They are certainly enjoying the win. Saturday’s Munster SHC final between Cork and Limerick will take some beating in this year’s All-Ireland. The Rebels were victorious, winning 3-2 on penalties, after they could not be separated from the Treaty after extra-time. It put an end to the latter’s hopes of seven Munster titles in a […]

11 months ago

Not good enough. Kilkenny swept aside Galway in the Leinster SHC final at Croke Park this afternoon, winning 3-22 to 1-20. The Cats built up what was an unassailable lead, on top by 13 points after 57 minutes, before Galway produced a mini fightback, scoring 1-6 without reply in seven minutes. One of the most […]

11 months ago

What a game! Cork were the victors in their epic Munster SHC final against Limerick at the Gaelic Grounds yesterday afternoon. The Rebels were tied at 2-27 to 1-30 with the Treaty at the end of extra-time, before winning 3-2 on penalties. The unanimous view was it that it was a classic that will go […]

11 months ago

What a piece of play. It’s a ding-dong battle at Gaelic Grounds this evening, with Limerick and Cork level, 2-16 to 1-19, at the time of writing, in the Munster SHC final. The last meeting between the two sides, a few weeks ago, resulted in a big Limerick win. One of the goals scored that […]

11 months ago

It’s the Munster final for sure. Cork lead Limerick by 1-14 to 1-10 at the Gaelic Grounds in the Munster SHC final. The Rebels performance is a far cry from the one that saw them put to the sword a few weeks back against the same side at the same venue. However, they have been […]

11 months ago

Something has to give. Kerry were victorious in their All-Ireland MFC quarter-final against Cavan at Portlaoise this afternoon, winning 0-14 to 1-9. They will now face the winner of tomorrow’s clash between Offaly and Mayo. One incident during the game added further fuel to the argument against the most unpopular of the new Gaelic football […]

11 months ago

What could have been…. One of the most exciting talents in the English Premiership is Bath out-half Ciaran Donoghue. It goes without saying that he is dual-qualified for both England and Ireland. In his own words: “My mum’s Irish, but that’s a long time away, before I have got to think about anything like that.” […]

11 months ago

This could be a great steal. Ulster have finalised their academy for next season, with six new players joining up. Connor Magee, Tom McAllister, Flynn Longstaff, Daniel Green, and Josh Gibson are all 20 or younger, but the province have made a wily choice to bring in the services of the slightly older Aitzol Arenzana-King […]

11 months ago

This would be a huge signing. Liverpool are making serious waves this transfer window. They have already signed Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen for €35m, while they are closing in on the €140m-rated Florian Wirtz, also from Leverkusen, and Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez, who will cost around €40m. Now it seems they have one of the […]

11 months ago

A team bursting with potential! Lions fever has gripped the country, but Ireland are back in action this Saturday, facing off against Georgia in Tbilisi (kick-off, 6pm), with Paul O’Connell in charge. Fans have been crying out for more new caps and their wish will be granted, with so many off in Australia. Front row […]

11 months ago

An exciting group of players. Head coach Paul O’Connell has named his squad for Ireland’s summer tour of Georgia and Portugal next month. As expected, with 15 players away with the Lions, it is a young squad, bursting with potential. It is a 32-man squad, with three training panellists, with 14 uncapped players in total. […]

11 months ago

An inspirational figure. Over the weekend, Armagh footballer Mark Shields spoke in front of an audience for the first time about being an openly gay player. The All-Ireland winner came out to his teammates a decade ago, but regrets not doing it sooner. Speaking at the GPA Pride Brunch over the weekend, he said: “I […]

11 months ago

He received a lot of heat a few years ago. Munster scuppered Leinster’s URC hopes back in 2023, when Jack Crowley came into their back yard and stole the semi-final with his iconic 78th-minute drop goal. They would go on to defeat the Stormers in the final, and it meant everything for a side who […]

11 months ago

An interesting take. The main takeaway, from a Dublin point of view, following their 0-19 to 0-24 loss to Armagh at the weekend, was the 17 wides hit by the Sky Blues. After a great win against Galway the previous week, it was a humbling experience for Dessie Farrell’s men. It now leaves them in […]

11 months ago

What a signing. Connacht have announced Stuart Lancaster as their new head coach for next season. The Englishman left Racing 92 in February, following a poor run with the French side, but his reputation on these shores is still intact, after his many successful years a senior coach with Leinster, during which they lifted the […]

11 months ago

He wasn’t buying some of the outrage. Leinster now fly solo with the Irish flag in the URC play-offs, as they brushed aside the Scarlets at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, while Munster were cruelly knocked out in a goal-kicking shoot-out against the Sharks. The end of the latter was marred in controversy as designated […]

11 months ago

He was not too pleased… After last week’s heroics against Galway, Dublin whimpered to a 0-19 to 0-24 loss to Armagh this evening at Croke Park, in their All-Ireland round-robin clash. They only scored from 37% of their shots, hitting 17 wides, as the Orchard County took full advantage of the game’s new rules, scoring […]

