Big call. Bernard Brogan has undergone surgery to fix his ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, thus effectively ending his season. The 2010 Footballer of the Year has taken the conventional route to recovery, as opposed to gradually rebuilding the knee over a period of time without surgery. Recovering from a ruptured ACL is a significant rehabilitation […]

8 years ago

Gary Neville is a Manchester United great. The former right-back, who has of course since gone on to forge a successful career as a Sky Sports analyst, made 602 appearances during his 19-year career at Old Trafford. During that spell, he won eight Premier League titles, three FA Cups and two Champions Leagues. He went […]

8 years ago

All quiet on the soap opera front. You’d have been forgiven for expecting Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte to use their respective pre-match press conferences on Friday to stoke the flames of their engrossing feud. But, ahead of Chelsea’s visit to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on Sunday, there were no fiery soundbites, no […]

8 years ago

Phew. During Friday’s captain’s run at the Aviva Stadium ahead of Ireland’s crunch Six Nations clash with Wales, concerns grew over the fitness of Johnny Sexton. The influential fly-half was seen receiving treatment to his lower back from one of the physios. Naturally, the sign of Sexton in any sort of discomfort is enough to […]

8 years ago

Great news. The long-term future of David De Gea has long been a source of consternation for Manchester United fans. The Spaniard has been courted by Real Madrid for what seems like forever.In 2015, he famously came close to joining them on transfer deadline day, only for the deal to collapse in spectacular fashion, with the […]

8 years ago

Great analysis. Paul Pogba may have come in the 17th minute of Manchester United’s 0-0 draw with Sevilla, but the Frenchman hadn’t initially been a part of Jose Mourinho’s game-plan. The United boss opted to go with a midfield three of Nemanja Matic, Scott McTominay and Ander Herrera in the first leg of the Champions […]

8 years ago

Bring it on. After 15 months away from the Octagon, it’s safe to say we’re ready for Conor McGregor to make his return. We’ve known for some time that, following his unsuccessful foray into boxing against Floyd Mayweather last summer, McGregor would make his MMA return in 2018 – but it turns out that we […]

8 years ago

He’s made of stern stuff alright. Over the years, Scott Brown has established himself as one of football’s proper hard men. That shaved head, that stare, those crunching tackles, that deliberately provocative celebration right in El Hadj Diouf’s face, the midfielder has always been an immensely popular figure at Celtic. Diving and snoods may come […]

8 years ago

“It hurt for a long time.” Leaning forward and looking down, it’s clear that merely mentioning Denmark is a lot to process for James McClean. Three months on from that harrowing night in Dublin, the Republic of Ireland midfielder is intent on moving onto what is sure to be a different 2018 (Nations League, some […]

8 years ago

The RTE pundit was not impressed. There will be many unflattering assessments of Manchester United’s performance against Sevilla, but surely not many of them will be as savage and eviscerating as Dietmar Hamann’s. The German, a former Liverpool favourite, got stuck right into Jose Mourinho’s side on RTE when asked by host Darragh Maloney for […]

8 years ago

Toothless. As Manchester United prepared to face Sevilla on Wednesday evening, much of the chatter pre-game revolved around Jose Mourinho’s decision to play largely unheralded midfielder Scott McTominay instead of Paul Pogba. Pogba, having made himself unavailable for the FA Cup fifth-round win over Huddersfield at the weekend, landed himself a spot on the bench […]

8 years ago

Dave saves. It’s as well David De Gea is as good as they say. During this drab, whimpering display from Manchester United, the Spanish stopper was – once again – his team’s saviour. Against the crackling atmosphere inside Sevilla’s Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, this was United’s first Champions League knockout game since the David Moyes era. […]

8 years ago

“Some pundits need to be controversial to be heard.” The Republic of Ireland’s crushing 5-1 defeat to Denmark was difficult for everyone to get over. The nature of the loss, in which Christian Eriksen mercilessly tore through Ireland’s defence en route to a hat-trick at the Aviva Stadium, attracted a strong response, with much of […]

8 years ago

Hmmm. Jose Mourinho is a master of interviews. He can be expressive, inscrutable and downright tetchy, sometimes all in the same interview. So, when BT Sport’s Des Kelly thrust his microphone up towards the Portuguese coach’s mouth ahead of Manchester United’s Champions League tie with Sevilla, what came next was always going to be of […]

8 years ago

Exciting move for him. Sligo Rovers have completed the signing of Patrick McClean from Waterford. The 21-year-old, the younger brother of West Brom and Republic of Ireland midfielder James, joins Sligo having helped Waterford to the First Division title in September. McClean watched from the strands as Gerard Lyttle’s side lost their League of Ireland […]

8 years ago

Great gesture. There was to be no romantic homecoming for Ian McKinley against Ireland. The Dublin-born fly-half made Conor O’Shea’s initial 31-man squad for the Azzurri’s trip to the Aviva Stadium two weeks ago but fell short of being included in the final 23. McKinley was forced to retire in 2011 after losing his sight […]

