It’s harder to work out how this tournament works than it is to get knocked out of it. The expansion of Euro 2016 to 24 teams from 16 has taken a simple tournament formula and turned into a minefield. For example here is the explanation from Wikipedia of how it is decided who the four-best third-placed […]

10 years ago

It’s crunch time. To have any chance of progressing to the last-16 Ireland must do something they have done only three times in history – win a game at a major tournament. Can Italy in Lille take its place in Irish football folklore alongside England in Stuttgart, Italy in Giants Stadium and Saudi Arabia in Yokohama? […]

10 years ago

He’s on fire, you know

10 years ago

The big man is certainly banging on the door. Shane Lowry was a 100/1 shot to win the US Open but went into the final round on Sunday evening with a four-shot lead. Unfortunately he couldn’t quite do the business and Dustin Johnson instead claimed his first major in dramatic circumstances. Rory McIlroy leads criticism […]

10 years ago

Bit harsh

10 years ago

Tres rapide

10 years ago

Vital skill for a centre-half

10 years ago

Some tasty clashes

10 years ago

Not too shabby

10 years ago

A farce. Whatever your allegiances lie – and most people reading this are probably firmly in the Shane Lowry camp – you have to give everyone a fair chance. Spare a thought then for Dustin Johnson. Leading the US Open on the final round, having closed the gap on Lowry, Johnson is in hot pursuit […]

10 years ago

Unlike Euro 2012, when Kevin Doyle started two of Ireland’s group games, the striker has been reduced to a spectator’s role for Euro 2016. Doyle didn’t make Martin O’Neill’s final 23-man squad for this summer’s tournament in France and he’s watching Ireland’s attempts to make it out of Group E from his home in Colorado. […]

10 years ago

Allegiances switched

10 years ago

Seven inches of Uefa breaches

10 years ago

Limerick lips would have been licked when John ‘Bubbles’ O’Dwyer saw red in the 14th minute for striking Richie English. But the Shannonsiders couldn’t avail of their numerical advantage for the subsequent hour of action as Tipperary’s 3-12 to 1-16 win, and place in the Munster final against Waterford, was confirmed. Michael Breen scored a brace for Tipp before O’Dwyer was given […]

10 years ago

We believe

10 years ago

Icelandic eyes are smiling

10 years ago

It’s a tough job trying to maintain law and order. We all know the Irish fans have been impeccably behaved over in France. While there has been trouble elsewhere, from Paris to Bordeaux wherever the Irish fans have gathered there has simply been drinking and singing, singing and drinking. And a bit more singing and […]

10 years ago

Who do you want to see come in?

10 years ago

The Return of the (Red) King

10 years ago

It’s my final day at Ascot and a horse I’ve been looking forward to running all week is Jet Setting. Purchased for a cool £12,000, this lady was sold for £1.3 million on Monday evening after a super season where she has won the Irish 1000 Guineas. Crucially, she is proven on the softer ground […]

10 years ago

England fans want him out

10 years ago

Billions on the table

10 years ago

The messer

10 years ago

By Andrew Pierse It’s that time of the year again. Golf’s biggest test is back as the 116th US Open returns to the Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania. There’s been a lot of talk over the last few weeks about how the course has been set-up as the most difficult in major history and all […]

10 years ago

The third day in and we get off to a blink and you miss it start where the fastest two-year-old thoroughbreds in the world blister up the five furlong straight. Wesley Ward’s Red Lodge, the only filly in the field, who broke the track record back in Belmont in America has to be respected after what […]

10 years ago

Is this XV good enough to make it two out of two?

10 years ago

Ah, Roy. Never a dull moment. With 48 hours to go until Ireland’s second Euro 2016 clash against Belgium thing are heating up nicely. Ireland’s performance in the 1-1 draw with Sweden on Monday, coupled with Belgium’s turgid display in their 2-0 defeat by Italy, has caused optimism to rise among Irish fans ahead of […]

10 years ago

Hurling’s world domination continues

10 years ago

It’s a shame this will only be worn for one season

10 years ago

Beautiful

10 years ago

Hard-fought, but deserved win

10 years ago

No need to collect bottle tops or go door-to-door selling tickets. Your club can win €10,000 and all you have to do is buy fuel. Anyone who spends any amount of time in their local sporting club will know that fundraising takes up a hell of a lot of your days. Talking about fundraising, organising […]

10 years ago

Ryan will miss clash with Georgia

10 years ago

The Beast from the East

10 years ago

Lee McLaughlin had been missing since Tuesday morning

10 years ago

Some difficult calls to make

10 years ago

What other fans would help a couple change a tyre?

10 years ago

OK – you’re all caught up with the Euros, for good reasons and bad, but can I just remind you that over the next five days, horses worth tens of millions, from Japan to the Emerald Isle, will be lining up for my favourite racing festival – Royal Ascot. In a sea of Pimms and pageantry, the Queen […]

10 years ago

It’s like a scene from 28 Days Later

10 years ago

Trendsetter

10 years ago

In his second contribution to our Euro 2016 Blog Network, Alastair Gartenberg, Jupiler Pro League analyst for Football Radar, suggests all Belgium’s attacking menace may be undone if Marc Wilmots cannot provide defensive solidity.  One could argue that two wins and a draw from Belgium’s three pre-tournament friendlies was pretty decent preparation, but in fact the games threw up […]

10 years ago

PSG will be struggling

10 years ago

Ulster Senior Football Championship quarter-final 
Donegal 2-12 Fermanagh 0-11, Ballybofey Leinster Senior Football Championship quarter-finals Meath 0-20 Louth 1-13, Parnell Park Westmeath 0-13 Offaly 0-12 Cusack Park Munster Senior Football Championship semi-finals Tipperary 3-15 Cork 2-16, Semple Stadium Kerry 2-23 Clare 0-17, Fitzgerald Stadium Connacht Senior Football Championship semi-final Roscommon 4-16 Sligo 2-13, Dr Hyde Park Brought to you by AIB GAA, […]

10 years ago

It’s the shock of the summer so far by some distance. Tipperary withheld a second-half onslaught from Cork to win by 3-15 to 2-16 and take their place in the Munster Football Championship final against Kerry in Killarney on July 3. That’s right. Football. It was Tipp’s first victory over Cork in football since 1944, […]

10 years ago

This is insane. Euro 2016 was supposed to have the tightest security ever seen at a major sporting event in Europe. And while the extra precautions were put in place to protect supporters from terrorist threats, rather than from idiots throwing bottles and chairs at one another, it is still worrying to see how little […]

10 years ago

Just one more sleep… Ireland’s Euro 2016 campaign is nearly here. On Sunday evening the team will train in the Stade de France ahead of Monday’s opener against Sweden. Our team will be in the Stade de France for tonight’s training session and and you can join them at 8pm this evening for a Facebook Live broadcast from Paris (in association […]

10 years ago

Spanish fans have voiced their disapproval of David de Gea staying in the Spanish Euro 2016 squad. The Spanish goalkeeper was the subject of a report in Spanish outlet El Diario that claimed a court had been told that he, and former U21 teammate Iker Muniain, had been implicated in a case of sexual assault. Rumours circulated that he […]

10 years ago

Joe Schmidt will be even more in demand after Saturday’s victory over the Springboks. Ireland recorded a historic 26-20 victory over South Africa in Cape Town, the first time they’ve beaten South Africa in their own back yard, despite playing almost an hour with 14 men after CJ Stander saw red. Ireland coach Schmidt has a year […]

10 years ago

Didn’t go to plan

10 years ago

SPOILER ALERT – Zlatan starts

10 years ago