Athletes come to the Special Olympics Ireland to compete and have fun. And 100 will win places on Team Ireland for the world games in Los Angeles next year.

The Queen didn’t do a parachute jump, but Limerick yesterday exuded a spectacular summer glow for the opening of the Special Olympic Ireland Games.

Ireland’s Nicolas Roche notched a career-best Grand Tour finish securing fifth place overall at the end of the Vuelta a Espana in Madrid yesterday.

THE majority of the Munster team that under-performed so disappointingly against Leinster last week have an opportunity to redeem themselves in this evening’s Heineken Cup opener against Northampton Saints at Franklin’s Gardens.

BEFORE looking forward to what is the crucial game of the autumn series against Argentina tomorrow, it is important to reflect on New Zealand’s brief but electrically-charged visits to Croke Park and Thomond Park over the course of the last week.