8 years ago

This was always going to happen. Padraig Harrington and Rory McIlroy will play together for the first time in nearly four years after being paired together at this week’s Honda Classic. The Irish duo featured in an absorbing interview with Sunday Independent journalist Paul Kimmage at the weekend, during which they realised they hadn’t played […]

8 years ago

Lionel Messi scored against Chelsea at the ninth time of asking as Barcelona came away from Stamford Bridge with a 1-1 draw. With a typically assured swish of his left boot, Lionel Messi swept the ball past Thibaut Courtois and silenced the majority inside Stamford Bridge. The Argentine star finally found the back of the […]

8 years ago

The former Celtic and Blackburn striker is on co-commentating duties for TV3. Co-commentators are rarely popular in modern football. Unless you luck out with Gary Neville or Jamie Carragher on Sky Sports (and even they are more suited to the comforts of the studio), you’ll come across the likes of Michael Owen and Owen Hargreaves. […]

8 years ago

The man is on fire. Jason Forde was voted the GAA’s hurler of the week on Tuesday afternoon – to the surprise of no-one. The prolific Tipperary full-forward was once again the star of the show for Tipp, scoring a wonderful 2-9 as they ran out 3-21 to 1-21 winners against Davy Fitzgerald’s Wexford. The […]

8 years ago

Prickly. Warren Gatland has always called a spade a spade. The Wales coach, who will oversee his 100th Test for the country when they take on Ireland in Saturday’s Six Nations clash, has the tendency to be gloriously blunt at times and the 54-year-old was in no mood for mincing his words on Tuesday. Gatland […]

8 years ago

You can tell he’s a fan. With 131 Ireland caps between them, Johnny Sexton and Conor Murray are pretty much national treasures at this stage. And just in case there was any lingering doubt over Sexton’s place in the pantheon of Irish sporting legends, his miraculous drop goal against France in Paris effectively sealed the deal. […]

8 years ago

Some things never change. You can play hundreds of 5-a-side games in your lifetime, with different people in different places, but it doesn’t matter: you’ll always encounter the same irritating bastards wherever you go. When you think about it, 5-a-side is a beautiful thing. It’s a way of keeping football in your schedule without having […]

8 years ago

Didn’t seem to be a red card offence. It didn’t take long for controversy and drama to take over in the All-Ireland club semi-final as Corofin’s Martin Farragher was shown a red card after barely a minute of play. Corofin were stunned when referee Derek O’Mahoney brandished a red card after Farragher got caught up […]

8 years ago

Fair play lads. It’s a big day for NUIG. It’s Sigerson Cup final day. It’s the first time NUIG have reached the competition’s final in 15 years. With that in mind, you would have excused the players for feeling nervous and tense when they woke up this morning. But, as the Galway side set off […]

8 years ago

United fans may be offered an exciting glimpse of the future. Any suggestion that Jose Mourinho does not give youth prospects enough opportunities to prove their worth has been crushed at Manchester United. Not only have Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay been handed plenty of minutes, United fans were given a glimpse of academy graduate […]

8 years ago

Not a bad way to spend your Friday night. I couldn’t have really asked for a better introduction to the League of Ireland. Opening night, Dalymount, the Dublin derby, floodlights, rain (let’s face it, it adds to the atmosphere) and a palpable sense of excitement that local football was back. Having relocated from Belfast in […]

8 years ago

Great stuff. The Six Nations may be taking a week off and the Premier League gives way to the FA Cup but there are a ton of great football and hurling matches on Saturday and Sunday for GAA heads to enjoy. Moorefield and Corofin kick things off in the All-Ireland club SFC semi-final on Saturday […]

8 years ago

They’ve turned on him. Shane Long’s move to Southampton seemed peculiar from the outset. The Gortnahoe native cost the Saints £12m when they signed him from Hull city in August 2014. It was an eyebrow-raising fee considering that it meant Long’s value had doubled just seven months and four goals after moving to Hull from […]

8 years ago

The veteran forward may miss the rest of the season after injuring his cruciate ligament. It’s hard not to feel bad for Bernard Brogan. Considering the 33-year-old has been known to work on his fitness while his Dublin team-mates holiday in South Africa, it felt like a particularly crushing blow when news broke that he […]

8 years ago

The news has attracted a strong response. Kerry minor ladies manager Jonathan Griffin has had his contract terminated by email, news which has provoked an understandably angry response. Griffin was informed by the Kerry LGFA that his services were no longer required less than a week before Kerry’s Munster championship opener against Tipperary. A statement […]

8 years ago

The former Republic of Ireland striker retired in September. Kevin Doyle has joined Wexford GAA’s U20 footballers in an advisory role. U20 selector PJ Banville on Wednesday night announced the news via Twitter, revealing that Doyle had been added to the back-room team alongside Gavin Morris, who has joined as goalkeeping coach. @OfficialWexGAA u20 football management […]

8 years ago

Some good news for Ulster. With Les Kiss’ departure, injury woes and some wretched away form, it’s been a trying time for Ulster fans recently, but the club have delivered some promising news in the shape of Craig Gilroy extending his contract. The Ireland winger has scored 57 tries in 158 games for the province […]

