“We are maybe a bit too naive in Laois… “ Next time you are playing, or watching, a must-win game, keep an eye out for the player with an arm raised and looking for a rogue contact lens. The big game of the recent GAA weekend saw Donegal reach the Ulster final and send Tyrone […]

7 years ago

“People think it is ambiguous because she doesn’t want to talk about it any more.” The Women’s World Cup is zooming along nicely, with Brazil and France looking good in their opening matches. Norway won their opener against Nigeria, and comfortably so, but many fans coming late to the story would have noticed Ada Hegerberg […]

7 years ago

“When you’re young and you come out of school, you’re maybe thinking bigger is better.” As many players – amateur and professional – would attest to, finding the right weight to suit your game can be a struggle. A learning process. Trial and error. For Conor Murray, it took him a couple of years, as […]

7 years ago

Jeff Hendrick was the best Irish player at Euro 2016 as he stood up remarkably well to the Swedes, Belgians, Italians and French. Three years on and that tournament remains a highlight for the Dubliner, both personally and in terms of his performance levels. There have been a couple of niggling injuries over the past few […]

7 years ago

The Atletico Madrid goalkeeper was a boyhood fan of Manchester United. Jan Oblak could be coming to the Premier League this summer, and he is said to favour a move to Old Trafford. On Monday morning, one tabloid in England ran with a story claiming Manchester United were seeking to pay current No.1 David De […]

7 years ago

“Batter up!” That was the call from Tony Ferguson in the aftermath of his 12th straight victory in the UFC, in Chicago, at the weekend. For the second time in two fights, ‘El Cucuy’ piece his opponent up and ensured they did not rise for the third round bell. Anthony Pettis and now Donald Cerrone […]

7 years ago

“You know, we’re on the Golf Canada charter (flight) over to Pebble Beach. Maybe a couple brewskis on there.” Brewskis. Graeme McDowell’s Americanization (sic) is complete. The Portrush native finished 2018 was down the world rankings, at 238. This year has seen him revive his fortunes and his steely focus on making The Open field […]

7 years ago

This is the highest the Offaly native has been in the rankings since 2015. Back when he won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, in August 2015, Shane Lowry climbed to No.19 in the world. He could surpass that yet, this summer. He started off at 168 in the world when he went professional, the week after his 2009 […]

7 years ago

Following his closing round of 61 to clinch the Canadian Open, a reporter asked Rory McIlroy if he wished the US Open was starting on Monday. “No,” McIlroy replied, “because I’ll be hungover, probably!” If ever a man deserved a cold brew – alcoholic or non-alcoholic – it was McIlroy. The 30-year-old started the final […]

7 years ago

“It’s definitely the tie of the round.” The draw was made, on Monday morning, for the second round of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship qualifiers and there were some tasty fixtures thrown up. Football fans in Armagh were up bright and early for it. Former Armagh star Oisín McConville joined GAA president John Horan and Darren […]

7 years ago

By God, he throttled that course and the entire chasing pack. When Rory McIlroy is in the zone, very few golfers in the world can live with him. In Hamilton, Ontario – in the final round of the RBC Canadian Open – McIlroy was in the zone and playing golf like he was lording it […]

7 years ago

So close, and yet so far. Ireland’s World Cup team of William O’Connor and Steve Lennon shocked tournament favourites England and The Netherlands on the way to the final but lost out to the second seeds Scotland. O’Connor, from Limerick, and Carlow native Lennon went on a fairytale run but there was to be no […]

7 years ago

Not standing on ceremony. Not afraid of sharing an opinion or three. Reputations did not matter a jot. Only one Clare player escaped the verbal onslaught from Neil mcManus. McManus and his Antrim side were on the receiving end against Westmeath in the Joe McDonagh Cup, on Saturday. 24 hours later and McManus shrugged off […]

7 years ago

The West Ham midfielder insists he is right where he wants to be, but many will breathe easier when he makes his competitive debut. A Hammers midfielder from England with Irish grandparents, Josh Cullen will hopefully put the Declan Rice comparisons to bed sooner rather than later. With Gibraltar in town ahead of the European […]

7 years ago

MEATH 3-13 LAOIS 0-11 Meath were ahead from minute one to minute 71 as they dispatched of a wasteful Laois to reach the Leinster Senior Football Championship final. Two goals from midfielder Bryan Menton and a Michael Newman penalty were the highlights for the Royal County but the meek surrender of Laois will bring a […]

7 years ago

‘El Cucuy’ believes his next UFC fight should be for the lightweight title he has strived towards over the past decade. UFC 238 had two title fights on its main card, in Chicago, but many MMA fans were tracking the event to see Tony Ferguson throw down with Donald Cerrone. Ferguson is a joy to […]

7 years ago

“I apologise but, you know me guys, I don’t quit.” As the boos subsided, in Chicago, Donald Cerrone and Tony Ferguson both apologised to fans for the manner in which their ‘Fight of the Night’ was stopped. Both men threw everything into their lightweight fight, at UFC 238, as they sought to gain a shot […]

