There have been some big barriers broken down between the three largest Irish sporting organisations in recent times, the IRFU, the GAA and the FAI. For a start, the IRFU President Bill Lavery and FAI President Pat Quigley were both invited to attend last Sunday's All-Ireland hurling final - the first time such an invitation had been extended. It is expected that GAA President Joe McDonagh will receive similar invitations from fellow presidents in the future.

Tomorrow, the Ireland rugby team will play their final warm-up match before the World Cup, against Ulster. But because the pitch at Ravenhill is still an unwanted orange, the venue will be Queen's University. And, interestingly enough, the temporary stand has been erected across two of the university's GAA pitches. The GAA didn't have to rule on that matter, because the playing fields are the property of Queen's.