Soccer

Munster Senior Hurling Championship: County by county guide to hurling’s premier competition

CLARE Munster Hurling Championship Titles: 6 2023 Munster: Finalists (Lost by a point to Limerick) 2023 Championship: All Ireland semi-final (Lost to Kilkenny) Manager: Brian Lohan Key Man: Tony Kelly Rising Star: Mark Rogers Opening fixture: Home to Limerick Prospects: Clare come into Munster this season in great shape after an impressive league t...

‘It’s pretty exciting, isn’t it?’ – Jamison Gibson-Park looking forward to Leinster’s Kiwi additions

Jamison Gibson-Park laughs as the suggestion is put to him that he is the only Leinster back whose position will be safe upon Jordie Barrett’s arrival in December. Given that Barrett can play anywhere from 10-15, Gibson-Park can sleep a little easier knowing scrum-half is the only position the All Black hasn’t played in his professional career. It ...

Aston Martin ‘not convinced’ Alonso would definitely want to stay in F1

Aston Martin has admitted to having some reservations ahead of contract talks with Fernando Alonso that the Spaniard could elect to call time on his Formula 1 career.

Penalty joy as Aston Villa progress to semi-finals

The Premier League side beat Lille on spot kicks.

Other clubs must try to match Leinster and not limit them, says Exeter boss Rob Baxter

Chiefs coach admits Jordie Barret’s move ‘makes you a bit jealous that you’re not working in Leinster’s recruitment department.’

‘Demands of modern game are a huge challenge’ – Studying for a PhD gives Galway ace Conor Whelan fresh perspective

Conor Whelan is about to embark on a 10th inter-county hurling championship season with Galway. How time flies. It feels like only yesterday since the 18-year-old with the speed skater movement was thrown in at the deep end in Thurles for an All-Ireland quarter-final against Cork in 2015. He scored 1-2 that afternoon and within weeks was playing in...

Shelbourne fan who threw smoke bomb at assistant referee handed lifetime ban

Shelbourne have handed down a lifetime ban to the supporter who was identified for the smoke bomb-throwing incident which has led to Reds fans being barred from Friday’s league game away to Galway United. As reported by the Irish Independent earlier this week, the FAI’s disciplinary committee had initially decided on a stadium closure for Shels as ...

‘He is as good as another son to me’ – Derry boss Mickey Harte on his long-standing lieutenant Gavin Devlin

Football championship season number 23 for Mickey Harte and everything seems different. The preparation levels, the body shapes or the schedule, not even the fundamental pillars of the game remain. These days, it is all ball retention and scoring zones, plus ones and even roaming goalkeepers. But ahead of Saturday’s showdown with Donegal, Harte rem...

‘People are looking at the Jordie Barrett signing totally wrong’ – Munster’s John Ryan on Leinster’s big move

John Ryan has experienced both sides of the same coin. This time last year, he was adjusting to life in New Zealand, all the while in the thick of the Super Rugby season, culminating in a memorable run to the final with the Chiefs. As an Ireland international with the club for a short stint on the back of Wasps folding, the Chiefs were keen to pick...

'The Italians looked at Joe and couldn't believe what he was doing'

Pat Jennings recalls his former Spurs teammate, Joe Kinnear, while Kenny Cunningham reflects on his impact as Wimbledon boss.

Davy Fitzgerald: If we lose, they’ll nail me no matter what the story is

Davy Fitzgerald hopes a winning start to the Munster Championship will draw supporters back behind his Waterford team. His Déise return stalled last year due to a string of defeats and attendances were further dented by their concession of home advantage due to the Walsh Park redevelopment works. There has yet to be a happy homecoming as crowds rem...

Different year different Cork but expect the same result as Rebels will fail to ambush Kerry in Killarney again

Jack O’Connor suggested that Cork “like coming to Killarney and in many ways they almost prefer Killarney to Cork in the sense that the pressure is almost off them a bit”. Hmmm, we’re not so sure. They might like coming to Killarney for Munster Championship games but they’re not very good at winning them. The year 1995 still stands as the landmark ...

Barcelona fans go head to head with police ahead of quarter finals

Barcelona fans mistakenly threw objects at their own team bus ahead of their Champions League quarter-final against PSG. The police batted fans away, while supporters gathered outside the Olympic Stadium to give players a huge reception.

Paddy Madden fires another hat-trick as Stockport seal League Two title

Dubliner helps Stockport seal first Football League title since winning the old Fourth Division in 1967.

Rangers' title bid suffers another blow in drab goalless draw at Dundee

Rangers are three points behind Celtic at the top of the table and have hit the skids at the wrong time.

