Such homegrown and stay-home leaders are harder to mould and find than before. But it’s Neptune’s job and challenge to identify and mould them and keep them as it is to find a coach who won’t be as quick to bite the dust.

The day of the dual county player is dead but it is still alive and well at club level. 

Hundreds of behind-the-scenes moments make Touching Distance by Brendan Fanning one of the most engrossing, entertaining and informative Irish rugby books.

Ireland’s heartbreaking defeat in Lisbon was oh so familiar, another gallant performance showing promise but ending in pain. They now need to break the cycle of generating hope only for it to dissipate in the next game 

The scale of Jim Gavin’s fall and fallout means the private and public rehabilitation will take a long time.

It is still a remarkable achievement and story that one family from Ard an Bhóthair should produce four serial All-Ireland and All-Star winners.

Kate O’Connor’s silver medal in the Tokyo heptathlon was more than a podium finish. It confirmed her place among the world’s most complete athletes, in a discipline that demands speed, strength, endurance, and resilience in equal measure.

Conor Murray spoke up about the lack of continuity at Munster and the problems that created.

Adam Idah’s header against Hungary last Saturday night followed a rich tradition of Ireland levellers.

Thirty years after Clare’s 1995 All-Ireland breakthrough, the memories, voices and bonds from that epic victory still shape the county