Quality hurling from start to finish. Well, we had to wait a bit longer (20 minutes, to be exact), but it was well worth it. Tipperary are in the hurling league final after overcoming a spirited, dogged Limerick side at Semple Stadium. They needed extra-time to do it but, once again, they proved their mettle […]

8 years ago

Pure passion. Munster edged Toulon 20-19 to reach the Champions Cup semi-finals after a pulsating encounter at Thomond Park. Andrew Conway’s late try proved decisive, weaving his way through a sea of bodies to seal a momentous victory over the three-time champions. Toulon dominated the first-half but a moment of sheer genius from Conor Murray […]

8 years ago

She left the company this week after 18 years. Natalie Sawyer has spoken for the first time after her sudden departure from Sky Sports News this week. The popular presenter and newsreader, 38, completed her last shift on Wednesday but left in a cloud of mystery after no mention of her departure was made on-air, […]

8 years ago

What a moment to do that. Wow. With just a few minutes remaining at the end of a breathless, chaotic and absorbing Champions Cup quarter-final between Munster and Toulon at Thomond Park, Andrew Conway produced a moment of magic to seal it for the Irishmen. With Toulon leading 19-13, Francois Trinh-Duc kicked to touch but […]

8 years ago

He was never going to last the distance. The Munster wing knocked the ball out in the first minute of Munster’s Champions Cup quarter-final after pressure from Chris Ashton. While Zebo played on, he looked to be in real pain. After a while, as he hobbled around Thomond Park, it became abundantly clear that he […]

8 years ago

He’s been a great servant to the club. Michael Carrick officially embarked on a new chapter on Saturday afternoon as the midfielder was listed as a coach on Manchester United’s teamsheet for the visit of Swansea City to Old Trafford. The United captain took up a position on the bench as part of Jose Mourinho’s […]

8 years ago

He’s at it again. Mohamed Salah broke Crystal Palace hearts with a late strike to clinch a dramatic victory for Liverpool at Selhurst Park. After a contest packed with incidents, excitement and controversy, it ended with that familiar sight of the Egyptian forward wheeling away in celebration. Luka Milivojevic’s 13th-minute penalty was cancelled out by […]

8 years ago

Oh, how we missed the Premier League. But it’s back now – and how, with Crystal Palace and Liverpool treating us to a lunchtime cracker at Selhurst Park. With the score locked at 1-1 on the hour mark, after Luka Milivojevic’s penalty and Sadio Mane’s equaliser, the Liverpool forward was extremely fortunate not to receive […]

8 years ago

I’ve watched golf tournaments with Tiger Woods and I’ve watched golf tournaments without Tiger Woods. I can say with the utmost certainty that it’s more fun when it’s the former. Having been an avid golf fan since I was ten, I was raised on Woods’ dominance. But I never warmed to him. Even before the […]

8 years ago

Munster are getting one hell of a player. Tadhg Beirne has had quite the time of it over the last few years. After leaving Leinster two years ago, he came close to quitting the game altogether to pursue a career as a real estate agent before being handed a lifeline by Scarlets. And he has […]

8 years ago

Similar to George Best, Paul McGrath was a tremendously gifted Irish footballer whose career became increasingly blighted by alcohol addiction. Like ‘El Beatle,’ McGrath’s demons came from the bottle and continued to haunt him after he hung up his boots. Best died when he was 59 and McGrath, now 58, is still going, battling his […]

8 years ago

“Why are you always picking on me?” Luke Shaw reportedly confronted Jose Mourinho in a heated dressing room argument at half-time during Manchester United’s FA Cup victory over Brighton. United beat the Seagulls 2-0 at Old Trafford on St Patrick’s Day to progress to the competition’s semi-finals, but much of the post-match discussion focused on […]

8 years ago

We made it. International breaks are hard to endure at the best of times. When they’re friendlies, it’s even worse. When they’re friendly double-headers, though, you really start to miss the excitement of meaningful football. But we’re back. Two weeks later and we have some Premier League matches upon us once again. There are some tasty […]

8 years ago

As Tiger Woods gears up for his eagerly-anticipated return to The Masters, a new book offers fascinating insights into his professional and personal life. The book in question is simply titled Tiger Woods. It’s written by Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian, a couple of esteemed biographers who know their way around a famous sports figure. Coming in […]

8 years ago

The Theatre of Dreams. It’s always had a mystique to it. Yes, the Theatre of Dreams. For fans of a certain vintage, Old Trafford really was the place where dreams were realised. Premier League titles, the Class of ’92 and all that. Recently, though, since the Old Trafford kingdom lost its ruler in 2013, the […]

8 years ago

Paul McGinley’s career may not have yielded the same level of success as Padraig Harrington or Rory McIlroy, but the Dubliner has fashioned a new image for himself as one of the game’s most astute pundits. Not only did McGinley offer future Ryder Cup captains the perfect blueprint for success by leading Europe to a […]

8 years ago

Roy Keane’s relationship with Manchester United is a complicated one. The Irishman is rightly regarded as one of the club’s all-time greats. Signed by Alex Ferguson in 1993 after impressing at Nottingham Forest, the Cork native became his manager’s fearless on-pitch general, leading the club to dizzying heights, including the unprecedented treble of the Premier […]

