biggest margin of victory ever recorded in an All-Ireland hurling final.

GIOVANNI Trapattoni took a fall on Tuesday evening in Podgorica, capital of the relatively new state of Montenegro, and it had nothing to do with the magic mushrooms!

Now before you think I too have been hitting the fantasy fungi, let me explain a thing or two.

The Irish manager, fresh from Saturday's fully deserved if slightly worrying 2-1 win over Georgia in Germany, fell as he went to sit down for the ritual pre-match press conference before the World Cup game against Montenegro 24 hours later.

Trap's fall was captured on camera by the various papers present, and doubtless photos of his accidental slip are already winging their way around the worldwide web.