Darragh Greene was in Dublin Airport when the world turned on its axis. The Longford swimmer and the rest of the senior national squad were in departures, poised to fly out to a meet in Scotland, when the acting Taoiseach delivered his address — and everything changed utterly, writes Brendan O'Brien.

Sport may shrink in significance in these unprecedented times but the sight of empty stadiums and speculation over the fate of previously ‘untouchable’ events as the Olympic Games and European Championships hammer home just how serious things have become.

Donegal swimmer Mona McSharry has won bronze in the 50m breaststroke competition at the European Short Course Swimming Championships in Glasgow.

Is it a poisoned chalice or an opportunity of a lifetime?

Sport Ireland has announced a multi-year investment of more than €3 million in National Governing Bodies of Sport through the re-launch of the Women in Sport Programme.

John Treacy believes there is no reason why the FAI can not mirror the example set by the Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI) in cleaning house and transforming into a beacon of good sporting governance in the next two years.

They can’t escape now. Not even him.

Shane Ryan will a team of 10 into the World Swimming Championships in Korea in July.

The support offered by Scouting Ireland to people alleging they were abused, sexually and physically, within scouting is not enough, a leading abuse survivors charity has claimed.

Seventeen Irish sporting organisations received welcome news yesterday with the announcement that Sport Ireland’s board approved an additional €1.5 million in high-performance funding.

Few people know a thing about it but the brains behind the inaugural European Championships, starting this morning and continuing over the next 10 days in Glasgow and Berlin, plan to change all that.

Tori Bowie was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

World rowing champions Mark O’Donovan and Shane O’Driscoll don't make the cut for podium funding.

During Jim Gavin’s presentation at Sport Ireland’s recent HPX Conference, the Dublin manager noted that there were “some competitors in the audience”, past and present, which probably explained why he was so big on philosophy but so scarce on actual detail, writes Kieran Shannon.

For about 20 years, this swimmer didn’t venture into a pool, but after her children were raised, she went back and is now making big waves, says Margaret Jennings

The newly elected president of the Olympic Council of Ireland has spoken about the “devastating” impact of last year’s scandals at the Rio Games and hinted she would prefer to see a report into the situation published.

Here's your morning bulletin.

The Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) has a new president for the first time in 28 years after Swim Ireland’s Sarah Keane was swept in to the position with a vote at the body’s EGM in Dublin’s Conrad Hotel late last night.

Latest: Former Brazil World Cup winner turned Senator Romario has stated he tipped off authorities to the alleged ticket touting operation.

Fiona Doyle probably wouldn’t have taken kindly to the suggestion at the time but the Limerick swimmer knows now that failure to make the Olympics four years ago may be one of the best things to have happened to her.

POOL PLAYERS: Swim Ireland’s third Swim for a Mile Challenge will take place in 12 pools nationwide during the first week of April.

Here’s some great things to do around the country this weekend.

A few months before Bryan Cullen would become the first Dublin man in 16 years to lift Sam Maguire, the then director of football operations at Chelsea, Mike Forde, spoke at a conference in Liverpool about a bit of a continuing professional development tour he took in on Stateside.

Oliver Dingley had dreamed of winning a medal at a major diving event for 14 years before he earned the right to stand on the podium at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in the summer of 2014.

The majority of people in Ireland claim to be physically active — more than half are members of a sports or fitness club, while solo activities have become more popular than team sports.

Ireland’s 2016 Olympic ambitions have received a €2 million cash injection that will allow sports to fund acclimatisation camps, meet competition costs and, in some cases, provide extra equipment for athletes targeting the Games in Brazil.

A DESIRE to stay healthy and fit is the major driving force behind older Irish people participating in physical activity, with women more driven by than men.

Kerry chairman Patrick O’Sullivan has welcomed the €300,000 in sports capital funding to assist the development of a centre of excellence but revealed further assistance will be sought in line with recent Government funding of Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Derval O’Rourke and Ciarán Ó Lionáird have expressed disappointment at the level of funding they are set to receive in 2014.

It looks like Barry Murphy has surely claimed bragging rights in the family home in Dublin this Christmas.

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

A year ago it was all up in the air.

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