Declan Rice won the Young Player of the Year, as previously announced last week, less than 24 hours before he was called up to the England squad. He was not pictured receiving his award.

The one moment of real cheer for the loud and loyal travelling support in Aarhus came with the arrival into senior international football, with 10 minutes remaining, of Michael Obafemi.

Niall Quinn knows what it is to suffer Roy Keane’s wrath.

Poland 1Ireland 1

Glenn Whelan will be given the honour of leading Ireland out against Northern Ireland in the friendly at the Aviva in November.

There are seven forwards named in Martin O’Neill’s provisional squad for the upcoming summer friendlies against Celtic, France, and the USA.

Alan Browne ended four months of frustration in front of goal by scoring a superb volley as Preston marched into the fourth round of the FA Cup by hammering Wycombe Wanderers 5-1 on Saturday.

Colin Sheridan on Ireland’s footballing philosophy. The Beautiful Game it ain’t.

Job done, for now, Martin O’Neill’s Republic of Ireland players turn their attention back to domestic matters for the next four weeks, all too aware of the need to impress with their clubs before the World Cup play-offs swing around.

The Republic of Ireland registered an excepted victory over Moldova but much more importantly, delivered a morale-boosting performance ahead of Monday’s visit to Wales.

“We have to win the games and the equation is really simple,” was Martin O’Neill’s decisive summation yesterday, as he contemplated Ireland’s World Cup qualifying landscape with two group games to go.

While he fervently hopes that any end of era in Irish football is still a matter of months rather than days away, Martin O’Neill has said he expects a “natural exodus” of senior players once his team’s interest in World Cup 2018 is over.

While he fervently hopes that any end of era in Irish football is still a matter of months rather than days away, Martin O’Neill has said he expects a “natural exodus” of senior players once his team’s interest in World Cup 2018 is over.

It was a mixed weekend for the Irish contingent at Championship outfit Preston as Aiden McGeady’s sixth goal of the season rescued a 1-1 draw at home to Nottingham Forest on an afternoon when Daryl Horgan and Andy Boyle were hauled off at half-time.

Chris Hughton isn’t the revenge type but you’d have to suspect Saturday’s 5-0 mauling of Norwich City in the Championship meant plenty to the Brighton boss.

Aiden McGeady began the latest chapter of his career by scoring on his Preston debut on Saturday but his fine strike from 25 yards wasn’t enough to earn his new employers anything in their Championship clash with Barnsley.

IF sport can be a barometer of national well-being then these are indeed golden, halcyon days. 

Alan Judge hopes his match-winning brace for Brentford in the 2-1 Championship win over Rotherham on Saturday will have given Martin O’Neill food for thought ahead of next month’s Euro 2016 play-off against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Goals from Anthony Pilkington and Joe Mason broke Huddersfield’s resistance on Saturday and lifted Cardiff to second in the Championship.

The final day of the Championship brought contrasting emotions for the Irish as the title and the identity of the last two teams to reach the play-offs was decided.

Tax evasion scams similar to the scheme operated by the Switzerland-based private bank division of HSBC will become much less common in the future on the back of tighter legislation, according to a leading tax expert.

Montenegro U-21s 0 Republic of Ireland U-21s 0

UEFA U21 CHAMPIONSHIP

Republic of Ireland Under-21s 5 Faroe Islands Under-21s 2

Faroe Islands U21 1 Republic of Ireland U21 4

Stephen Hunt admits he could leave English football behind as he mulls over an offer to join a German second division club.

Republic of Ireland U21 head coach Noel King has named his squad for a friendly international against Portugal at Tallaght Stadium on Monday, March 25 (7.30pm).

Ireland U21 3 Holland U21 0

Ireland U-21 3 Netherlands U-21 0

Ireland Under-19 manager Paul Doolin reckons Cork City’s Danny Morrissey can boost his international prospects in Turkey next week.

Emirates Melbourne Cup favourites Tawqeet and Yeats have had their prospects of winning the Group One at Flemington on Tuesday enhanced by drawing favourably at Saturday’s ceremony.

AMONG the 300 ministers of the Eucharist distributing Holy Communion in St Peter’s Square during Pope John Paul II’s funeral tomorrow will be two young Irish priests.

THE Breeders’ Cup has hit town for the first time and Chicago intends to put itself on the map as one of the top hosts of an event the Americans call the ‘Super Bowl of racing’.