We’re not travelling almost 7,000 miles to spend our evenings in the pub. I also told them that we shouldn’t be under any illusions — we’re up against it, says John Riordan.

Shane Sweetnam may have offloaded his top ride last year, but that does not mean he is ready to relinquish his position as a stalwart of the Irish team.

A man who won gold for power-lifting in the World Dwarf Games, the equivalent of the Olympics for little people, says nobody should let a disability stand in the way of “following your dreams”.

Shane Sweetnam was disappointed when Cian O’Connor was selected ahead of him for the Olympics... and the rest is history.

IRELAND’S handball stars are “well capable” of winning Olympic medals should the sport’s ambitions of gaining access to the four-yearly extravaganza be realised, according to association president Walter O’Connor.

My worst habit is trying to fit too much into one day.

Stephen Campbell set to represent Ireland at the International Blind Sports World Games in Brazil is to get an official send-off today.

Almost €2m in public money is to be spent on promoting equestrian sport this year, the Government announced today.

SPECIAL Olympics Ireland hopes to kickstart its Support an Athlete campaign by raising €5 million.

TEAM USA’s Rachel Lynch celebrated her father’s retirement as Chief of Police in Wisconsin

THE support of the Irish community in Hong Kong was a huge encouragement to their Special Olympics officials to fight the Sars ban which threatened their involvement in the World Games in the opinion of the senior officers of their delegation.

SPECIAL Olympics boss Mary Davis let out a sign of relief and whoop of delight simultaneously at the close of Saturday night’s opening ceremony as she realised a dream eight years in the making had finally come to life.

TEAM IRELAND’S swimming coach swept an eloquent hand across the glorious spread of the National Aquatic Centre and said: “I’ve been to World Games before, I was in New Haven, in North Carolina and in Connecticut, as basketball coach and I’ve been to Monaco and to Scotland for European Games, but nowhere is there a facility better than this.”

PUBLIC health doctors return to work today following a decision by union representatives to recommend acceptance of a deal aimed at ending a 10-week-old dispute.

AIDAN DOWNEY is preparing for the biggest day of his life when he will represent his country at the Special Olympics World Games on Saturday.

Special Olympics organisers today confirmed that boxing legend Muhammad Ali will be among the celebrities taking part in the World Games opening ceremony at Croke Park.

ANN McCORMACK, from Rossbeg, Westport, Co May holds a unique position among the stars who will represent Ireland at the Special Olympics Games next month.

IT was the words of a Protestant clergyman that really upset me this week.