Ellie O’Byrne had fun in the sun — and the mud — at the weekend festival in Ballinlough Castle

Ciarán Ó Lionáird has called for increased funding for anti-doping agencies around the world in the wake of yesterday’s report from the World Anti-Doping Agency, which shed light on the extent of the doping problem in athletics.

After massive success with The Gloaming, Iarla Ó Lionáird returns to Cork for a new project with the Vanbrugh Quartet, writes Ed Power

The Gloaming may not be a conventional band, but they could win the Choice Music Prize, writes Ed Power

Mutaz Essa Barshim was the star of an electric night of athletics at the Athlone International clearing a world leading 2.41m and a couple of narrow failures at the world record.

Qatar’s Mutaz Bashirm was just centimetres off setting a new World high jump record at tonight’s AIT international arena, as Ciarán Ó Lionáird ran out of gas.

Ciarán Ó Lionáird bids to become the first man to break four minutes for the mile indoors on Irish soil at the star-studded Athlone International this evening. 

Paul Robinson and Ciara Mageean starred at the NYRR Fifth Avenue Mile in New York on Saturday, taking some prized scalps with third place finishes in their respective races.

It was bittersweet for the Irish on the final day of the European championships in Zurich as Paul Robinson and Ciarán Ó Lionáird had two conflicting reasons to rue the 1500m final while the men’s 4x400m relay ran another national record of 3:01.67 to place fifth.

A bittersweet final day for Ireland at the European Athletics Championships in Zurich saw fourth and fifth places achieved, with another national record taken – but so much more was possible.

Mark English delivered on his huge potential with a fearless finishing sprint down the home straight in the European Athletics Championships at a packed Letzigrund arena last night to capture bronze in the 800m in 1:45.03.

Mark English is Ireland’s latest sporting hero, winning bronze in the men’s 800m at the European Athletics Championships in Zurich.

World champion Rob Heffernan succumbed with 10 kilometres remaining of the men’s 50k walk at the European Athletics Championships in Zurich this morning.

Athletics Ireland high performance manager Kevin Ankrom is hanging his hopes on Robert Heffernan winning a medal in the 50km race walk at the European Championships in Zurich.

Ciarán Ó Lionáird believes he has nothing to lose going into the 1500m showdown for a plane ticket to Zurich at the GloHealth National Track and Field Championships in Morton Stadium this weekend.

UCC’s FUAIM festival ranges from Indonesian gamelan to Irish trad, says Ed Power.

Recently, the Irish Sports Council announced it’s funding for 2014.

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

IT WAS a strange way to start a band. “In 2011 we announced we were going be a group,” says the Gloaming’s Iarla Ó Lionáird.

Robert Heffernan crowned a fairytale season when he was named Athlete of the Year at the National Athletics Awards at the Crowne Plaza in Dublin yesterday.

Ciarán Ó Lionáird turned a “turbulent” 2012 into a composed bronze medal-winning performance on Saturday evening at the European Indoor championships in Gothenburg and now wants to make an impact on the world stage.

Ciarán Ó Lionáird became Ireland’s latest medallist at a major athletics championships, as Brian Gregan’s hopes for glory bit the dust in devastating fashion.

Ciaran O Lionaird has won bronze for Ireland in the men's 3000m at the European Indoor Athletics Championships in Gothenburg.

Derval O’Rourke was left holding back the tears after just missing out on a medal in the 60m hurdles final but even that heartbreak couldn’t take away from an exceptional day’s work by the Irish team on day one of the European indoors in Gothenburg

A remarkable opening day for Ireland at the European Indoor Athletics Championships was narrowly denied a golden finish when Derval O’Rourke was edged out into fourth in the final of the women’s 60 metres hurdles.

A hugely positive opening morning session for Irish athletes at the European Indoor Championships in Gothenburg has seen Brian Gregan and Ciarán Ó Lionaird win their heats, with Derval O’Rourke progressing through also to tonight’s sprint hurdles semi-finals.

Sonia O’Sullivan believes success “should be expected” by Irish athletes at the European Indoor Championships, which begin this morning in Gothenburg.

European Cross Country champion Fionnuala Britton is playing down her chances at the European Indoor Championships in Gothenburg this weekend.

Brian Gregan feels ready for any challenge at the European Indoor Track and Field Championships in his bid to win his first senior international 400m medal in Gothenburg on March 1-3 as part of a strong Irish team.

Ciarán O’Lionaird (Leevale AC) smashed his PB for the mile when he finished third in Wannamaker Mile at the Millrose Games in The Armory in New York on Saturday night.

Fionnuala Britton had a fine third place finish over 3,000m in Karlsruhe on Saturday evening, running a personal best of 8:55.22 behind Meseret Defar’s 8:35.28 as a host of Irish athletes competed around the globe.

Ireland's 1,500 metres runner Ciaran Ó Lionáird questioned whether he wanted to remain in the sport after finishing second last in his heat at the London Olympics.

The Olympic Games chewed 1500m runner Ciarán Ó Lionáird up and then spat him out in unceremonious fashion in London last night and left him questioning his future in the sport.

Ciarán Ó Lionáird will face a defining moment in his career when he lines up for the first round heats of the men’s 1500m at the Olympic Stadium tonight (8.25pm).

A blanket finish to last night’s Morton Mile in Santry saw 10 runners break four minutes as American runner Will Leer led the field home in 3:56.39 from David Torrence, (USA) in 3:56.40 and Ryan Gregson, (Australia) in 3:56.45. Ireland’s Ciarán Ó Lionaird, (Leevale A.C), finished sixth in 3:56.02.

Ireland’s Olympic Team manager said last night the women’s 4x400m relay team will put the controversy that embroiled the squad behind them and move forward towards their goal — a place in the Olympic final.

The Morton Pre Games meeting takes place tomorrow in Santry Stadium, just two days before the beginning of the London Olympics.

Ciarán Ó Lionáird got his Olympic campaign back on track at Cork City Sports last night when he finished fifth of five athletes to go under four minutes in the featured Cork Airport Men’s Mile, which was won by Ryan Gregson (Australia) with a perfectly executed 3:57.98.

By Alan Smith

Ciarán Ó Lionáird will be the star attraction for Cork in tonight’s 61st annual Cork City Sports with the Macroom native a strong contender in the iconic mile distance, writes Conor George of the Evening Echo.

Ciarán Ó Lionáird will turn to his home track and the support of the home crowd at the CIT Stadium in Bishopstown this evening (6.30pm) to launch the final phase of his Olympic build-up in the featured Cork City Sports Cork Airport Mile.

Irish athletics chiefs and competitors last night played down the poor performances at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Istanbul.

Ireland’s campaign at the World Indoor Athletics Championships drew to a close with North Down athlete Ben Reynolds being knocked out of the 60 metres hurdles at the semi-final stage.