Few nations embrace their medal-winners quite like Ireland, a country that puts a higher premium on international success due to its rarity.

Offaly Rose Jennifer Byrne has been named the winner of the 59th International Rose of Tralee.

Mark Christie won the Great Ireland Run in 29:30 in the Phoenix Park yesterday and also secured the national 10km title.

International trials and assessment will take place at the National Rowing Centre in Farran Wood, Cork, on the weekend of March 25-26th.

Fiona Doyle is ready for the spotlight.

The Irish Universities Football Union (IUFU) and the Colleges Football Association of Ireland (CFAI) will create a joint third level national team to help raise the profile and standard of college soccer in Ireland.

Thomas Barr’s heart was pounding on stage when he was awarded Athlete of the Year at the GloHealth National Athletics Awards at the Crowne Plaza in Santry yesterday.

In terms of sport, it’s been a great year for John Travers, who finished seventh in the 1500m final at the European Indoor Championships in March. Off the track, though, the 24-year-old has endured a torrid time, with his father, Stephen, passing away after a long illness just a day before travers finished eighth in the 1500m final at the World University Games in July. He spoke to the ’Irish Examiner’ ahead of tomorrow’s Inter Clubs Cross Country Championships in Santry...

The evening prior to his Diamond League debut in mid-May, Thomas Barr posted a picture of the men’s 400m hurdles startlist on his Instagram account.

Memories of the 1987 final at Tramore will be revived this week when the AIG Irish Close Championship takes place over the outstanding seaside layout for the third time.

Thomas Barr is targeting a final berth in the 400m hurdles at his maiden World Athletics Championships in Beijing at the end of this month.

In Ireland, there is only one currency that trades at a profit when it comes to minority sports, so Fiona Doyle was front and centre with the general public last month when she won silver and bronze medals at the World University Games in Gwangju.

Morton Stadium danced a Jamaican beat last night as Yohan Blake set a new stadium record of 10.12 seconds as he continues his return to the top of the athletics tree.

The 2015 Fina World Championships begins in the Russian republic of Tatarstan today and Chris Bryan will be the first of the Irish in action when he competes in the men’s 10K open water swim on Monday.

There was no joy for Mark English in the 800m final at the European U23 Athletics Championships in Tallinn with the Donegal star finishing 8th in 1:50.42.

Thomas Barr etched his name into the history books yesterday morning when becoming the fourth Irish athlete to win gold at the World University Games.

Swimming: Fiona Doyle has qualified for next year’s Olympic Games following an impressive display in the 100m breaststroke semi-final at the World University Games in Gwangju, South Korea.

Andrew Meegan reached a crossroads last January and knew there was only one avenue open to fulfil his potential.

Baby steps is how swimmer Fiona Doyle described her approach to the tomorrow’s World Championships, each swim an opportunity to close the gap on the pool’s elite.

But for a mix-up, Sycerika McMahon could be in line to make a final at the swimming world championships in Barcelona next week.

Cork City manager Tommy Dunne will be hoping to build on last week’s 3-1 victory over Airtricity League champions Sligo Rovers when they travel to take on bottom club Shelbourne at Tolka Park tonight (8pm).

Chances are that, unless you are part of that the minority among us who claim membership of the athletics community, you have never heard of Sanura Eley O’Reilly.

AMY FOSTER’S seventh place finish in the 200m final capped off a tremendous campaign for Team Ireland at the World University Games in Shenzhen, China.

DCU’s Brian Gregan put the finishing touch to a spectacular season when he set a new personal best of 45.96 seconds in the final of the men’s 400m at the World University Games in Shenzhen, China.

DCU sprinter Brian Gregan is hoping to break the personal best he set yesterday when he attempts to win a gold medal today in the 400m at the World University Games in China.

IMAGINE working every minute towards something for weeks, months and years and it all came down to one moment.

AISLING COONEY and Melanie Nocher narrowly missed World Championship qualification at the Irish Long Course finals at the NAC yesterday.

AFTER big runs over 1,500m (3:41.02) at the weekend and 10,000m (28:32.30) two weeks ago, Ciaran Ó Lionáird is all set for a return to Stanford on May 1 to tackle 5,000m.

ALL the political parties scrambling to be part of the next government are being asked to guarantee that a percentage of National Lottery funding will be set aside for the use of the Irish Sports Council (ISC).

PATSY McGONAGLE will lead the Irish track and field team into the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Swimming sensation Grainne Murphy has won her second gold medal and third medal overall of the European Junior Swimming Championships in Prague this evening.

US-based Irish swimmer Karl Burdis is continuing to break records at the World University Games.

AILIS McSWEENEY highlighted her return to form by reclaiming the national indoor 60m title at the Woodies DIY Irish indoor championships at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast last year but there will be more at stake when she defends the title this year.

ATHLETICS IRELAND are to press to have two indoor arenas build in Dublin, Chief Executive Brendan Hackett revealed yesterday.

Eileen O’Keefe cannot wait for World Championships hammer final to get under way on Thursday night in Osaka.

Joanne Cuddihy made a confident start to her World Championship campaign in Osaka with a season's best in her 400 metres heat, but the Kilkenny woman will have it all to do to progress out of tomorrow's semi-finals.

Royal County Down's Danielle McVeigh took the individual gold in World University Games in Bangkok.

The Irish women's soccer side has cruelly lost out on a place in the World University Games final by going down 4-2 on penalties to Russia in the semi-final in Bangkok today.

Noel King's Irish women's soccer side has advanced to the semi-finals at the World University Games in Bangkok by beating France 1-0 today.

This Saturday, Ireland’s senior women will take on Sweden at the National Basketball Arena in the first game of their European Championships.

IRELAND picked up a fourth athletics medal on the final day of the World University Games in Turkey as the women’s squad finished third in the 4x100m relay.