Former Munster and international back rower Alan Quinlan believes that Ireland can learn a lot of lessons from what happened in the build-up to the 2007 World Cup as they prepare for this season’s tournament.

All-Ireland football semi-final day. Home in front of the telly.

Well before last Saturday Jamesie O’Connor was a Sky Sports man.

The sky didn’t fall in. And nobody drowned, except Offaly. You couldn’t pin that on the lifeguard in charge.

Sky Sports today begin construction on their camera scaffolding at Nowlan Park for their live GAA debut on Saturday — but in the wake of more embarrassing onscreen mistakes.

Controversial RTÉ GAA pundit Joe Brolly has been forced to apologise to Rachel Wyse after branding the Sky Sports GAA coverage ‘TV3 meets Baywatch’.

Fresh from announcing their team of analysts and presenters for this year’s championship action, Sky Sports have released their first GAA television ad.

Former Munster rugby winger Brian Carney has been chosen to front Sky Sports’ GAA championship coverage alongside Rachel Wyse.

The man overseeing Sky Sports’ championship coverage has ensured GAA supporters its production will be of the highest quality.

Sky sports unveiled its GAA coverage team this morning, with Kildare-born Rachel Wyse and former rugby player Brian Carney front and centre as presenters.

Ireland, 2014 Six Nations champions, are the only nation in the IRB’s top 20 test sides without a men’s Sevens team.

IT’S on occasions such as these that people like Declan Kidney realise that their day’s work is never really done!

MUNSTER rugby players and supporters are organising a series of charity events to support a colleague and friend diagnosed with motor neurone disease last year and to research into the debilitating condition.

RONAN O’GARA last night revealed the depth of his hurt at being dropped for Ireland’s clash with world champions South Africa last November.

The sun shone brightly on the Munster squad at Musgrave Park yesterday, but there was still an air of grim determination to begin the Heineken Cup campaign with a big away win and prove that last week’s walloping by Leinster was just a temporary aberration. Charlie Mulqueen spoke to Donncha O’Callaghan and Mick O’Driscoll

BRIAN CARNEY’S return to rugby league is set to provide Ireland with a major boost for the end-of-season European Nations Cup.

LEINSTER’s Rocky Elsom admits he is ‘likely’ to sign for the ACT Brumbies after rejecting offers from the Queensland Reds due to a ‘difference of opinion over the direction of the club.’

Munster back Brian Carney has decided to switch codes in moving back to rugby league to play with Warrington Wolves, it was announced today.

MUNSTER failed to shrug offtheir Heineken Cup hangoverafter crashing to defeat at Cardiff Blues.

MICK O’DRISCOLL will lead his weary Munster troops into their Magners League battle against Cardiff Blues in the Arms Park tomorrow (4.35pm) after Paul O’Connell withdrew from the squad with a minor thigh injury.

Munster will be without captain Paul O'Connell for the penultimate Manger's League match of the season due to a back problem.

IRELAND face tournament hosts, the Arabian Gulf, in the Rugby World Cup Sevens Bowl quarter-finals today after a Friday of mixed of emotions in Dubai.

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The Ireland Sevens coach Jon Skurr has named a 12-man squad for the forthcoming Rugby World Cup 7s in Dubai.

THE Munster squad, minus its senior internationals, yesterday flew out to Lanzarote for a week-long warm-weather training camp.

ON the day Nick Williams is set to be introduced from the bench for his first representative fixture with Munster, Stephen Keogh has been chosen to lead Leinster against his former side in today’s A clash at Donnybrook (2.30pm).

Munster coach Tony McGahan has named a less than full-strength 23-man strong squad of players to take on New Zealand at Thomond Park next Tuesday.

VILIMONI DELASAU, Montauban winger, 1.90m (6’3”), 102kg (16st); the name may not mean much to you but rest-assured that the big speedster from the Pacific Islands has featured strongly in the thinking of Ian Dowling this week.

Munster coach Tony McGahan has announced Paul O'Connell will lead his strongest possible side for the Magners League opener against Edinburgh in Murrayfield on Friday.

Veteran lock Mick O'Driscoll will captain Munster in their seasonal opener against US Eagles in Hartford on Saturday (8pm Irish time).

Tony McGahan has selected his first squad as Munster coach for their match against the US Eagles at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut next Saturday, kick-off 8pm (Irish time).

Ireland have been approached by international rugby union players considering switching codes ahead of this year’s Rugby League World Cup in Australia.

Legendary number eight Anthony Foley will break through the 200-cap barrier for Munster at Ulster in the Magner's League at Ravenhill tomorrow.

WHEN HE arrived, it was somehow out of the blue. Even Munster supporters were jolted by Ian Dowling’s immediate impact.

RONAN O’GARA is being wrapped in cotton wool for tomorrow week’s Heineken Cup semi-final against Saracens and misses tonight’s Magners League clash with Ospreys at Musgrave Park.

Munster coach Declan Kidney has made 12 changes for the Magners League clash with Ospreys at Musgrave Park tomorrow (kick off: 7.30pm).

Munster coach Declan Kidney has opted to field a largely second-string side against the Ospreys in the Magners League at Musgrave Park tomorrow evening.

Coach Declan Kidney has left Ronan O'Gara out of the Munster squad for Saturday's Magners League clash with Ospreys (Musgrave Park 7.30pm).

MUNSTER winger Brian Carney could play for Ireland in November’s Rugby League World Cup Finals in Australia.

IN the pantheon of wingers Munster have unveiled during the professional age, Ian Dowling slots easily into John Kelly and Anthony Horgan mould: an unsung hero, safe pair of hands when the big occasion demands; not flash, just solid and with an ability to do the basics right.

Declan Kidney has included all 15 players that started last Saturday in his Magners League squad to tackle Leinster at The RDS this Saturday evening.

Munster coach Declan Kidney pulled no surprises in the 27-strong squad named for the Heineken Cup quarter final joust with Gloucester at Kingsholm on Saturday.

PAUL O’CONNELL, Alan Quinlan, Tony Buckley and Peter Stringer return to strengthen Munster’s Magners League challenge this weekend, but the search for Ronan O’Gara’s back-up seems set to continue after Jeremy Manning’s announcement that he is to return to New Zealand at the end of the season.

WITH his return to the international fold cemented by two tries against Scotland, you would think Tommy Bowe has been a happy man these past few days. Not quite. The Ulster wing actually found Saturday’s game a frustrating experience.