8 years ago

This should be a compelling watch. Unless you’re an avid documentary watcher, the chances are you won’t have heard of Alex Gibney. However, that doesn’t change the fact that he’s one of the most prolific and important factual filmmakers on the planet and, for his next piece, he’s taking on Tiger Woods. Gibney’s filmography is […]

8 years ago

It was a rousing finale inside Tallaght Stadium last night. The Ireland U21s had been held by a stubborn, gutsy Azerbaijan side. With Noel King’s men desperate to reach next summer’s European Championships, a scoreless draw at home against a side who had picked up just a single point in their previous six qualifiers would […]

8 years ago

It really set Alex Ferguson off on one. First, let’s set the scene. It’s November 1997. It’s the Champions League group stage. The De Kuip, Feyenoord’s spectacularly intense footballing amphitheatre had been electric at the start of the evening, only to be silenced by an Andy Cole hat-trick (the first treble by a United player […]

8 years ago

Great line-up. Great cause. A host of Irish football legends will descend on the new-look Brandywell Stadium this Easter Monday to mark the one-year anniversary of the death of Ryan McBride. Damien Duff and Kevin Kilbane are among those due to take part in the Master Sixes, a 6-a-side tournament, with proceeds going to the […]

8 years ago

The Irish contingent at Augusta, as it stands, is weak. At the moment, The Masters isn’t great from an Irish perspective. Rory McIlroy is there, obviously, but that’s it. Despite his brilliant win at the British Masters in October, Paul Dunne is not in the field for the year’s first major, but the 25-year-old Greystones […]

8 years ago

Would be a big move for him. Jose Mourinho is interested in Republic of Ireland U17 striker Adam Idah, according to reports. Idah, currently at Norwich City, has seen his stock rise dramatically in recent months after a string of impressive performance for both club and country. The Cork-born striker has been a pivotal member […]

8 years ago

Classic Dunph. We learned a few things from Ireland’s defeat to Turkey on Friday night. Declan Rice is the future, James McClean definitely has a future (but it’s certainly not at left wing-back) and this Ireland team still very much looks like a Martin O’Neill Ireland team. It’s only one game, yes, but it was […]

8 years ago

His agent has held talks with PSG. Antonio Conte appears to be edging closer towards the exit door at Chelsea after his agent held talks with Paris Saint-Germain. The Ligue 1 side are set to sack Unai Emery at the end of the current campaign with the Spaniard failing to impress since taking over in […]

8 years ago

Unbelievable sequence. After a nail-biting draw at Croke Park last weekend, there was very little to separate Cuala and Na Piarsaigh in the All-Ireland hurling club final replay at O’Moore Park. Cuala edged the first-half, going into the interval with a slender one-point advantage. It felt like anybody’s game but, soon after the restart, the […]

8 years ago

Ulster fall further into the wreckage. Ulster plunged further into despair on Saturday afternoon after being hammered 35-17 by Cardiff Blues, condemning them to a third successive PRO14 defeat. The defeat leaves the province’s hopes of a Championship play-off spot and automatic qualification to the European Champions Cup hanging by a thread. The hosts ran […]

8 years ago

Coolly done. The Republic of Ireland seniors may not have been able to deliver a result on Friday night but the U19s are looking much more slick. Tom Mohan’s side are currently in action against Kosovo in their Elite Round clash in Rio Ave and have wasted no time in stamping their authority on proceedings. In […]

8 years ago

Some effort. Colin Doyle waited a decade to win his second Republic of Ireland cap. But, having been kept busy enough by Turkey on Friday, he has found out there is no rest for the wicked as he will play his second game in the space of a day. Doyle starts in goal for Bradford […]

8 years ago

Seamus Coleman loves pulling on the Ireland shirt. Since Giovanni Trapattoni handed the Killybegs native his international debut in a 3-0 Nations Cup win over Wales in February 2011, Coleman has represented his country with the utmost pride. So, when he suffered a double leg-break against the Welsh six years later, the real pain wasn’t […]

8 years ago

Bale has been constantly linked with a move to United. Ryan Giggs has advised Gareth Bale to stay clear of Manchester United. The Wales manager, who holds United’s appearance record with a staggering 963, believes that the winger should stay put at Real Madrid. United have been linked with Bale on numerous occasions amid reports that […]

8 years ago

This is a real blow. Keith Earls enjoyed an outstanding Six Nations campaign but it ended, rather poignantly, with the 30-year-old exiting Twickenham looking dejected. The winger, who started all five games for Joe Schmidt’s Grand Slam winners, suffered knee ligament damage during the win over England and, from his forlorn expression as he left […]

8 years ago

He’s an instant hit. There were two moments that really endeared Declan Rice to Irish fans on Friday night. The first came during the match. Rice, having already put in a solid shift as part of Martin O’Neill’s experimental three-man defence, demonstrated his midfield credentials. Winning the ball in his own half, the 19-year-old purposefully […]

