The pause says it all. Another bad day at the office for the Irish rugby side came calling today, as England blew Andy Farrell’s men off the pitch in possibly the most one-sided 12 point margin win you could ever see. Ireland were second best to Eddie Jones’ side in every facet of the game, […]

6 years ago

Ireland actually won that second half 12-7. It’s pathetic to even write that, isn’t it? But it could have been so much worse. It wasn’t, because the bench fronted up and England took their foot off the pedal. Speaking in the immediate aftermath of Ireland’s 24-12 pummelling at the hands of England in Twickenham, Johnny […]

6 years ago

The Triple Crown was very quickly forgotten about. 24-12 does not fairly reflect how dominant England were, and how poor Ireland’s performance was. Unfortunately for Ireland, this was the England side we saw in the World Cup a few months ago. Even more unfortunately for Ireland, this was the same Irish side that left Tokyo […]

6 years ago

There’s more than pride at stake in Twickenham this weekend. Since the Five Nations welcomed Italy into the fold for the 2000 edition of the tournament and became Six, Ireland have won five Triple Crowns in nineteen seasons, more than any other side. In that time, England have won four, Wales added their third last […]

6 years ago

“Now, if he wasn’t Martin Johnson, and there’s loads of words you could use to describe him!” It’s one of the most recognisable moments in Irish sport in the last twenty years, infamous and iconic in equal measure. The stakes couldn’t have been higher; this was a cup final within a league tournament. Ireland hosted […]

6 years ago

Great to see. Reigning FAI Cup champions Shamrock Rovers have announced that they will be continuing their initiative to bring up to thirty residents of the Towers Direct Provision Centre in Clondalkin to all home league games for the 2020 League of Ireland Season. The initiative began in 2019, and allowed local DP residents enjoy […]

6 years ago

“I thought ‘I won’t see my wife and my little girl again’. Eventually, I could feel blood running down my face. I thought `Christ, I’m not dead’” Harry Gregg passed away at the age of 87 this morning. The former Manchester United and Northern Ireland goalkeeper also played for Stoke City and Doncaster Rovers, before […]

6 years ago

It’s been a whirlwind couple of days. There were hints leading up to the General Election that it could herald a seismic shift in Irish politics. That after years of similar governance and almost identical rulers swapping power, an alternative would come to the fore, the youth of Ireland demanding change. I spent 16 hours […]

6 years ago

“Maybe I am wrong, but that’s my decision”. When Johnny Sexton was made captain of the Irish team for the Six Nations, it made a lot of sense. It was a real ‘not throwing the baby out with the bath water’ type of announcement, it established Sexton as the most senior member of the squad […]

6 years ago

A tight call. When Stuart Hogg dropped the ball over the Irish line last week, he described it as a “schoolboy error”, and it played a huge role in Ireland’s tight 19-12 win over Scotland on the opening weekend of the Six Nations. While no one could blame Welsh centre Hadleigh Parkes for his fractional […]

6 years ago

Was anyone expecting that? 12 months ago, Jordan Larmour dotted down in Cardiff with the clock in the red to stop Ireland from being nilled in an appalling performance, while Wales took the Grand Slam in style. 12 months on, Larmour put the ball down after a scintillating run as Ireland set up a bonus […]

6 years ago

We can all do better. When Colm O’Rourke made his comments on Sunday evening, he probably wasn’t expecting some of the reaction he received. He likely didn’t think he had said anything wrong. I ran a piece yesterday where the CEO of LGBT Ireland Paula Fagan gave her reaction to O’Rourke’s comments. Whether on Facebook […]

6 years ago

Article updated at 17:16 to include Colm O’Rourke’s statement. The comments have caused controversy since they aired. LGBT Ireland CEO Paula Fagan has said that Colm O’Rourke’s remarks on RTÉ on Sunday night may have had “no bad intention”, but an LGBT person listening to them “may think twice about going to their club tonight […]

6 years ago

Have you gotten your breath back yet? You can’t win the Six Nations in the opening weekend… But you can certainly lose it. Ireland came very close to handing over the Grand Slam, Triple Crown and any hope of winning the Six Nations at the Aviva Stadium this evening. They rode their luck for long […]

6 years ago

One of the most iconic moments in Irish sport in the 21st Century. If someone says the line “drop at goal…” your brain goes into autocomplete quicker than a Leo Varadkar election video. You can probably see the scenes unfold in your mind’s eye right now; the desperate Welsh defence clawing at thin air, the camera switching […]

6 years ago

That might sound dramatic, but it’s true. Andy Farrell’s team selection for his opening game as Head Coach showed five changes to the one obliterated by New Zealand in Tokyo a few short months ago. Some of those decisions were taken out of his hands, Rory Best’s retirement for example, while others showed the ruthless […]

