It was only a matter of time before the rain returned in a big way. To be fair, we were spoiled with the fine weather for a couple of weeks and when there has been rain in the last week or so, it’s often been heavy, with some thunder and lightning for good measure. Plenty […]

10 years ago

Well holy God. Having partied the night before Ireland v Sweden and before, during and after the match itself, we would have thought that today might be something of a ‘down day’ for Irish supporters in France. Well, we were mistaken. Even in transit, followers of the Boys in Green never pass up the opportunity […]

10 years ago

The weather Gods are throwing the kitchen sink at us this week. Only days after some of the best weather we’ve had in ages, parts of Ireland have been hit with thunderstorms and spot flooding this week and the strange conditions are set to continue for the foreseeable future. While it’s wet, it’s still pretty […]

10 years ago

“I simply do not understand why anybody in this country is allowed to purchase and own a semi-automatic assault rifle. It makes no sense to me.” If you’re familiar with Conan O’Brien you’ll know that he rarely strays beyond light entertainment in his chat-show; he’s very good at what he does and has been for […]

10 years ago

What goes on tour… Being abroad can cause people to act in mysterious ways and being part of a large group of supporters at a major tournament, it would appear, brings out the mischief in everyone. That’s why it probably seemed perfectly normal for an Irish fan to clamber into a giant football at the […]

10 years ago

“Are you listening Darragh? Well, will you tell your face because it looks like you’re thinking too much about ice-cream.” One of the best things about major football tournaments on RTÉ is the return of Aprés Match and the wonderful comedy stylings of Messrs Cooper, Cooke and Murphy. The guys were on top form after […]

10 years ago

This is how much it means. Ireland didn’t manage to beat Sweden today but it was still a brilliant occasion at the Stade de France and those who were there to witness it won’t forget in a hurry. One Irish fan, who we only know as Jay, almost missed his chance to be there as […]

10 years ago

Great to see. Hundreds of people turned out in Dublin City Hall on Monday evening for a silent vigil in memory of the victims of the Orlando massacre at the weekend. The vigil in Dublin was replicated around the world in a powerful show of solidarity after the tragic events in the early hours of […]

10 years ago

“Any suggestion that the show is in need of a revamp is ridiculous.” RTÉ One have categorically rejected suggestions that its flagship programme, The Late Late Show, is in need of a revamp. RTÉ felt the need to issue a statement on the matter after an article appeared in The Mail on Sunday at the […]

10 years ago

Goosebumps. Having raised the roof of the Stade de France during the national anthem, it was only a matter of time before one of the country’s most famous sporting anthems, ‘The Fields of Athenry’ was given an airing by Irish fans. When it arrived, it was genuinely something special; the fans in the stadium must […]

10 years ago

Wes, have we told you lately that we love you? We loved the little magician even more after he gave Ireland the lead against Sweden shortly after half-time with a beautiful half-volley into the corner with his ‘weaker’ right foot. A brilliant finish and no more than the boys in green deserved. And how about […]

10 years ago

What an atmosphere. Stade de France? You’d swear it was the Aviva Stadium given the manner in which the Irish fans raised the roof off the ground in Saint Denis ahead of the clash with Sweden this afternoon. Just listen to the way thousands of them belted out our national anthem before kick-off. Just listen to […]

10 years ago

If this doesn’t get you in the mood, nothing will. RTE’s sports department have a reputation for coming up with spine-tingling promos ahead of major sporting events and they pulled a big one out of the bag for Ireland’s opening game of Euro 2016. To a backdrop of inspirational clips from the qualifying campaign, the […]

10 years ago

Good enough to beat Zlatan and company? Ireland manager Martin O’Neill has gone with a pretty tried and tested formula with his team for Ireland’s opening clash of Euro 2016 against Sweden. The inclusion of Ciaran Clark ahead of the likes of Richard Keogh and Shane Duffy in defence and Jeff Hendrick in midfield are […]

10 years ago

The atmosphere is going to be amazing. They’ve spent the best part of the weekend living it up in Paris, but for those lucky enough to get a ticket to today’s opener against Sweden, the time has come to get down to business. If the events of the last couple of days are anything to […]

10 years ago

Why would he think of saying something like that? In the early hours of Sunday morning, 50 people lost their lives after a gunman opened fire in Pulse, an LBGT nightclub in Orlando. A further 53 people were taken to hospital as a result of what was one of the worst shootings in US history. […]

10 years ago

Ozan Turfan’s hair is lovely to be fair. Lovely as it might be, however, your country’s first game in Euro 2016 is not the time or the place to be worried about it, especially when Luka Modric is about to shoot from the edge of the box. Modric’s goal proved to be the difference as […]