8 years ago

Declan Rice really impressed on his Republic of Ireland debut. The 19-year-old played all 90 minutes in his first outing for Martin O’Nell’s side and looked head and shoulders above the rest. RTE may have been referring to him as ‘Damien Rice’ for half the night but they better sort themselves out because it looks […]

8 years ago

He makes a good point. The result was never going to be the most important thing when it came to the Republic of Ireland’s friendly with Turkey. We lost and, while there were some positives to be drawn (mostly the outstanding Declan Rice), the performance smacked of familiarity. Ireland weren’t composed on the ball, there […]

8 years ago

New faces, same old stuff. The Republic of Ireland fell to a disappointing 1-0 friendly defeat to Turkey in Antalya. Mehmet Topal’s second-half strike was enough to edge a drab contest for the hosts as Martin O’Neill’s new look side largely failed to shine. It was far from a disaster but another unadventurous performance has […]

8 years ago

It’s Shane Duffy all over again. Martin O’Neill’s first Republic of Ireland team since the World Cup play-off defeat to Denmark brought with it a sense of cautious optimism. Fans were excited and pleased to see that calls for the likes of Scott Hogan, Sean Maguire and Conor Hourihane to start were answered. In addition, […]

8 years ago

Experimental. Martin O’Neill has named his starting XI for the Republic of Ireland’s friendly clash with Turkey. As expected, Bradford’s Colin Doyle starts in goal, 10 years after the keeper won his first cap under Steve Staunton. Declan Rice, Sean Maguire and Scott Hogan are also included in the team. BREAKING: Seamus Coleman returns to […]

8 years ago

Twenty-five England supporters have been detained by Dutch police after they were caught hurling beer bottles at officers in Amsterdam. The unsavoury incidents come just hours before England face the Netherlands in an international friendly on Friday evening. Dutch authorities confirmed that 25 supporters were arrested and held overnight following clashes on Thursday night. It […]

8 years ago

Tiger Woods: I’m back. Rory McIlroy: Hold my beer. Last week, at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, we were privileged, once again, to watch Rory McIlroy bring a golf course to its knees. Booming 400-yard drives, firing approaches straight at flags and pouring putts into the middle of the hole, the four-time major winner announced his […]

8 years ago

He’s only scored once since signing for United in January. Moving to a big club halfway through the season can be difficult, as Alexis Sanchez has discovered. The Chilean joined Manchester United from Arsenal in January but has stumbled out of the blocks at Old Trafford, his indifferent form symbolic of his new team’s current […]

8 years ago

“They wouldn’t say it to your face.” Cyrus Christie has opened up about the vile racist abuse he has suffered following several Republic of Ireland games. The Fulham full-back was targeted on social media after scoring an own goal in Ireland’s 5-1 defeat to Denmark in November which shattered Martin O’Neill’s side’s World Cup dream. […]

8 years ago

Bright futures. In this stark World Cup-less, post-Wes landscape, Ireland needs its next footballing hero. Martin O’Neill’s squad may not be brimming with exciting young prospects, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few out there. At this stage, Southampton striker Michael Obafemi has been well-documented as a potential Irish star, should he declare for […]

8 years ago

Seamus Coleman is back for Ireland. Almost a year to the day after suffering a horrific double leg-break at the hands of Wales defender Neil Taylor, the Killybegs native is set to return in green against Turkey. It may only be a friendly but, for Coleman, it represents the light at the end of what […]

8 years ago

It’s been a long four months. A long four months during which Ireland fans have replayed the Denmark game over and over in their heads. But this week brings with it new beginnings and the chance of a fresh start. Martin O’Neill has named an experimental squad for Friday evening’s friendly with Turkey. In the […]

8 years ago

Comments made by Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill earlier this month brought the issue to the fore. The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has called for Football Association of Ireland (FAI) chief executive John Delaney to send out ‘a clear message’ regarding the issue of ‘poaching’ Northern Irish-born players. Five DUP MPS backed a motion calling […]

8 years ago

It looks like he’s played his last game for the Red Devils. Zlatan Ibrahimovic could leave Manchester United as early as this week, according to reports. The Swedish striker was an enormous hit after arriving at Old Trafford on a free transfer in the summer of 2016 as a free agent following his departure from […]

8 years ago

Shane Duffy has become an indispensable member of the Republic of Ireland squad. Since being handed his debut by Martin O’Neill in 2014, the centre-back has grown into the green jersey, so much so that he was named FAI Senior Player of the Year on Sunday night. But it hasn’t always been smooth sailing. Back in […]

8 years ago

Finian Hanley had an eventful St Patrick’s Day. The Galway full-back recounted his part in a dramatic incident on Saturday when he helped a Garda pull a man from the water beside the Spanish Arch. A man is reported to have jumped into the River Corrib at around 4.30pm on Saturday afternoon, not long after […]

8 years ago

As much as we don’t like to admit it, Joe Schmidt is wanted elsewhere. The Ireland coach has always been highly regarded in the game, both as a leader and a tactically astute rugby mind who knows how to get his team pulling in the same direction. Most importantly, Schmidt gets results and that is, […]

8 years ago