“He gets a shot off when there’s no way in hell, with three players marking him, he should.” The more highlights Tomás Ó Sé looked back on, the more he grew frustrated. The former Kerry defender was on live commentary duty for RTE, at Pairc Ui Chaoimh, on Saturday as Peter Keane’s men edged out Cork […]

7 years ago

“There’s not going to be a Formiga forever, there’s not going to be a Marta forever, there’s not going to be a Cristiane.” Formiga – Brazil’s legendary midfielder – was born in 1978, at a time when women’s football in her country was illegal. The law was brought in back in 1941 through Article 54, […]

7 years ago

Zak Moradi is an Iranian Kurd who was born in Iraq, lives in Tallaght, trains in Mullingar and hurls his heart out for Leitrim. On Saturday, Moradi was sprung from the bench and stroked a sumptuous point to help Leitrim to a Lory Meagher Cup triumph. 24 hours later, back in Leitrim, he proclaimed. “This […]

7 years ago

Much like Dublin, Donegal have yet to be troubled this championship summer. On Monday morning, the likes of Mayo, Armagh, Tyrone and Kildare will all be tuning their wireless into the draw for Round 4 of the All-Ireland Football Qualifiers. Donegal, Dublin and Kerry can enjoy their lie-in. Those three counties joined Roscommon in winning […]

7 years ago

The only way the former Manchester City youth player could move this summer is if United shift Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez. Heading into his short pre-season break, Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gave the club his transfer priorities. Jadon Sancho was one of the players he wanted in. Solskjaer was also after a […]

7 years ago

England manager Phil Neville was livid at what he saw was the unsporting behaviour of the Cameroon team during his side’s World Cup victory. England beat Cameroon 3-0 in Valenciennes but the game was overshadowed by constant interference from the VAR (Video Assistant Referee) team and the irate reactions from several players. Phil Neville was […]

7 years ago

VAR was consulted on four different occasions in the match and there was 15 minutes added time due to reviews and temporary player strikes. The Video Assistant Referee system plunged the Women’s World Cup into farce, on Sunday, as England reached the last eight. Here were the highlights: England goals for Houghton (14 minutes), White (45) and Greenwood (58) Six-yard indirect free […]

7 years ago

DUBLIN1-17, MEATH 0-4 Dublin were well below their best and still cruised to their 58th Leinster title at a rain-soaked Croke Park. The Royal County left their shooting boots at home and missed time and again in one of the worst attacking displays witnessed at the grand old stadium in recent years. Jack McCaffrey (below) […]

7 years ago

DONEGAL 1-24, CAVAN 2-16 Donegal had to wait 66 years to win their first Ulster senior football title. Since 1972, they have now won 10. Jamie Brennan kicked 1-4 for Donegal and both Ryan McHugh and Michael Murphy showed their obvious class as they dominated Cavan in Clones. For all the fine points scored, two […]

7 years ago

KILDARE 1-25, ANTRIM 0-14 Two of Kildare’s brightest attacking prospects team up to annihilate Antrim. Kildare responded to their 15-point Leinster semi-final loss to Dublin by beating Antrim on the double. The Saffron county managed 14 points in their All-Ireland Qualifier Round 2 encounter, in Belfast, but Kildare were inspired by two of their best […]

7 years ago

Jadon Sancho and Declan Rice are both, perhaps sensibly, playing a wait and see approach. Bruno Fernandes’ transfer could be the catalyst for an upturn in Manchester United’s summer fortunes. Back in March, after Manchester United had just completed a superb comeback to eliminate Paris Saint Germain and reach the last eight of the Champions […]

7 years ago

Bellator and the UFC coming together for a cross-promotional bout would be a gigantic deal. Dillon Danis is 2-0 in his professional Mixed Martial Arts career, but he feels he is already big enough to drive such a landmark deal forward. Danis could have a point but it would depend on the money on offer, […]

