There is always the next match.

A promotional trip billed as Ireland’s first carbon-neutral bus journey took place in Cork yesterday as a bio-methane powered vehicle took passengers from the city centre to Ringaskiddy.

Captain Caitriona Bruton introduced the team at the Croke Park European Football Finals in Maastricht at the weekend with players from Spain, France, the United States, Italy, Germany, Serbia, Scotland and Portugal all lining out for the Shamrocks.

Hundreds of thousands of ecstatic French fans celebrated the return of their World Cup winning football team yesterday, jumping and chanting “We are the champions” as their bus paraded down the Champs Elysees before a special presidential reception.

Belgian cyclist Michael Goolaerts, who died aged 23 after suffering cardiac arrest during Paris-Roubaix, is a “great loss to cycling”, says former team-mate James Shaw.

Bomb cyclone. Thundersnow. Polar Vortex. Arctic Blast. Snowmageddon.

Martin O’Neill has spoken in the past of how he likes the all or nothing games, of how knowing that only a victory will do helps “clear the mind.”

Shane Duffy puffs out his cheeks and exhales at the thought of clinching World Cup qualification over the next week, fully aware he’ll experience better emotions than Ireland’s last successful tournament tilt.

The joys of Cardiff on a Monday night in October.

Daryl Murphy, who scored both goals in Friday's win over Moldova, is expected to spearhead the Irish attack again.

Daryl Murphy will remember last Friday’s home game against Moldova as the night he trebled his international tally.

Martin O’Neill was pleased with the Republic of Ireland’s performance but emphasised getting a win over Moldova was much more important ahead of Monday’s visit to Cardiff.

So then, what do we call the squeaky bum time which precedes the squeaky bum time? asks Liam Mackey

Irish air accident investigators have called on the Portuguese civil aviation authority to review current legislation regarding the use of dangerous lasers after a Ryanair flight crew was forced to abort a landing because a pilot was ‘temporarily blinded.’

A disabled teenager has been left covered with rat bites after they attacked her in her sleep in northern France.

Dublin is among more than 20 European cities battling to become the new homes to two EU agencies which will leave London because of Brexit.

Despite having made exceedingly heavy weather of salvaging a point against Austria, Ireland remain on course for the World Cup finals in Russia.

The odds are against Jim McGuinness making a go of it as a professional football manager but the Donegal man knows plenty about the mental side of sport and how it transfers across codes and other boundaries.

As we know only too well, Seamus Coleman won’t be on the pitch in the Aviva on Sunday but if his replacement Cyrus Christie and the rest of the Irish players can channel some of the spirit Captain Coleman’s men showed on a famous night in Lille last summer, Austria in the World Cup qualifiers will find themselves up against what Italy were forced to confront in the finals of the European Championships.

Protesters have clashed with police in Paris during a demonstration against both candidates in the upcoming presidential elections.

Robbie Brady warmed up for the international double-header in the best possible way, posting a stunning 25-yarder into the top corner to help Norwich beat Wolves in the Championship on Saturday.

The FAI have named the supporters who will be presented with an award on behalf of the Republic of Ireland fans who charmed everyone during Euro 2016 in France.

Wales’ march to the semi-finals was the continuation of the momentum which had been generated through an impressive qualifying campaign, writes Liam Mackey.

Wales 3 Belgium 1. A week has passed since Britain voted for Brexit but it does not look as though the news has yet reached France.

Mark Twain once beautifully defined an expert as “some guy from outta town”. That being so, the guys and gals whose heads are entirely off the planet must be the greatest experts of them all.

Chris Coleman admits his one regret at Wales reaching the quarter-final of Euro 2016 is that his Dublin-born father Paddy is not around to see it.

Airports and ferry terminals across Europe are full of tired bodies who are now coming home, wherever that maybe.

There is no limp as Shane Long walks into the Complexe Sportif Montbauron.

Roy Keane and Shane Long have put the boot in on Uefa’s decision to allocate just 4,604 tickets to Republic of Ireland supporters for today’s Euro 2016 knockout clash with hosts France at the Stade de Lyon.

The Boys in Green may have left it until the 85th minute to score the goal that booked their place in the knockout stages of Euro 2016, but there have also been dramatic late developments for a pair of Corkmen.

I said here on Wednesday morning that if Ireland put in a performance in Lille, they would be Italy, writes Liam Brady

IF sport can be a barometer of national well-being then these are indeed golden, halcyon days. 

Only once has the Republic of Ireland faced the host nation in a major tournament. The opportunity to do so again was a powerful motivating tool for Martin O’Neill’s players as they prepared to face Italy in Lille.