IRELAND 13-9 ENGLAND It ends at 18. Ireland finished second in the 2017 Six Nations but were by far the better team against England at the Aviva Stadium this evening. They simply had to win and they did just that. Ireland poured into the Six Nations champions in the opening 40 minutes but were only […]

9 years ago

Ireland are going into battle with several walking wounded. Talk of an unchanged Ireland team has proved unfounded as Joe Schmidt was forced into three changes from his team that lost to Wales last week. Jared Payne, Kieran Marmion and Iain Henderson are all in for Saturday’s game against Six Nations champions England. Rob Kearney […]

9 years ago

WALES 22-9 IRELAND Ireland’s Six Nations dreams imploded in Cardiff and it was no surprise that their loss came on bad nights for star half-backs Conor Murray and Johnny Sexton. Wales took advantage of Ireland’s mistakes but the visitors could not do likewise whenever the hosts slipped up. George North got two barrelling scores and […]

9 years ago

Serious competition

9 years ago

“I’m looking forward to guaranteeing I can go skiing later in the winter. I’ll definitely be there.” So said Brian O’Driscoll after he finally hung up his rugby boots in 2014. The Leinster, Ireland and Lions legend was never allowed to go play 5-a-side footy or head off on ski trips with friends or family. […]

9 years ago

Tommy Booooowwwwwwwweee. That beautiful specimen from Monaghan is back in Ireland’s match-day squad to face Wales in Cardiff on Friday night. Bowe is the only new face in the Ireland squad that did for France at the Aviva Stadium two weeks ago. Bowe replaces Andrew Trimble, who broke a bone in his hand while playing […]

9 years ago

Handy to have a League of Ireland club up the road from your house. Robbie Keane is still figuring out his next move in professional football but keeping his eye in with the semi-professional at Shamrock Rovers. The former Ireland captain moved on from LA Galaxy late last year after a successful stint in Major […]

9 years ago

If a player can pass a Head Injury Assessment after this impact and this footage, the rules of the game need changing. 11 minutes into Toulouse’s Top 14 game against La Rochelle, winger Alexis Palisson set himself to take down flying Fijian Levani Botia. He set himself low but got mulched, and was hammered back […]

9 years ago

“Between me and Michael, who has to go down to the South of France, I think I got the best deal, to be honest!” Shane Williams left a deep impression on the people of Donegal and all involved at Glenswilly GAA. The former Wales and Lions winger came over to Donegal to immerse himself in […]

9 years ago

Shane Williams took to GAA like a Donegal club player takes to recovery sessions in the North Atlantic Ocean. The former Wales and Lions winger was an absolute star during Wednesday’s airing of AIB GAA’s The Toughest Trade. Williams pitched up at Glenswilly, home of Donegal star Michael Murphy, to try his hand at Gaelic […]

9 years ago

“They’re so in tune to their bodies. They know how to prepare themselves.” Michael Murphy spent just the week with Clermont Auvergne and he soaked up every single experience. The Donegal forward was in the South of France with the Top 14 rugby giants as part AIB GAA’s #TheToughest Trade and he came home with a […]

9 years ago

“Football was a big thing. Like most boys around Ireland, England, Scotland, it is a big part of our culture.” – Conor McGregor, 2015 Conor McGregor is spending his free time wisely. After his trip to America’s West Coast to sort out business dealings and catch up with old friends, McGregor is back in Ireland. […]

9 years ago

Ireland are as close to full-strength as they are ever going to get for this Saturday’s visit of France. Joe Schmidt has been able to recall captain Rory Best, outhalf Johnny Sexton and loose-head Jack McGrath for Ireland’s first home game of the 2017 Six Nations. The Kiwi was delighted to see Best, Sexton and […]

9 years ago

Munster have got themselves a real gem in Chris Farrell and Joe Schmidt knows all about it. After three seasons in the Top 14 with Bernard Jackman’s Grenoble, Farrell will return to Ireland this summer. The Fivemiletown native is not returning to Ulster, where he first found acclaim and won his Ireland U20 caps. Instead, […]

9 years ago

“F**k Vegas. F**k Vegas, serious. I want East Coast next… Couple of more West coast then East coast, then Dublin. That’s it, then it’s Dublin all the f**king way, that’s what I’m thinking.” What a difference a year makes. Back on February 17, 2016, Conor McGregor was preparing to take on UFC lightweight champion Rafael Dos […]

9 years ago

Nine-try romp

9 years ago

Okay, so here’s the good news…. Niall Scannell is having a fine season. Remember when the IRFU insisted, on Friday, that Ireland captain Rory Best was NOT ruled out of the Italy game but flew James Tracy out anyway? Well, it turns out Best is out and Tracy will be on the bench at Stadio […]

9 years ago

Anyone who grew up watching rugby in the 1990s would tell you how fantastic and daring a player Joost van der Westhuizen was. Typing ‘was’ seems strange but that is the sad reality we have been left with after news broke, this afternoon, of the Springbok legend’s passing. Van der Westhuizen, a World Cup winner in […]

9 years ago

“That try will kill Andy Farrell.” 20 minutes into Ireland’s Six Nations opener against Scotland and the game was finely poised. The Scots had rocked Ireland with an early try but were getting mashed in the scrum. Ireland had plenty of possession but were squandering good positions and the lineout was shaky. 20 minutes and […]

9 years ago

So many fell short

9 years ago

Some big calls in here

9 years ago

It’s a big, big call. Despite Mayo having to claw back a three point deficit in injury-time, the general consensus after Sunday’s All-Ireland Final is that Dublin have more scope for improvement ahead of the replay. With such a depth of talent available and the likes of Paddy Andrews, Paul Mannion and Eoghan O’Gara chomping […]

10 years ago

Could you betray your rivals and earn €5,000 for your club and two All-Ireland final tickets? It’s not as easy as it sounds. Ahead of this Sunday’s All-Ireland final between Dublin and Mayo, AIB got representatives from four clubs to face off in a battle of nerve, and morals. The Toughest Truce involves rival parish […]

10 years ago

Into the qualifiers with ye

10 years ago

Towering performances

10 years ago

‘I didn’t get out of bed early for this craic’

10 years ago