10 years ago

The French government has banned alcohol near Euro 2016 venues as a result of the violence that took place in Marseille and other host cities over the weekend. #BREAKING French government bans alcohol near #Euro2016 venues after violence — AFP News Agency (@AFP) June 12, 2016 The decision by the French government comes in the […]

10 years ago

WARNING: This may cause extreme jealousy. Only now, with a day to go until our opening Euro 2016 clash against Sweden, will pangs of regret be kicking in amongst the many Irish fans who opted not to make the trip to France. Thousands of followers of the Boys in Green moved mountains to make the […]

10 years ago

Strong words. The UEFA Executive Committee has warned the football associations of England and Russia of additional sanctions, including potential disqualification from Euro 2016, after incidents of violence prior to, and in the aftermath of, their meeting in Marseille on Saturday night. A number of ugly incidents involving both sets of supporters, as well as […]

10 years ago

This week is National Bike week in Ireland. As part of National Bike week this week, cyclists in Mayo will be issued with number plates for their bicycles in a novel programme aimed at raising awareness of cycle safety. The scheme is part of a number of events taking place in Mayo this week as […]

10 years ago

Brilliant. Amongst the thousands of Irish fans at the Euros, there’s going to be a celebrity or two cheering on the Boys in Green in France and one of them will be Ruby Walsh, one of the greatest jockeys of all time. He’s also there to ride Un De Sceaux in the French Champion Hurdle in […]

10 years ago

‘Keep it simple and slag off the English.’ Euro 2016 is the first time that the Ireland and Northern Ireland football teams have competed in the same international tournament. Football fans in these parts need no explanation as to why there are two international teams on one little island, but you can imagine that outsiders […]

10 years ago

Words cannot express how much we love this picture. The All-Ireland Football Championship is kicking into gear and as well as (hopefully) a load of great football to look forward to, there’s also the prospect of plenty of lively debate between two of the most entertaining pundits around, Joe Brolly and Pat Spillane. In fact, […]

10 years ago

But don’t worry, there’s a way to prevent it. In less than a month’s time, Facebook could delete photos from your page that you didn’t even know you had. Sound confusing? Well it is and it isn’t. According to Tech Crunch, in an effort to push their photo-sharing app, Facebook Moments, the social media giant […]

10 years ago

Such a shame. Euro 2016 is only a day old and already, the actions of a minority of mindless supporters has tarnished what should be a festival of football. Most of the unsightly scenes to date have occurred in Marseille, where there was trouble on Thursday and Friday night and where more disturbances have broken […]

10 years ago

Isn’t she beautiful? Thousands upon thousands of Irish fans are in the process of making their way to France for our opening match against Sweden on Monday and they’re using all sorts of planes, trains and automobiles to make it to Paris. We don’t think anyone is travelling in as much style as a group […]

10 years ago

Safe to say this fella will never forget his Leaving Cert English exam for the rest of his life. With three days of the Leaving Cert exams now done and dusted, thousands of students (apart from repeat students or those who go on to study the subject in university) will never have to worry about […]

10 years ago

He genuinely thought it was cool at the time. We’ve elaborated upon our admiration for The Rock on numerous occasions in the past. He’s funny, he’s a beast in the gym and he comes across as very down-to-earth and a man you’d happily share a pint with. He appears to dress pretty sharply too, but […]

10 years ago

Interrupt him at your peril. Many football fans throughout the country will be presented with something of a dilemma during Euro 2016 over the coming weeks. A lot of us will want to watch as much football as we possibly can, but sometimes that can be hard when real life gets in the way. Stuff […]

10 years ago

Congratski. If you’re one of the many fans of The Viper, who came to prominence in The Hardy Bucks, then you’ll know of a very funny YouTube segment he does on occasion called World News. Just days after he was threatened with legal action by Euronews if he didn’t remove the segment, it has emerged […]

10 years ago

Nine arrests were made after further incidents between England fans and French riot police. England football fans were involved in further clashes with riot police in Marseille on Friday night on the eve of their Euro 2016 opener on Saturday evening. According to The Guardian, French police made nine arrests and repeatedly fired tear gas […]

10 years ago

Shocking news. 22-year old singer Christina Grimmie, a contestant on the US version of The Voice on NBC in 2014, has died after she was shot following a concert in Orlando on Friday night. Orlando Police confirmed the tragic news on Twitter on Saturday morning following the incident on Friday night, when a gunman approached […]

