Paul Townend took the top rider title for the first time after Al Boum Photo’s successful defence of the Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup gave him a fifth winner of the week.

Well, it has finally come: Gold Cup day. The biggest day of the season. Well, I always felt it was. This year’s race, with a small field, looks to be quite open, writes Ruby Walsh

Here’s what Jane Mangan, a rising star of RTE’s racing coverage, said about Envoi Allen at a recent media gig. “He’s what it would be if I described my perfect horse to a sculptor or a dream maker.”

In victory, Put the Kettle On became the first mare to win the Arkle in 40 years, a notable achievement on the part of the 16-1 outsider.

If a poll was taken on the best riders at Cheltenham over the past couple of decades, Davy Russell would surely be somewhere near the top of the list.

Donegal ladies nailed three crucial points to the Lidl NFL Division 1 board as Maxi Curran’s side eased their relegation worries with this win in Ballyshannon at the expense of leaders Cork.

A global pandemic may be the only thing that can stop Leinster this season, if Friday night’s nine-try win over Glasgow at the RDS is anything to go by.

“It’s a lovely system. They thought of everything. You feel so secure here and cared for.”

Tiger Roll is preparing to bid for a fifth win at the Cheltenham Festival and third successive Grand National.

So much will happen between lunch time today and dinner time tomorrow that looking backwards to last week and as far back as last weekend seems pointless with how much the future has to offer.

Bestselling author Isabel Allende talks to Rowena Walsh about life, grief, and why it’s never too late to fall in love

THE past festive season was extra special for newly- weds Yvonne Coleman and James Twohig as it was on a December 26 night out that the couple first laid eyes on each other.

Connections of Envoi Allen are not ruling out a tilt at the Unibet Champion Hurdle following his latest triumph at Naas.

What What did we learn from the Christmas racing period? Lots we already knew, and a few things that we should have known.

If ever there was a day that might have convinced Michael O’Leary to reconsider his decision to wind down his racing operation, today was surely it.

With breath-taking views and unrivalled elegance, Sheerwater is stunning, writes Catherine Shanahan

Whatever about horses going from one stable to another, for jockeys racing can be one big merry-go-round, and that was never more in evidence than it is right now.

Ollie Campbell put his arm around the shoulders of Michael Lynagh’s youngest son, and pointed at the shiny Aviva Stadium in the near distance.

Odsonne Edouard’s free-kick gave Celtic a two-goal cushion to take to Sweden in their Europa League play-off against AIK.

James Forrest’s 114th-minute strike edged Celtic past Dunfermline after the Fifers threatened to end the champions’ stranglehold on domestic silverware.

A dramatic 19th-century sea rescue will be remembered at Fonsie Mealy’s summer sale, says Des O’Sullivan.

A warrant has been issued for the arrest of a juror who failed to turn up in the High Court following a lunchtime break.

Kevin Egan When the qualifier draw is made this morning, it will be Offaly — the only remaining county in today’s draw that will play their league football outside the top two divisions next spring — that will be seen as the plum draw for most of the other seven.

Head high tackles are what the GAA have been keen to crack down on this summer but the application of the rule regarding them over the weekend left a lot to be desired.

Fifty non-Irish-born candidates will be on the ballot for tomorrow’s local elections, an increase reflective of the wider, non-native population of 810,406, says Ryan O’Neill.

I had no inkling that it was going to happen, but I must say I wasn’t entirely surprised to learn of Michael O’Leary’s decision to phase out his Gigginstown operation.

An English pensioner has been refused bail after he was charged in connection with the seizure of €2.5m worth of drugs at a house in Gormanston, Co Meath.

On Tuesday next, less than three weeks on from the death of journalist Lyra McKee, in Derry, talks will begin formally to resurrect Northern Ireland’s power-sharing administration.

High Court proceedings brought against singer Sinead O'Connor by her former manager Fachtna O'Ceallaigh and his company for alleged breach of contract and defamation have been resolved.

The Irish Cancer Society is calling for the VAT on sunscreen to be reduced.

Tiger Roll, trained by Gordon Elliott and ridden by Davy Russell, has won the Randox Health Grand National at Aintree for the second year in a row.

A coin collector who stabbed a fellow enthusiast to death and then stole his collection has been jailed for at least 30 years.

Iain Duncan Smith’s arrival at Chequers on Sunday in an open-topped Morgan car for a meeting of Brexit’s Praetorian guard seems perfectly symbolic of the fantasies underpinning the entire project.

Was it a good day or a bad day at Cheltenham?

In this exclusive extract from Colm O’Regan’s new book, ‘Ann Devine Ready for Her Close-Up’, mammy and daughter tiptoe through the social niceties of the community meeting and ponder the fate of the bats.

A Ryan Jack goal on the half hour mark saw Steven Gerrard's Rangers beat arch-rivals Celtic at Ibrox.

The pair already have a son, Sam, who is now two years old.

The Green Bay Packers had the ball in field goal range, on the cusp of breaking a fourth-quarter tie, when Patriots lineman Lawrence Guy knocked the ball out of Aaron Jones’ grasp.

Back for the winter season and it really begins to kick into gear from this point.

Despite evidence that exercise is good for cancer patients, it is not part of standard hospital care in Ireland.

Celtic 1 Rosenborg 0

Oran Kearney began his tenure as St Mirren boss with an encouraging 0-0 draw against 10-man Celtic at the Simple Digital Arena.

“At the thought of getting Finn the right support, I’d run five marathons back-to-back,” declares Sinead Lucey.

LÉ Samuel Beckett’s crew saved 106 migrants from drowning, revived an unresponsive baby, searched ships for suspected gun-running and, at night, watched gun battles rage on the shore between rival militias fighting for control of Libya.

Celtic all but secured their place in the second Champions League qualifying round following a commanding 3-0 win against Alashkert in the searing heat of Yerevan.

Tongue firmly in cheek, Pat Fitzpatrick presents his travel glossary. Read on for what those shiny brochures are really trying to tell you...

The Social Welfare Appeals Office is taking more than three weeks longer on average to process cases before it, even though the volume of appeals it received fell last year.

Audrey has been sorting out Cork people for ages

Audrey's been sorting out Cork people for ages...