6 years ago

The Andy Farrell era is underway. Ireland will look to shake off yet another disappointing World Cup campaign as they get their 2020 Guinness Six Nations campaign underway against Scotland at the Aviva Stadium this Saturday evening. New Head Coach Andy Farrell has opted for a blend of youth and experience, with a number of […]

6 years ago

A problem entirely of United’s own making. When Fine Gael prepared to contest the General Election in 2016, they briefly glanced around the country and made a judgement. They clapped themselves on the back, congratulated themselves on pulling the country single-handedly from the precipice and decided to run on the slogan “Keep the Recovery Going”. […]

6 years ago

“The stresses are far more accentuated in the stands than they are out on the pitch, for sure.” Rugby matches, like all other sports, are made and decided by thousands of individual moments, choices and actions. The majority of these go relatively unnoticed; an unused line, a short pass. Some of them are remembered for […]

6 years ago

One of the best players to ever pick up the oval ball, Brian O’Driscoll’s first Guinness Six Nations came in the tournament’s inception as a six-team tournament. Twenty years on, he remains one of the best voices in rugby punditry. Ireland kick off their campaign this Saturday against Scotland. With five potential debutants in the […]

6 years ago

No ordinary 20-year old. In the Bible, Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den after being betrayed by his fellow, jealous, rulers. He miraculously survived the night, and was elevated in status by the King beyond all others. Jayson Molumby was not betrayed, rather he asked to be put in this position. Jayson Molumby hasn’t […]

6 years ago

Actions need consequences. There was a game when I was in school that pops into my head every so often. Played between a group of at least two, participants would take it in terms to say the word one after the other, each time getting louder and louder, until the loser was decided by who […]

6 years ago

Who was the Minister for Sport before Shane Ross? Every so often, someone covers a song so well or in such a memorable fashion that you forget who actually wrote the original. When you hear “Nothing Compares 2 U” in your head, it’s Sinead O’Connor’s voice that echoes, not Prince’s. If you were pushed at […]

6 years ago

Eaten bread is soon forgotten. Do you know the feeling of being perfectly warm and comfortable on a couch, and something changes? A pillow gets moved, you shift your foot slightly or a pet hops into the mix, and no matter how perfectly you replicate that position, it isn’t the same? It just isn’t as […]

6 years ago

Mol an óige agus tiocfaidh sí. Anyone who has embarked on a lengthy job search at the beginning of their career knows the struggle of getting that first break. “Marketing Assistant, perfect for someone just out of college. Must have relevant college degree and 4 years experience”. Can’t get a job without experience; can’t get […]

6 years ago

The future’s in good hands. Every January, the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition gathers the brightest young minds together at the RDS to showcase some of the best ideas the youth of Ireland has to offer. SportsJOE took a trip out to D4 to see what products and ideas could potentially change the face of […]

6 years ago

Whether you’re a seasoned Senior hurler or you haven’t swung a stick since under 8s, if you’re free in Dublin City centre on Wednesday lunch times, this might be for you. If you’re stuck in an office from 9 until 5 Monday to Friday, there’s nothing better than getting out of the building for your […]

6 years ago

The conveyor belt is moving… too fast? It’s been an incredible start to the season for Leinster. We have to stop saying that, really, considering it’s January. The eastern province have won all 10 of their Pro 14 games and became the first side to guarantee a Quarter Final after just 4 rounds of European […]

6 years ago

Will Mick be true to his word, even for a favourite like Whelan? After Hearts announced that his association with the club has ended by “mutual agreement” after just four months, Glenn Whelan now doesn’t have a club. If Mick McCarthy is honest with himself and how he has conducted his Irish team selections in […]

6 years ago

It comes after a lengthy investigation. Spurs and the police in London have concluded investigations into the alleged racist abuse suffered by Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger in a game last month, and despite “exhausting all avenues of investigation” they confirmed that “no evidence to support the allegation of racial abuse”. The defender reported racist abuse to […]

6 years ago

It’s a post-Christmas cracker. Brought to you by eir Sport. One of the only drawbacks to the stacked card of festive interpros that have become a staple of Irish sport in the last few years is the inevitable shuffling of the decks. Often, the away side tends to field a weakened team and the home […]

6 years ago

Absolutely deserved. It’s been an incredible couple of years for Newport County in the FA Cup… It’s been an even more incredible few years for their Irish striker Padraig Amond. He now has the possibility to be selected by the public to lead the line in the FA Cup’s Team of the Decade, with the […]

6 years ago

More change at Saracens. Reigning European and English champions Saracens have this morning announced that club chairman Nigel Wray is retiring with immediate effect. In a short statement released on the club website in the last hour, Wray pointed to it being a time for change in every sense of the word; “As we enter […]