7 years ago

Three experienced campaigners have been brought back into the starting 15. Mayo take on Down at Páirc Esler this evening (7pm throw-in) and James Horan is relying on his old-stagers. Andy Moran, Colm Boyle and goalkeeper David Clarke are all back in the starting team as Horan makes five changes from the side that lost the […]

7 years ago

‘Punished twice for doing nothing wrong.’ UFC 239 is down one tantalising fight. ‘Suga’ Sean O’Malley has been pulled from the Las Vegas pay-per-view event, next month, and his bantamweight bout with Marlon Vera. The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) has temporarily suspending O’Malley due to traces of the banned substance ostarine being discovered in […]

7 years ago

Here we go again. Mats Hummels looks to have dodged one. In the summer of 2018, Manchester United contacted Tottenham about Toby Alderweireld and thought they had a chance of signing Diego Godin. They also claimed they were prepared to pay £100m for Raphael Varane. They ended up playing Barcelona at the Nou Camp with […]

7 years ago

“The next instruction I gave her was, ‘No doubles! Just pints, beers, singles and let’s see how long this goes’.” Carl Frampton would have understandably had second thoughts about covering the bar tab after this wild night in Belfast. On the latest episode of TKO, author and journalist Donald McRae joined Frampton and host Chris […]

7 years ago

Munster rarely do it easy, or get a chance to do it easy. 2019/20, as well as blasting off with a World Cup jamboree in Japan, features all four Irish provinces in the Champions Cup. The draw for that competition took place on Wednesday afternoon in Lausanne, Switzerland and was preceded by the Challenge Cup […]

7 years ago

Home is Brooklyn, but Ireland is in her upbringing and in her heart. Heather Hardy has never been to her ancestral home, but she is itching to get over and put on a show for fight fans. Boxing or MMA, she cares not. On the latest episode of TKO, Hardy joined Chris Lloyd and Carl […]

7 years ago

“Boxing really is like my bad boyfriend.” The day before Katie Taylor won gold at the London Olympics, in August 2012, Heather Hardy struck out as a professional boxer. Heather Hardy was 30 years old, unemployed and had just been through a divorce. She had majored in Forensic Psychology at College of Criminal, Manhattan but had […]

7 years ago

“If you will it, it is no dream.” Abraham Kawa – manager of UFC star Anthony Pettis – is going down the Theodor Herzl route, and the one espoused by Walter Sobchak. Up next for ‘Showtime’ Pettis is a UFC 241 face-off against a man who has not fought in the promotion since August 2016, […]

7 years ago

Issa Diop cost West Ham £22 million last summer. If they are to let him leave, 12 months on, West Ham want twice that and Anthony Martial thrown in too. We all know the English transfer market is grossly inflated, these days, but this is getting out of hand. Just about every player, bar Phil […]

7 years ago

Those that were at The Mansion House, or later caught sight of footage, will still clearly see Tommy Bowe giving it socks into that microphone. Ireland won only their second ever Grand Slam, on a soggy Saturday back in March 2009, and the celebrations were still in full swing by the time they flew back […]

7 years ago

I’ll have that to go, please. Shane Lowry finished the opening day of the US Open, at Pebble Beach, 10 shots back from pace-setter Justin Rose. The Offaly native arrived, like Rory McIlroy, from the Canadian open in good form. Lowry had tied for second at that event but finished seven shots back from McIlroy, […]

7 years ago

Conor McGregor rematch with Kabib Nurmagomedov not likely until summer of 2020. One thing we do know – as Floyd Mayweather Jr. often says – is that Conor McGregor’s second MMA retirement will soon come to an end. ‘The Notorious’ announced his retirement from the sport ‘known as Mixed Martial Art’ earlier this year but, […]

7 years ago

June 18th 1994 at Giants Stadium, Ireland produced the first huge shock of the World Cup by defeating a strong Italian side. Jack Charlton’s side stunned and Italian team that contained the likes of Paolo Maldini, Roberto Baggio, Giuseppe Signori, Roberto Donadoni and Franco Baresi. The performances of Paul McGrath and Phil Babb, in the centre […]