7 years ago

This is some tally. Westmeath roll on in the Joe McDonagh Cup with a second win on the bounce, this time against an Antrim side that struggled to put a lid on Killian Doyle. Their 0-29 to 0-21 was lit up by the lively Doyle. The Raharney clubman was pure fizz for Westmeath as they […]

7 years ago

IRELAND 17-45 AUSTRALIA Despite having only 14 men for most of the game, Ireland were well poised for a huge victory. A 20th minute red card for Ireland U20 lock Ryan Baird ultimately proved too much for his teammates as they ran out of steam in the final 20 minutes. Ireland led 17-10 after Stewart […]

7 years ago

The decision was branded “very harsh” by former Ireland Women’s captain Niamh Briggs. It was a tale of two high tackles in Ireland’s World Rugby U20 Championship encounter with Australia in Santa Fe. Ireland were looking to follow-up their opening match victory over England against the Junior Wallabies, but an early red card put them […]

7 years ago

“I’m living the life of my dreams right now.” So said Katie Taylor, on Friday, when she was given a rapturous homecoming – sans Shane Ross – in Bray. Crowds flocked to Taylor’s hometown from across the country to catch a glimpse of the undisputed women’s lightweight champion and her five belts – WBA, WBO, […]

7 years ago

Every time the Women’s World Cup rolled around, Hope Solo gritted her teeth and endured it. Now that the former USA goalkeeper has retired, she is on the offensive. Due to the size differences between male and female players, generally speaking, it has long been contested that women’s goals should be reduced in size. Looking, […]

7 years ago

Take a glance at the player ratings in the Danish media and you’ll see how dissatisfied the locals were about the 1-1 draw in Copenhagen. Ireland maintained their positive start to their European Championship Qualifiers campaign with a hard-earned draw against Denmark, on Friday night. The visitors had the best chance of a scoreless first […]

7 years ago

Ireland leave Denmark with another point and more griping from their hosts. Mick McCarthy’s men at least tried to get the ball on the deck and play a bit more. It did not always go to plan, but there were encouraging signs and a result to be satisfied with thanks to Shane Duffy. Back in […]

7 years ago

For a while there, it was looking like another round to the Danes. James McClean did not have his best outing for Ireland, in Copenhagen last night, but he still managed to play his part in a couple of good attacking moments and pop up for two of his side’s best scoring chances. Ireland’s goal […]

7 years ago

They knew it was coming and were rendered powerless all the same. Alan Judge (broken wrist) will have to sit out Ireland’s home game against Gibraltar, on Monday, but he should content himself with the fact that he came up with the perfect cross for their equaliser against Denmark. Seamus Coleman certainly appreciated it. With […]

7 years ago

Group or knockout stages, Sean O’Brien deserved to go out on his shield. When Ireland won the Six Nations Grand Slam in 2018, Sean O’Brien was feeling his way back after sustaining a hip injury late in 2017. He played 40 minutes of a comeback game in February and 27 minutes of another comeback in […]

7 years ago

If Manchester United are enter summer transfer market, using Paul Pogba as their biggest bargaining chip, they have to use him wisely. If he does leave over the summer, the final image of Paul Pogba’s second spell at Manchester United – POGBACK – would be the World Cup winner standing near the Old Trafford tunnel […]

7 years ago

The spasm that emitted from John Hodnett as he law sprawled out on the turf was the most worrying sight of all. The Munster flanker was in the middle of taking it to England, for the second time in four months, when Wasps hooker Alfie Barbeary took exception. Hodnett had been a nuisance to the English […]

7 years ago

“There’s nothing for me there. I already did everything, beat everybody. I feel I’m the king of that division anyways.” Three years after his last fight in the UFC, Nate Diaz is back. The Stockton native will take on Anthony Pettis in August and it will be in the division he feels much more comfortable […]

7 years ago

“Do you think that rematch is going to happen? I don’t.” Katie Taylor may want an immediate rematch with Delfine Persoon, and she has already stated that publicly, but Jacqui Hurley is not so sure if the new, undisputed world champion will face the Belgian again any time soon. On Saturday, at Madison Square Garden, […]

7 years ago

This is exactly what the Persoon camp need to do right now. Dethroned WBO lightweight champion Delfine Persoon has stated her team’s intention to officially appeal her controversial defeat to Katie Taylor. Saturday night at Madison Square Garden saw Taylor become undisputed (four-belt) world champion after taking a split decision over Persoon. One judge scored […]

7 years ago

What’s next? As the Liverpool victory parade negotiated its way through a throng of red, in their hometown, former Reds Jason McAteer and Ronnie Whelan reflected on the club’s sixth European Cup triumph. Liverpool transfers were not far from their thoughts, however. The live LFC broadcast rolled on their Facebook page for almost four hours […]