8 years ago

The Frenchman hasn’t been enjoying his football lately. When a player costs a club £89m, they don’t just sign a contract – they sign an agreement to pretty much surrender any semblance of peace and quiet. Paul Pogba is a striking example of that. The Frenchman, who was regarded as a major coup when Manchester […]

8 years ago

Try this for a week. Golf and being in peak physical condition have never exactly been synonymous. Considering that it’s a sport of timing, technique and immense mental fortitude, having a ripped bod was never seen as being much of an advantage in the way it is for, say GAA players or footballers. Then Tiger […]

8 years ago

Blockbuster. Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy will take the next steps in their respective returns to competitive golf together. The duo have been drawn in the same group at this week’s Genesis Open, with world number four Justin Thomas rounding out the marquee trio. Woods is making just his third appearance following a year-long lay-off, […]

8 years ago

The Argentine has also been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid. Mino Raiola is the closest thing to a football agent being a household name. Suffice to say, football fans are well-accustomed to seeing the super-agent. With a glittering client roster including Alexis Sanchez, Paul Pogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Romelu Lukaku and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, […]

8 years ago

Exciting. Conor McGregor is set to be in the crowd at UFC 223 for Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov showdown for the interim lightweight championship after confirmation that the Irishman’s teammate Artem Lobov will be taking on Alex Caceres. Ferguson v Nurmagomedov will be the headline fight at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on April 7, but plenty […]

8 years ago

The Dublin corner forward shot 1-10 in a standout performance. DIT’s defence didn’t hold out for long during their Fitzgibbon Cup semi-final defeat to DCU as Donal Burke finished off a flowing move with aplomb to lay down an early marker at Parnell Park. With less than two minutes on the clock, the Dublin corner […]

8 years ago

Sharp-shooting their way into the final. A devastating UL forward line swept up on Tuesday night as Gary Kirby’s side powered into the Fitzgibbon Cup final at the expense of IT Carlow. The Limerick side won 4-16 to 0-19 and were good value for their nine-point winning margin, setting up a mouthwatering final with DCU, […]

8 years ago

There were poignant tributes to Liam Miller during TV3’s Champions League coverage on Tuesday night. While Tottenham’s trip to Juventus turned out to be both frantic and thrilling, there was time for the panel to reflect on Miller’s legacy. The Cork native, who sadly lost his battle with cancer last week, would have celebrated his […]

8 years ago

Brilliant. We’re well accustomed to seeing the marketing power of sports stars on social media. Be it Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, their accounts come off as carefully curated campaigns to establish connections between brands and consumers. We can see why it’s attractive for the companies from a business perspective. All it takes is a harmless […]

8 years ago

He didn’t mince his words. Footballers are notoriously magnanimous in their post-match comments, particularly when it comes to remarking on the opposition. The tendency is to remain diplomatic and damn them with faint praise but Jamaal Lascelles was in no such mood when discussing Manchester United. The Newcastle captain faced the media following his side’s […]

8 years ago

There were reports that goals were scored and football was played. On Sunday afternoon, inside a snow-covered Oriel Park, Cork City staged a stunning fightback, recovering from two goals down to beat Dundalk 4-2 in the President’s Cup. At least, I’m led to believe it was stunning. Unfortunately for League of Ireland fans across the […]

8 years ago

Big night for the Belfast man. Ryan Burnett will defend his WBA super bantamweight belt against Yonfrez Parejo on the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s highly-anticipated unification bout against Joseph Parker. Burnett, who added the WBA belt to his IBF title with a points victory over Zhanat Zhakiyanov in October, will fight in front of an expected crowd […]

8 years ago

Henshaw has been ruled out for the remainder of the tournament. While Ireland boss Joe Schmidt was handed a boost with news that Tadhg Furlong is expected to be fit for the visit of Wales to Dublin on February 24th, it was confirmed Monday Robbie Henshaw will miss the rest of the Six Nations after […]

8 years ago

The one that got away. It’s difficult to truly gauge the potential of youth players at an early stage. From watching them, scouts and coaches can establish that a player is talented, for sure, but it’s difficult to confidently define their elite-level credentials. As ridiculous as it sounds, Arsenal didn’t think Harry Kane was a […]

8 years ago

There was a minute’s applause in the 22nd minute of the clash at Oriel Park. Cork City supporters paid a touching tribute to Liam Miller on Sunday during the 4-2 President’s Cup win over Dundalk. Both sides remembered the late former Celtic and Manchester United midfielder with a minute’s silence prior to kick-off at Oriel Park, […]

8 years ago

The duo shone during the 2-0 win over Southampton. Such has been Mohamed Salah’s brilliance for Liverpool this season that it’s been easy to overlook the excellent form of Roberto Firmino. The Brazilian is currently playing the best football of his career, bringing his season’s tally to 20 goals with the well-taken opener against the […]

8 years ago

Virgil van Dijk definitely enjoyed his return to Southampton. The Liverpool defender, largely helped by the toothlessness of his former employers, had his most comfortable display in a Liverpool shirt on Sunday, with the Reds running out comfortable 2-0 winners at St Mary’s. Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah struck for Jurgen Klopp’s men as they […]

8 years ago