7 years ago

‘The Notorious’ was supposed to have a tune-up fight this summer, but he may have to just plunge into his trilogy fight. John Kavanagh would have perfectly understood if Conor McGregor decided, after UFC 229, to stack up all his chips, cash them in and bid Mixed Martial Arts adieu. McGregor returned, in October 2018, […]

7 years ago

Don’t poke the bear. Don’t poke Enda Smith. For the first 35 minutes, played out in wretched conditions, the Connacht final at Pearse Stadium was playing out as many had predicted. Galway were accumulating scores and Roscommon were digging in; holding on. Enda Smith and Conor Cox were raging against it but the situation looked […]

7 years ago

This time next year, Ireland will hopefully be gearing up for Euro 2020 with a few of these exciting talents in their squad. Conor Masterson did not look overly impressed with the presentation for 4th place trophy at the Toulon Tournament. Having won their opening two games by playing some lovely football and plundering goals, […]

7 years ago

“Alright. We done here?” Tiger Woods had just delivered one of his lightning quick interviews he so often delivers after a tough round. Work to be done. Let me get this done and let me get back to it. FOX Sports’ Joel Klatt was trying to gee Woods up, on Saturday, before he went into […]

7 years ago

Coming into the US Open, Gary Woodland ranked 150th for chipping and putting. He ended the tournament ranked second in that area, and as a Major winner. Scrambling. That and having the nerves to see the shot and fully commit to it are crucial to winning at the US Open. Woodland had put together a […]

7 years ago

Going into Sunday, Gary Woodland had led seven tournaments after 54 holes. He had won none of them. Before Brooks Koepka, there was Gary Woodland. The Kansas native was a collegiate golf star and won four big tournaments on that circuit before, at his first crack, he qualified for the PGA Tour. Powerfully built, Woodland […]

7 years ago

TIPPERARY 1-22, LIMERICK 0-21 Tipperary hit the front early, in Thurles, and never looked back as reigning All-Ireland champions Limerick were beaten for the second time this summer. Liam Sheedy’s men topped the table after the round robin section of the Munster Senior Hurling Championship but at a brutal cost. Tipperary led 0-12 to 0-8 at […]

7 years ago

Anthony Daly loved the passion but fellow RTE pundit Derek McGrath felt the Banner co-manager went too far. Clare boss Gerry O’Connor could be set for a lengthy ban after he clashed with Cork forward Daniel Kearney. O’Connor was sent off from the sidelines after he allowed himself to get involved in a tussle between […]

7 years ago

Parnell Park bore witness to one hell of a game. There was an incredible moment after Dublin won their thrilling Leinster SHC victory over Galway at Parnell Park on Saturday evening. Dublin hurling is on the rise. Mattie Kenny’s side had defeated The Tribesmen but were left out on the pitch as they waited to see if […]

7 years ago

This was a player Jose Mourinho raved about last season. The footballing world is keenly aware of Manchester United’s desperation to strengthen the centre of their defence. This could be the reason why Issa Diop may be about to make West Ham a packet. In June 2018, the French defender was signed by The Hammers […]

7 years ago

There was a lovely moment of light relief during Rory McIlroy’s press briefing at Pebble Beach. Rory McIlroy had just carded his third under-par round of the US Open but, sitting on -6, he was still five shots off Gary Woodland in the lead. Woodland (69) and Justin Rose (68) were some of the best […]

7 years ago

Tyson Fury took another giant stride towards cementing his legacy as one of the biggest names in heavyweight boxing. Ahead of his bout with Tom Schwarz in Paradise, Nevada, Tyson Fury had not boxed in exactly a year. Last June 15, he drew an all-time classic with Deontay Wilder and retained his four heavyweight titles […]

