Spectators at Walsh Park today will be greeted on the approach roads by the sight of volunteers collecting for a particularly worthy cause. A recent house fire in Waterford devastated the O'Regan family, leaving three children orphaned and in the care of their grandparents. The eldest of the children is 10-yearold Kian, who hurls underage with Mount Sion and who bravely rescued his younger brother and sister from the blaze that claimed the lives of their parents Brian and Johanna and their youngest sibling.

You know what to do, people.

NO TAKING THE BAG OUT OF THE CAT

A reader who was in Cardiff for the Heineken Cup "nal reports being in a pub beforehand with a contingent from Wexford as Sky Sports showed the Munster players making their way into the Millennium Stadium.

"Hey, look, " announced one of the Wexford mob excitedly. "That's an O'Loughlin Gaels kitbag Dowling is carrying!"

Sure enough, the bag the Munster winger Ian Dowling had was a memento of the 2001 Kilkenny senior hurling "nal in which O'Loughlins, with Dowling among the subs, defeated GraigueBallycallan. Andy Comerford went on to captain Kilkenny to All Ireland glory the following year. Ian Dowling went on to bigger things too.

OFFALY ASSOCIATION SEVENS BACK AGAIN

The Offaly Association, Dublin, for the 34th consecutive year, will hold their annual GAA sevens competition at Colaiste Mhuire, Islandbridge (beside the Garda Boat Club) next Thursday, July 6 from 6pm.

The Offaly Association was founded in 1957, and have been running the popular tournament since 1973. A host of high profile inter-county stars have graced the Offaly sevens over the years, from the likes of Johnny Flaherty, Fan Larkin, Martin Storey, Babs Keating, Tony Keady, Matt Connor and Joe Dooley to the modern day stars such as Padraig Joyce, Dermot McCabe, Diarmuid Lyng and Eoin Quigley, amongst others.

There will be hurling, football and ladies football teams in action on the night with teams from all over the country taking part. Indeed, the Offaly Association was among the founder members of ladies football in the organised fashion in which we know it today.

Offaly, Meath, Tipperary, Galway, Longford, Mayo, Cavan and Donegal will be among the counties represented in the tournament, which is one of the last surviving events where nonDublin natives living on the east coast can come together.

Compiled by Enda McEvoy