7 years ago

Back in 2012, Liverpool wanted to swap Jordan Henderson for Fulham’s Clint Dempsey. ‘I went back to my room and I shed a few tears,” Henderson confessed. “It hurt so much.” On Saturday night, at the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid, Henderson raised Liverpool’s sixth European Cup in the storied history of the Merseyside club. Henderson captained […]

7 years ago

“It could have been so beautiful.” Despite landing 116 punches to Katie Taylor’s 103, boxing courageously and finishing like a freight train, Delfine Persoon had to stand in the middle of the ring and watch as her WBO belt was presented to her opponent. The Belgian lost her first professional fight in 10 years, when […]

7 years ago

Picture the scenes in Ireland if Katie Taylor had put in one of the greatest performances of her career only to see her dreams snatched away by the judges. Back in 2016, Katie Taylor climbed out of the ring, at the Rio Olympics, in complete shock and disbelief. The Bray native had fought well against […]

7 years ago

Clare were taken to the cleaners and made foot the bill. Former Waterford star Ken McGrath said Clare were ‘leaderless and clueless’ against Tipperary, and that was not the worst of it. After they fell apart in the second half of their Munster Senior Hurling Championship Round 3 encounter, Jackie Tyrrell went through the Banner […]

7 years ago

“It was a joke.” Jurgen Klopp was answering questions from English, Spanish, German and Norwegian journalists in his post-match press conference so the attempted joke could have been lost in translation. Liverpool 2, Tottenham 0 and another major trophy was heading back to Merseyside. Klopp spoke with the press for a little over 12 minutes […]

7 years ago

“That’s boxing, eh?” Delfine Persoon knew what she was up against it even before she stepped into the ring. On Saturday evening, at Madison Square Garden, the Belgian put her WBO belt on the line against Katie Taylor’s three lightweight titles. The winner would be declared the undisputed world champion. Persoon cautioned Taylor that she […]

7 years ago

“You can’t say robbery. That’s a bit of a strong word.” Katie Taylor is the undisputed lightweight champion of the world but there are many out there disputing that title. The Bray native won the WBO belt off Belgium’s Delfine Persoon to add to the three she has collected over the past 18 months. The […]

7 years ago

The upbeat, beaming front was put to one side as the reality of his achievement began to sink in. Stretching back to 2012, with Dortmund and then Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp had lost six finals in a row. That included losing Champions League finals to Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. The German joked, before Saturday’s Champions […]

7 years ago

Harsh business sometimes. Aston Villa are back in the Premier League after three seasons out of the big time. Villa defeated Derby County in the Championship playoff final, on Monday, to return to the top flight of English football. The club were in mid-table at the turn of the year but the return of captain […]

7 years ago

“He’d be the type of person that would throw you down the well, as well.” As early impressions go, Dan Leavy would have been hopeful Joe Schmidt was understanding. He was even more thankful when he got a chance to show he really had been paying attention in those team meetings. For a while there, […]

7 years ago

The All-Ireland champions go into Sunday’s game against Waterford determined to put things right. For long periods of Limerick’s Munster Senior Hurling Championship with Cork, a fortnight ago, it appeared that the Treaty County were on course for a handy victory. The reigning champions looked lean and mean but they could not put the Rebels […]

7 years ago

The former Gunners and Spain attacker was only 35 years old. Jose Antonio Reyes has died in a car crash, it has been confirmed by Spanish authorities. Reyes, who lined out for Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and made 21 appearances for the Spanish national side, was involved in a car crash on Saturday morning and […]

7 years ago

The talking is done. The seats have been sold. The appetite has been whetted. At Madison Square Garden, in the early hours of Sunday morning (Irish time), Katie Taylor will fight for the WBC lightweight belt that is currently in the possession of Belgian star Delfine Persoon. The Bray native, who is seeking to become […]

7 years ago

James McClean is disgusted at the English FA for what sees as double standards and their failure to properly address a problem unless it is highlighted in the media. Back in November, in the middle of another elongated period of poppy-wearing, James McClean was targeted for some particularly vile abuse by a section of the […]

7 years ago

Getting that red bib can only mean one thing – a world of pain. Ahead of Ireland’s 2011 World Cup victory over Australia, Shane Jennings famously imitated Wallabies turnover machine David Pocock to help his side prepare for all-out war at the breakdown. Seven years ago, as Leinster steeled themselves for a Champions Cup semi-final […]

7 years ago

How exactly did a GAA-crazy lad from Derry end up captaining an Irish rugby team on the first ever occasion the country hosted an LGBT + inclusive tournament? It is a sunny Sunday in Dublin and that is where Oran Sweeney steps in. The Derry native was back home for a family wedding, on Saturday, […]

7 years ago

“I was like, ‘Hold on a minute, how do you know any of this?’” Leah Lyons has been playing rugby all her life – from Ballyhooly, Fermoy and Highfield to Munster and across the channel to Harlequins – and knows she has made some remarkable leaps along the way. The 24-year-old, who hails from the same […]

7 years ago