Former Irish international Tony Cascarino believes Sweden are there for the taking in the Republic of Ireland‘s opening Euro 2016 fixture.

Liverpool’s £29 million (€40m) deal to bring Brazil forward Roberto Firmino to Anfield will not impact on further summer spending or change their stance on want-away winger Raheem Sterling.

On this month’s 25th anniversary of Italia ‘90, Niall Quinn gives the inside story of a summer he — and we — will never forget.

The State has said it was horrified by the revelations about the 796 babies buried at Tuam; The leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland has said the Church felt a sense of “bereavement” at the result of last month’s marriage equality referendum and Interpol has issued ’international wanted persons’ alerts for two former FIFA officials. Just some of the latest and most read stories on irishexaminer.com.

Wednesday. The cartoonist rings. Drinan. Good, isn’t he? "What’s it about this week? I’ve to draw it today. Heading off."

John Giles is yet to be convinced that James McCarthy can impose himself as a commanding midfield presence for Ireland. And he believes West Ham’s Mark Noble, should he declare for the Republic, might be good enough to go straight into Martin O’Neill’s European Championship qualifying team.

The Irish Government should treat whistleblower Edward Snowden’s asylum plea with the same creativity as the Jack Charlton era, it has been claimed.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich deserves a “pat on the back” for bringing Jose Mourinho back to the club, according to former Blues favourite Ron Harris.

ASKED if Robbie Keane would come back into the team for the World Cup qualifiers in March, Giovanni Trapattoni yesterday gave one of his patented long rambling answers which left none of his audience any the wiser.

Ahead of our departure for Poznan, we caught Poland’s dramatic 1-1 draw with Greece on television in Sopot last night.

Trying to find the hidden messages behind today’s clash at the Aviva Stadium.

Robbie Keane’s former international strike partner, Tony Cascarino, has claimed the Dubliner enjoys a love-hate relationship with Ireland fans because money changed him.

Former Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Packie Bonner believes current manager Giovanni Trapattoni has earned the right to make the selections he wants without constant criticism.

A FEW of us spent a most enjoyable and rewarding hour in the company of three Irish football heroes of yesteryear on Monday morning as Tony Cascarino, Frank Stapleton and Paul McGrath mixed some astute analysis of the Premier League and Trapattoni’s Ireland with a few entertaining detours down memory lane.

TONY CASCARINO has been dropped to the bench for Transfer D-Day by Sky Sports News.

THREE of Irish football’s most decorated stars have backed Robbie Keane’s move to the MLS.

ARSENAL supporters won’t be the only ones having nightmares after the Gunners’ 8-2 humiliation against Manchester United at Old Trafford yesterday.

IN the last recession during the 1980s the cream of a generation were forced to emigrate. It was an eminently forgettable period, except in the area of sport.

OUR football correspondent LIAM MACKEY is back in top form and full of energy.

BEFORE the events of this week, the last time I had written about Roy Keane was in the immediate aftermath of his shock departure from the Stadium of Light when, amid the general air of gloom and doom on Wearside, I asked that people spare a thought for the owners of a public house in Sunderland who had just been forced to put their business up for sale.

ROY KEANE roared back into front-line management with Ipswich Town yesterday and wasted no time in launching a typically stinging attack on those who doubted he would ever return.

Tony Cascarino believes his former Ireland team-mate Roy Keane has taken the easy way out and will never manage again.

AFTER Ireland’s defeat to Italy in the quarter-final of the 1990 World Cup, Charlie Haughey went down on the field to salute the Irish crowd, but he was roundly booed.

The Examiner’s football correspondent Liam Mackey is taking a well-earned break floating along the Nile on a dhow to discuss tactics and the riddle of the diamond with the Sphinx. So for the next few weeks we’ve called Allan Prosser from the subs’ bench to mediate over your opinions and give the controversy pot a stir.

PARTLY out of choice and partly because his hand was forced by a combination of injuries and retirements, there is certainly a fresh green look to Steve Staunton's first Republic of Ireland squad, announced in Dublin on Thursday morning.

Steve Staunton is hoping to recruit Kevin McDonald and Alan Kelly to the Irish backroom staff when he takes over as manager in the coming days.

Steve Staunton has been warned he will be taking a risk by accepting the Republic of Ireland manager’s job.

Bobby Robson is understood to be lining up long-time right-hand man John Carver to join him in the new Republic of Ireland set-up.

JUST when you think you’ve heard all the great Irish football stories, along comes one that goes straight into the top ten.

LAST night at Lansdowne Road Robbie Keane became the history man, going where celebrated Irish footballing names like Givens, Stapleton, Aldridge, Cascarino and Quinn had never gone before.

DISGRACED former Marseilles chairman Bernard Tapie has dismissed allegations made by Tony Cascarino that he and his team-mates were injected with an unknown substance while he was a player with the French side.

FORMER Republic of Ireland striker Tony Cascarino claimed yesterday that he regularly received injections of unknown drugs to enhance his performance while playing for French club Olympique Marseille in the 1990s.

IF FOOTBALL is, as we are often told, a metaphor for life then God help us when it comes to the players’ Christmas parties.

John Aldridge has received the backing of fellow former Republic striker Tony Cascarino for the post of Ireland manager.

Former Republic of Ireland international Tony Cascarino has slammed Sir Alex Ferguson for his part in the Roy Keane affair.

Former Irish international Tony Cascarino has said that David O'Leary would "almost certainly" walk away from Leeds if he was offered the chance of managing Manchester United.