The agony and ecstasy riff is a familiar one in sport but rarely can it have had a more literal application than to the bittersweet situation in which Alan Judge found himself at the conclusion of Ireland’s 1-1 draw with Denmark in Copenhagen in June.

“So what do you make of VAR?” the guy behind the counter in my local garage asked the customer in front of me in the queue.

Ayeisha McFerran has been passed fit to play some part in the women’s EuroHockey Championships which get underway next weekend in Antwerp.

Ireland’s Road to Tokyo took a big leap forward as they saw off the Czech Republic with plenty to spare in their FIH Series’ semi-final at a drenched Banbridge.

The Green Army marched into the semi-final of the FIH Series finals with the minimum of fuss as their 11-0 win over Singapore at Banbridge puts them one win away from a guaranteed direct Olympic qualifier tie.

Ten months on from the World Cup, 15 of Ireland’s silver medal winners finally get to show off their wares in front of an expectant home crowd, starting with a double-header this weekend.

The 126-time international has been part of each major ranking tournament with the Green Army since 2015, culminating in last summer’s World Cup silver medal.

In a week of famous comebacks, Cork Harlequins are savouring one of their own as they won the Irish Senior Cup for just the second time at Grange Road on Saturday.

Lorna Bateman won one of the few titles her father Ivan did not as the goalkeeper produced a shoot-out masterclass to land a second Irish Senior Cup crown for Cork Harlequins.

Ireland and New Zealand’s exchange of coaching know-how is set to continue with Sean Dancer swapping hemispheres to take on the role as Green Army head coach.

Gareth Grundie has taken on the role of Irish women’s interim head coach in recent weeks as the Olympic qualifier preparations kick up a gear.

“I hope you continue on this journey, inspiring the next generation of hockey players in Ireland and I hope to see you in Tokyo.”

The Irish women’s team’s Olympic Games hopes received a huge boost as they were confirmed as one of the host nations for the next phase of qualifiers for Tokyo.

As Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane pitch into battle tonight without the services of disenchanted Harry Arter, former Ireland boss Mick McCarthy is calling on him to mount a reconciliation bid.

And on it goes. For 10 days now, the Irish women’s seem to continually playing the biggest game of their lives, the biggest since the sport’s formation on the island in 1892.

Seven days on from the biggest result in Irish hockey history, the opponent and the venue is the same as Ireland look to make an even more seismic impact.

London’s Lee Valley is fast becoming a mecca for Irish hockey as it once again witnessed one of the greatest ever moments in Irish hockey history.

It was entirely in keeping with John O’Shea’s self-effacing character and career-long commitment to the concept of the ‘team player’, that the elegant defender’s farewell address to the Irish supporters seemed to be about everyone but himself, writes Liam Mackey.

Katie Mullan and Lena Tice struck to earn Ireland a 2-0 win over Spain in Malaga yesterday.

Saturday night in Copenhagen marked my 25th anniversary return to the Parken Stadium and, at one level, it was as if nothing had changed in a quarter of a century.

Cliodhna Sargent is set to return to action for the first time since January following the birth of her first son, Dylan, in August with a World Cup spot very much the long-term aim.

When Des Cahill called on potential benefactors to “#coughup”, circling the Green Army’s “actively seeking sponsorship” biography line, it gave the sport one of its rare moments in the spotlight.

Women’s hockey international: Germany 3 ( Keibel, Huse, Schroder) - Ireland 1 (Russell)

Graham Shaw has his sights set on World Cup qualification after his Ireland side cruised to a World League 2 title in Kuala Lumpur.

“It’s the first time — which is ironic — that my young son Hudson is going to walk out with me and it’s my last time ever to play for Ireland. So it’s going to be a special moment and something I will certainly treasure.”

It’s been a week of hotshots and superlatives to add to the store of good things in Irish football in 2016.

France 2 Republic of Ireland 1: We’ll always have Lille and, for just short of an hour yesterday afternoon, an Irish team that the nation had taken to its heart made us think that we might have Lyon too.

If there has been one result of Ireland’s performance at the Euros, it has been the return of hyperbole and overstatement, writes Clodagh Finn

Credit unions around the country have been fielding calls from fans desperate to secure some funding to get to France for this Sunday’s crunch game against the host nation.

And then there was one.

It’s something that has slowly crept up on the Irish fans, but hasn’t been said: We may be ready to forgive France for that handball in 2009.

Having conquered the capital, the Green Army has set its sights south-west to Bordeaux.

Republic of Ireland fans have been thanked for paying tribute to a Northern Ireland fan who died after a fall in France.

As tens of thousands of Irish fans descend on Paris, it has emerged that most will spend an average of €2,000 on their trip.

The ‘Euro Exodus’ is under way as tens of thousands of Irish football fans make their way by air and sea to France for the European Championships.

Fourteen years on from the World Cup finals in Japan and Korea, when he scored for Ireland against Saudi Arabia, Gary Breen is still being followed around the place by one of the daftest and most memorable of the Green Army’s all-time greatest hits.