1 year ago

What a move for Kelleher. Brentford have agreed a deal with Liverpool to sign Ireland goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher. The transfer fee is initially £12.5m with add-ons bringing it up to £18m. A move away from Liverpool, where Kelleher is behind first-choice Allison, has long been mooted for the 26-year-old, and this transfer to Brentford seems […]

1 year ago

A cheeky dig… Jim McGuinness and Donegal were the victors today in their All-Ireland round-robin game against Cavan, winning 3-26 to 1-13 away from home, and making up for last week’s loss to Tyrone. It also puts them top of Group 1 with each team on two points. Elsewhere, Down beat Louth 0-25 to 0-24, […]

1 year ago

The controversial boss is back in the news. Although Antrim’s Leinster SHC ended last weekend with defeat to Offaly, and relegation to the Joe McDonagh Cup for next season, controversial boss Davy Fitzgerald is back in the news. After Antrim’s 6-27 to 1-14 hammering by Galway two weeks ago, Fitzgerald went on an extraordinary rant […]

1 year ago

Fair enough. Man United star Amad Diallo has come under fire for giving the middle finger to fans. The Ivory Coast man was walking with his teammates outside their hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, during their post-season tour. Naturally, he was criticised for the obscene gesture, but, according to BBC Sport, he had been on […]

1 year ago

A unique tour. Andrew Porter has got to know a few new faces over the last couple of weeks. Having been selected for a second Lions squad, after missing the 2021 tour through injury, Ireland and Leinster’s premier loosehead got to meet his teammates two weeks ago. The best of the best from Ireland, England, […]

1 year ago

This would be a great move. Sky Sports are reporting that Liverpool have been approached over signing Ireland keeper Caoimhin Kelleher. The Corkman is highly rated despite being behind arguably the world’s best in Allison at the Reds. It comes with the news that the Bees’ first-choice keeper, Mark Flekken, looks to be heading to […]

1 year ago

His team were disappointing. Opta Sports have released their stats-based, Premier League team of the season. In goals there is no surprise with the inclusion of Nottingham Forest’s Matz Selz. The Belgian stopper shared the Golden Glove award with Arsenal’s David Raya, and had the second-best save percentage, behind Everton’s Jordan Pickford. Although he has […]

1 year ago

Fascinating… The most successful Lions tour, results wise, since the series win against South Africa in 1997, was undoubtedly the drawn tour against New Zealand in 2017. The All Blacks won the first game, 30-15, the visitors claimed the second match, 24-21, and the third test was a 15-15 draw. Despite the achievement of going […]

1 year ago

This would be a great signing. Liverpool are reportedly closing in on one of the best young talents in the Premier League according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano. He says that they have agreed personal terms with Bournemouth left-back, Milos Kerkez. The 21-year-old Serbian started all 38 league games for the Cherries this season, helping […]

1 year ago

He had a top season. Ireland striker Troy Parrott is coming off the back of the best season of his career so far. The 23-year-old has 20 goals in 47 games this season for AZ Alkmaar, and has been rewarded internationally with a more prominent role under Heimir Hallgrimsson. With increased hype comes increased interest […]

1 year ago

They deserve their flowers. Outside of Ireland’s main crop of players, the ones who take the major share of the headlines, and the young stars and next-big-things, there are those who go about their business a bit more quietly and do not get the plaudits that their performances deserve. Here is our 2024/2025 team of […]

1 year ago

Interesting. A major talking point from the weekend’s championship hurling was the lack of black cards in the game in general. One obvious example occurred early on in Cork’s Munster SHC showdown against Waterford. The Déise’s Stephen Bennett was charging through on goal before being pulled down by Cork’s Mark Coleman. Fans and pundits alike […]

1 year ago

The Glensmen boss has responded. With yesterday’s Leinster SHC loss to Offaly, the Antrim hurlers were relegated to the Joe McDonagh Cup for next season. It marked another disappointing inter-county campaign for boss Davy Fitzgerald, after a sub-par two seasons with Waterford. Last week, Antrim great, Terence ‘Sambo’ McNaughton, hit out at Fitzgerald for his […]

1 year ago

He was certain. Waterford were very unlucky during their first half against Cork in the Munster SHC at Páirc Uí Chaoimh. And the pundits at RTÉ agreed, with Galway legend Joe Canning convinced they should have had a penalty and that Cork should have been shown a black card when Stephen Bennett was pulled down […]

1 year ago

Nasty. Antrim face Offaly this afternoon in the Leinster SHC at Glenisk O’Connor Park in Tullamore. At the time of writing, the Saffrons are trailing the Faithful and look to be heading for relegation to the Joe McDonagh for next season, with the winner staying up in what is effectively a knockout game. And Davy […]

1 year ago

He has a point. After their shock win over Leinster in the semi-finals of the Champions Cup, Northampton fell just short in final against Bordeaux, losing 28-20. Nonetheless, it was further proof of the ability and potential of what is a side packed full of young English talent, some of whom are going on the […]

1 year ago

Positive news for the Connacht county. Mayo GAA are in the midst of crisis, with their financial situation being scrutinised. It came to light in December during a county convention that they had voluntary told revenue that they may owe €120,000 in tax, in relation to their Cúl Camps programme in 2018 and 2019. As […]