Newey: F1’s grid to close up even more before being ‘blown apart’ in 2026

Red Bull’s Adrian Newey predicts the fight at the front of Formula 1 is going to get even tighter, before the 2026 rules reset blows things apart once again.

Williams may as well “go home” if spares situation changes its F1 approach, says Albon

Alex Albon says Williams may as well “go home” if it allows concerns over spare parts to start influencing how it goes racing in Formula 1.

Three-time F1 world champion Verstappen named in 2024 Time 100 list

Three-time Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen has been named on the 2024 Time 100 list, Time Magazine's yearly selection of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Ireland rugby star Robbie Henshaw cuts ribbon on new Vision Ireland store in Mullingar

There was plenty of excitement on the streets of Mullingar today (Wednesday) as Irish rugby star Robbie Henshaw cut the ribbon on a new Vision Ireland store. The Athlone native attracted plenty of intrigue among the watching public as he opened the national sight loss agency’s latest premises along the midlands town’s Dominik Street. Henshaw’s appe...

The tragic downfall of Emma Raducanu, winner of the 2021 US Open

Leinster announce ticket prices from €10 for Croke Park showdown with Northampton

Leinster have confirmed the ticketing distribution plan ahead of their Champions Cup semi-final date with Northampton Saints at Croke Park on Saturday May 4. Tickets for the game will go on sale to season ticket holders on Thursday morning, April 18, at 10am. Tickets for the semi-final are on average €10 cheaper than prices last year, with the chea...

Munster expect Antoine Frisch to stay at province next season despite French interest

Munster attack coach Mike Prendergast is confident that impressive centre Antoine Frisch will remain at the club despite the player expressing a desire to play for his native France and apparent interest from a few Top 14 clubs. The 27-year old, who has another season to run on his contract with Munster after joining from Bristol Bears, has scored ...

Seamus Kennedy inspired by Brendan Maher as Tipp ACL victim faces long road back to fitness

Seamus Kennedy is taking inspiration from several fellow Tipperary hurlers who have endured the ‘curse of the cruciate’ as he faces into reconstructive knee surgery next week and a long road back to fitness. The 30-year-old defender’s ambitions for the season were cruelly cut short on March 9 when he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament playing ...

‘I received an apology from the man. I felt sorry for him’ – how Lee Chin helped fan who racially abused him

Lee Chin shines like a beacon on the pitch every time he togs out for the Wexford hurlers, but he stands for so much more outside the white lines. It’s 12 months since racial abuse thrown at Chin by an opposition supporter forced the abandonment of a charity match against Tipperary in Carrick-on-Suir and it’s only now that he feels comfortable enou...

James McClean labels FAI’s search for new manager a ‘shambles’ and reveals his pick for Ireland job

James McClean has hit out at the FAI’s lengthy search for a new manager and labelled the process as a “shambles”. After Stephen Kenny’s reign ended last November, the FAI embarked on the search for his successor as outgoing CEO Jonathan Hill outlined that they aimed to appoint a new boss before the Nations League draw last February. That failed to ...

League of Ireland sides discuss breaking away from FAI in talks with European Clubs Association

The prospect of a League of Ireland breakaway from the FAI was one of the topics discussed at a meeting with representatives of the European Clubs Association (ECA) in Dublin today. While there are no working plans to go down that route, the concept has been raised in talks between club reps on a consistent basis and the chatter has increased in li...

Cork boss Pat Ryan: 'I’d bite your hand off for third. I think everyone would'

The Rebels are gearing up for their Munster opener against Waterford next Sunday.

'I’ve left my mark in the weighing room' - Gold Cup-winning jockey Paddy Brennan calls time on 27-year career

Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning jockey Paddy Brennan has called time on his 27-year career in the saddle having bowed out with a winner on his final ride today. The Galway rider clocked the 1,526th winner of a notable career when steering Manothepeople (9/1) to handicap chase victory at his local track in Cheltenham this afternoon for his long-time bos...

Full-forward, All-Star goalkeeper, and now manager: Raymond Galligan's rise to the Cavan hotseat

The 42 speaks to Cian Mackey about the development of Raymond Galligan in his first year as Cavan manager.

Henry Shefflin confirms Johnny Glynn on board for Galway

The 30-year-old was a key figure in the county’s 2017 All-Ireland triumph.

Ronnie O’Sullivan heads to Crucible with chance to cement status as best ever

Ronnie O’Sullivan may claim not to care about records but the magnitude of his quest to eclipse Stephen Hendry and claim a record-breaking eighth world snooker title in the modern era cannot be understated. O’Sullivan heads to the Crucible as reluctantly as ever, yet he is arguably never in a stronger position to go one better than his great rival ...