10 years ago

Tippin’ around in Tacoma. The majority of GAA strongholds in the northern hemisphere tend to be dotted along the east coast of the United States, but there’s plenty of activity out west as well. Earlier in this series, we featured the remarkable story of Columbia Red Branch Hurling Club, which was formed by a group […]

10 years ago

Stunning. When we teamed up with Marvel artist Will Sliney to do us up a flag we could bring to Euro 2016, we knew it would be something special, but it has ended up exceeding those lofty expectations. On Tuesday, we revealed that Seamus Coleman was the man you wanted featured on the flag and […]

10 years ago

The FAI released a statement on Tuesday afternoon. Martin O’Neill will remain as manager of the Irish football team for the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign after extending his contract on the eve of the Ireland squad’s departure for Euro 2016. O’Neill and his management team of Roy Keane, Steve Guppy, Seamus McDonagh and Steve […]

10 years ago

Great community spirit on show here. The inter-county scene might represent the glitz and glamour of the GAA, but the clubs remain the lifeblood of the association throughout the country. Community spirit is still an essential part of the GAA and clubs continue to look to give something back to the local area for all […]

10 years ago

This is a commentator’s dream. The Euros will offer football fans all over the continent the chance to prove to their mates just how knowledgeable they are about football and if you’d like to be one of those football buffs holding court down the pub, UEFA have a guide that will come in very handy. […]

10 years ago

A chance to pay your respects to The Greatest. The world lost an icon when Muhammad Ali passed away at the weekend at the age of 74. Arguably the greatest and most influential sports person of all time, his influence extended far beyond the boxing ring and his loss was mourned around the world when […]

10 years ago

The people have spoken. Last week, we ran a poll on the site asking JOE readers to vote for one member of the Irish squad to be the face of an Irish flag we’ve specially commissioned for Euro 2016. The flag will be designed by none other than Will Sliney, an artist who has worked […]

10 years ago

He’d better think twice about scoring against Iceland. We’re bloody excited about the Euros in Ireland, but we can imagine the excitement is at a similar or even greater level in Iceland, as it will be their first ever major tournament. Considering that the population of the country is approximately 330,000 and they are the […]

10 years ago

Any of these seem familiar? The Leaving Certificate starts this Wednesday and we’d like to wish the very best of luck to the thousands of students across the country sitting exams all over the country. Trust us, it’s not as bad as you think it’ll be. If you happen to be doing it yourself, or […]

10 years ago

No surprise really. The average age of first-time buyers in Ireland has risen by five years, or 17%, since 2006, according to figures released by the Real Estate Alliance (REA). An REA report revealed that the average age of the first-time buyer is now 34, compared to 29 in 2006 and 33 last year, with […]

10 years ago

The urge to sing along is nigh on impossible to resist. Just when you thought James Corden had covered every possible artist and musical genre with his incredibly popular Carpool Karaoke series, he’s pulled something out the bag that might be the best offering to date. Ahead of the Tony Awards in New York City […]

10 years ago

Yay or nay, Liverpool fans? We won’t get to see the players wearing them until pre-season, but the release of a new kit is always something that gets fans excited during the Premier League off-season. We have the Euros to keep us occupied this summer, of course, but even with only a few days to […]

10 years ago

It’s… different. One of the most distinctive haircuts in football has just become even more distinctive after Marouane Fellaini decide to dye his huge afro blonde. Aaron Ramsey and Fellaini’s Manchester United teammate Phil Jones have both joined the blonde brigade of late, but with all due respect to both of them, none of their […]

10 years ago

Excited? There’s plenty to look forward to until then – not least the Euros – but millions of gamers around the world will still be counting down the days until the release of the latest instalment in the FIFA series later this year. It’s hard to continually top the efforts of the year before when […]

10 years ago

We heartily approve of this. There were any amount of stars in what was an amazing season for Connacht Rugby and their talismanic centre Bundee Aki was certainly one of them. It wasn’t just his exploits on the field that led the Connacht supporters to take Aki into their hearts, but his personality as well. […]

10 years ago

The Ireland manager issued the apology in Cork on Monday afternoon. Ireland manager Martin O’Neill has apologised for comments he made involving the use of the term “queers” at an event in Cork last week. O’Neill and Roy Keane were guests at an event hosted Matt Cooper in Cork Opera House and O’Neill made the […]

10 years ago

This seems a little harsh. A reporter for 7 News in Australia caused controversy at the weekend after posting a comment on social media directed at Irish people living in Sydney. Australia’s biggest city was hit with a series of wild storms over the weekend, storms that claimed the lives of at least three people […]

10 years ago