1 year ago

This is a big call. The Cork hurler’s season was going swimmingly until it wasn’t. Their draw with All-Ireland champions Clare in their Munster SHC first-round clash was seen as a good wake up call for the Rebels, before they returned to normality in round two with a 2-27 to 0-24 win over Tipperary. But […]

1 year ago

An exciting summer ahead. Ireland take on Georgia on July 5, and Portugal a week later. It will be a depleted squad in terms of both players and coaches, with many off in Australia with the Lions. As such, it provides the best opportunity to blood the next generation since Andy Farrell became head coach. […]

1 year ago

Not ideal for Neville. Gary Neville has surprisingly been cited in a £2.1 million libel action case which Nottingham Forest owner, Evangelos Marinakis, has brought against Irini Karipidis and Ari Harow. Karipidis is the owner of Greek club Aris, who are rivals to Olympiacos, also owned by Marinakis, while Harow is a former chief of […]

1 year ago

What a signing. Ulster have received an enormous boost after their damning 2024/25 season, which saw them miss out on the URC play-offs and Champions Cup qualification. According to a report from Australian outlet The Roar, Wallabies loosehead prop, Angus Bell, will be heading to the Kingspan Stadium on his sabbatical year from his country. […]

1 year ago

He’s had a mare. Mayo supporters were lamenting their side’s poor showing in Sunday’s shock All-Ireland round-robin loss to Cavan, with some calling for the end of Kevin McStay’s reign as manager. It certainly puts a sizeable dent in their title hopes this season, as they look likely to add another year of disappointment and […]

1 year ago

He was not pleased. Mayo have been left reeling after their All-Ireland round-robin loss to Cavan on the weekend. While the final score was 1-14 to 1-17, a late Aidan O’Shea goal put a gloss on the scoreline for the Connacht side. Martin Carney represented both Donegal and Mayo in inter-county football, and with the […]

1 year ago

A strange choice…. The fixtures for the 2026 Six Nations have been released, with one game in particular standing out. Ireland will open the tournament away to France, however, the game will be played on February 5, a Thursday. Normally the opening game of the competition is played on a Friday evening, and fans have […]

1 year ago

It was a poor team performance. Cork will still be reeling from their heavy defeat to Limerick on Sunday in the Munster SHC, and other counties will no doubt be fearful of a Limerick team that seem back to their best. The game finished 3-26 to 1-16 at the Gaelic Grounds, with the home side […]

1 year ago

He was not pleased after their heavy defeat. Clare were easily beaten by Down on the weekend at Páirc Chíosóg in Ennis. The Mournemen were superb in their opening game of the All-Ireland round-robin phase, with the game finishing 3-27 to 1-16 in their favour. It was the Banner’s second defeat in a row, following […]

1 year ago

A brilliant performance from the Ulster county. Cavan defeated Mayo at MacHale Park at Castlebar this afternoon, by a score of 1-17 to 1-14 in their opening game of the All-Ireland round robin stage. It now leaves Mayo with a bit of mountain to climb if they want to make the quarter-finals, with Tyrone and […]

1 year ago

The Treaty faithful were in great spirits! Limerick produced the best performance from any hurling team so far this season, looking back to their very best in a 3-26 to 1-16 win over Cork at the Gaelic Grounds in the Munster SHC. Kyle Hayes was named as the man of the match, while Cian Lynch […]

1 year ago

The Galway boss was not pleased. Dublin showed that they are still a real contender in this year’s All-Ireland Championship, beating Galway by 1-18 to 2-14 at Pearse Stadium yesterday. The Tribesmen came into the game as favourites, having beaten Mayo in the final of the Connacht SFC, while the Sky Blues had suffered a […]

1 year ago

RIP. Former Springboks player, Cornal Hendricks, has passed away at the age of 37. The winger, who occasionally togged out at centre, played 12 times for South Africa, including in a 2014 loss to Ireland at the Aviva Stadium, scoring five tries across those games. He played Super Rugby for the Cheetahs and the Bulls, […]

1 year ago

He could have made a difference. Aidan McCarthy was not in the Clare panel for their Munster SHC clash against Tipperary on Saturday. The Banner ended up losing the the Premier County by 4-18 to 2-21 in Ennis, leaving them on the brink of elimination from the championship. McCarthy scored 1-7 in their draw with […]

1 year ago

This would be great for rugby in Ireland. Former England and Racing 92 head coach, Stuart Lancaster, is certainly missed on these shores. The Englishman was at Leinster from 2016-2023 as a Senior coach, but he was effectively performing the head coach duties. While Leinster lost three finals during his tenure, they did win in […]

1 year ago

What a finish! Cork were victorious over Tipperary in their Munster MFC semi-final on the weekend, winning 2-17 to 0-20 after extra-time. It was Joe Miskella’s 80th-minute goal that got the Rebels over the line in this classic at Semple Stadium, but the finest finish of the day was Donagh Flynn’s 48th-minute screamer. The Cork […]

1 year ago