7 years ago

Dillon Danis took 117 seconds to win on his Bellator debut, back in April 2018. 14 months later and Danis was finally back at it. Harshly suspended seven months for fighting back, at UFC 229, after Khabib Nurmagomedov plunged off an Octagon and towards him, the 25-year-old made up for some lost time. Danis called […]

7 years ago

‘The Eagle’ is a Real Madrid fan, but he likes Liverpool’s style. Khabib Nurmagomedov was in London this week to help promote UFC 242, which takes place in Abu Dhabi this September. Nurmagomedov will put his 155lbs belt on the line and face off against interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier at the pay-per-view event. He […]

7 years ago

You really have to feel for Darragh Leahy. Ireland U21s finished fourth at the 2019 Toulon Tournament after first drawing with Mexico in a playoff decider and then losing 4-3 on penalties. Stephen Kenny’s side had reached the last four by defeating China and Bahrain but were beaten 2-0 by Brazil in the semi-final. On […]

7 years ago

“Size doesn’t really matter. To me, just f***ing do it!” You’ve got to hand it to Dillon Danis. He backs himself to the hilt. The New Jersey native is now 2-0 in professional Mixed Martial Arts after an impressive submission win at Bellator 222. With the Toronto Raptors now the NBA champions, The Drake Curse […]

7 years ago

“Not exactly Bo Jackson but… man!” Patrick Reed was tipping along nicely, on Friday, as he reached the turn for his second round of the US Open at -1. The 2018 Masters champion was level par after his first round but took advantage of some benign conditions to card a couple of birdies after a […]

7 years ago

“The battle is not yet over.” A big fight against Amanda Serrano, in the autumn, looks to be next on the agenda for Katie Taylor. The likes of Jessica McCaskill and Mikaela Mayer have been mentioned too. Delfine Persoon acknowledged, before Taylor took her WBO title away, that she may struggle to get an immediate […]

7 years ago

“To do all that hard work over the first 12 holes, and then to lose it in two holes was disappointing.” Rory McIlroy was ominously positioned for a surge to the top of the US Open leaderboard, at Pebble Beach, until he was almost derailed by two holes on the back nine. The world number […]

7 years ago

Manchester United’s starting XI for the first game of the 2019/20 season is set to look dramatically different. Daniel James is the first new face to arrive at Old Trafford this (grey) summer while Antonio Valencia and Ander Herrera have moved on. That is only suspected to be the beginning of a period of significant […]

7 years ago

You get the feeling that these two men will meet again, but there will be a slew of trash-talk beforehand. If you thought UFC 229 settled the beef between Khabin Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor, you were wrong. In fairness, the fact that their title fight – won by the Dagestani – ended with a mass […]

7 years ago

“The whole thing is absolutely choreographed now.” From the Maor Foirne to the physio, the bus driver and everyone in between, inter-county set-ups have expanded hugely and everyone has an important role to play. Derek McGrath knows all about it from his five years with the Waterford hurlers and Lar Corbett experienced the growing number of […]

7 years ago

France, New Zealand, Crusaders, La Rochelle. Ronan O’Gara was a man in demand and he will hope that he made the right call. On Saturday, July 6, Ronan O’Gara could be on the sideline with Crusaders as they defend their Super Rugby crown. The Cantabrians are the form club team in the southern hemisphere, these […]

7 years ago

On Wednesday morning, confirming what has long being speculated, the British & Irish Lions announced Warren Gatland as Lions head coach. The New Zealander, who in March led Wales to a third Grand Slam in his tenure there, will lead the Lions on the 2021 tour to South Africa. We now know for sure that […]

7 years ago

For 12 minutes, it was all going according to plan. Reims played witness to the most brutal beating in Women’s World Cup history, as the USA pummelled a hopeless Thailand team 13-0. Germany held the previous record for the tournament – winning 11-0 back in 2007 – and a run at it did not look […]

7 years ago