Munster's battle with the Bulls part of intense URC run-in

All four provinces have work to do with five regular season games left.

Eye-watering sum Scottie Scheffler’s caddie earns after US star’s Masters win

200th cap for Delany as Ireland record comfortable win

The Irish side beat Thailand as preparations continued for their upcoming World Cup qualifying campaign.

Miguel Delaney: To spark another famous European night, Liverpool may need Jurgen Klopp speech to lift low spirits

Ahead of European games like this, Jurgen Klopp doesn’t prepare a speech. Most of the words come naturally. He is already in the mood, knowing he has to inspire a similar feeling of insurgency in his players. There is more than enough experience to draw on from either Klopp’s first season or his most famous. Ahead of Liverpool’s Europa League quart...

Cork will hope to add to Waterford’s Walsh Park woes in Munster championship opener

Davy Fitzgerald and Pat Ryan agree that this Munster Championship opener between Waterford and Cork is everything to both camps. Lose and you’re facing a mountain to climb to make the top three. Win and you might just carry the momentum deep into the summer months. Given that both of these sides missed out on qualification last year, there isn’t ro...

Kylian Mbappe on the double as PSG dump Barcelona out of Europe

Kylian Mbappe struck twice as Paris St Germain capitalised on the dismissal of Barcelona's Ronald Araujo to qualify for the Champions League semi-finals with a 4-1 win in the second leg. Barcelona ran out at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys armed with a 3-2 triumph from their first meeting in Paris and when Raphinha capitalised on Lamine Yamal's s...

Dillon stars with 1-5 as Kerry U20s lay down a marker against Cork

Tomás Ó Sé’s Kingdom top the table, with Cork second, heading into the final round of fixtures.

Explained: Why FA Cup replays are being abolished next season

There will be no more FA Cup replays from the first round proper onwards, starting next season.

Kerry boss Jack O’Connor hands out three championship starts for Munster clash with Cork

Kerry boss Jack O’Connor has handed out a trio of first championship starts for Saturday’s Munster Senior Football Championship semi-final with Cork in Fitzgerald Stadium. Perhaps most notably, former Kerry captain Joe O’Connor, looks to have overcome an injury set-back, believed to be a hamstring strain, which reportedly limited his capacity to tr...

Clare continue impressive start to Munster MHC with deserved win over Limerick

Clare maintained their 100% start to the Electric Ireland Munster Minor Hurling Championship with a second win, this time over a disappointing Limerick. Played in dry but windy conditions, this was a contest where each score was earned with a dominant final quarter seeing the winners over the line. Brian O’Connell’s men finished with each of the fi...

Why F1 teams are racing into the unknown in China

Formula 1's Chinese Grand Prix is returning to the calendar after a five-year absence, presenting teams with more questions than they will have answers for.

Roscommon book place in Connacht U20 final, as Sligo knock out Mayo

Derry and Monaghan progressed to the Ulster U20 football semis with victories over Cavan and Armagh respectively.

'England have got to focus on England... we are trying to close that gap as quickly as we can'

Scott Bemand’s Ireland are heavy underdogs this weekend against an England side who have scored 140 points so far, and conceded just 10.

'As far as we know, Antoine will be here next year'

Mike Prendergast is confident Antoine Frisch will remain at Munster next season despite French interest.

Harry Kane: Arsenal rejection left me with point to prove – it’s in my DNA

Harry Kane has said his childhood rejection by Arsenal left him with a point to prove that will “always be in my DNA”, as the England captain attempts to keep alive his debut campaign at Bayern Munich by defeating his old rivals in the Champions League. Kane, who was released by Arsenal’s academy at the age of nine, must overcome Mikel Arteta’s sid...

'There’s a hype around Cork at the moment that is more for potential rather than results'

Waterford great Paul Flynn says Sunday’s Munster opener is ‘huge for both teams’.

Arsenal too predictable and cautious in painfully tame European exit

Arteta’s approach has taken Arsenal to their highest level in more than a decade – but based on tonight, it won’t bring them further without major change.

What could have been: When Villeneuve’s shock return thwarted an F1 rookie

The headlines prior to Formula 1’s maiden visit to Shanghai for the 2004 Chinese Grand Prix were dominated by the return of Jacques Villeneuve. But it also proved a sliding doors moment for Renault’s diligent test driver, who 20 years later bares no bitterness

Horner has learned “not to listen” to Wolff over F1 title claim

Red Bull boss Christian Horner says he has learned “not to listen too much” to Toto Wolff after his rival said this year’s Formula 1 title battle was already over.