6 years ago

I left football at the wrong time. It kills you. “Hey. Yeah, listen I’ve had a think about it. I appreciate the call, but I’m just not able to commit to it this year. Best of luck this season. Talk to you, cheers.” It’s a time of year when we take stock on a lot […]

6 years ago

A step in the right direction? Executive lead of the FAI Paul Cooke confirmed to media this afternoon that the FAI has met Shane Ross and his department since the much-publicised meeting at Leinster House on Monday 16th December and the Oireachtas committee meeting two days later. Speaking after the reconvened AGM in Citywest Hotel […]

6 years ago

“If anyone asked a question, it was like Oliver looking for food” The reconvened AGM of the FAI has taken place in a strange and mixed atmosphere. The agenda was simple: to present to members the adjusted account of 2016 and 2017, while also providing a platform to members to question the board. The latter […]

6 years ago

Time flies. What’s harder, coming up with a “team of the decade” or accepting the fact that the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo weren’t even playing in the Premier League in the last ten years? The unrelenting passing of time aside, it’s been an incredible decade of action in the Premier League. Four titles for Manchester […]

6 years ago

Could you ask for a better game? Brought to you by eir Sport. Thomond Park. Under lights. Two heavyweight provinces going toe to toe. Like always, you can expect this interpro clash to have plenty of needle and even more action. Munster welcome Leinster to Limerick in this seasonal interpro with a point to prove. […]

6 years ago

It’s been Leinster’s decade and we’ve all just been a part of it. 3 Heineken/Champions Cup titles, a Challenge Cup and 4 league titles to show for the 2010s, while the sponsors and tournament names have changed, Leinster’s success over the past 10 years has been unerringly consistent. When a team wins so regularly over […]

6 years ago

It was meant to solve arguments, not cause them. VAR hasn’t been a success. It’s been the main topic of conversation after every weekend of Premier League action, a lightning rod for football purists to bemoan the fact that once again ‘the game is gone’ and has provided endless words for football writers since August. […]

6 years ago

Top of the table clash. Brought to you by eir Sport. Connacht welcome Munster to the Sportsgrounds with the two provinces enjoying similar seasons to date. Just one point separates the two rivals at the top of Conference B, while both teams face uphill battles to make it out of their Champions Cup pools in […]

6 years ago

It’s the first of the festive inter-pros, and it’s a top of the table clash in Conference A. Brought to you by eir Sport. Leinster have been peerless this season, 11 wins from 11 games played in all competitions, top of Conference A in the Pro 14 and the first team ever to qualify for […]

6 years ago

What a signing this would be. Reports in the Norwegian press this morning have said that Erling Haaland has travelled to Manchester for talks with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s United. Haaland has taken headlines across Europe with his incredible scoring form, notching 8 goals in 4 Champions League games, and 16 league goals in just 11 […]

6 years ago

A draw Liverpool will be happy with. The two Manchester clubs will duel it out for a spot in the Caraboa Cup Final in January, that’s after they saw off their respective lower-league opponents last night. Aston Villa’s reward for seeing off Liverpool’s youthful side is a date with Leicester, who needed penalties to take […]

6 years ago

Brought to you by NOW TV It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Forget the food, forget the presents… There’s one thing you need at this time of year, and it’s your television. That lovely, purgatory-like time of year is coming where you don’t know whether it’s Wednesday or Sunday, it’s chocolate for every […]

6 years ago

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. For some. Quite often at Christmas time, we find our eyes being opened more than ever to the injustices in Ireland today. Advertisements for charities on TV and radio, bucket collections, shoebox appeals, sleep-outs become more apparent, more visible. We all dig a little deeper. A perfect […]

6 years ago

10, 22 and a spot in camp all up for grabs. This piece was originally published on December 10th, and updated following Joey Carbery’s injury. In many ways, the Rugby World Cup in Japan feels like a distant nightmare at this stage. The Irish provinces have roared back into form in the Champions Cup and […]

6 years ago

Not the news Leinster and Irish fans wanted. Leinster steam-rolled Northampton in a crunch Champions Cup pool game on Saturday away from home, but the worrying highlight was Johnny Sexton iceing his knee after an awkward fall in the second half. The province confirmed today that Sexton is due to see a specialist, and has […]

6 years ago

It’s time to stand up for female fans. Stadium bathrooms provide basic services that every fan takes for granted; running water, soap, toilet paper. That being said, most fans have probably found themselves in a situation where one (or more) of the above hasn’t been readily available, to varying degrees of being stuck in an […]

6 years ago

The changes players have been crying out for. It was announced today that a number of exciting rule changes for Camogie will be tried in the upcoming National League series, including increased contact. These will then be potentially brought to the Association’s Annual Congress for permanent inclusion in 2021. Players have become increasingly vocal this […]

6 years ago