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.

The Irish Sports Council has committed over €1.5m in funding for the International Carding Scheme for 2015. The money will be invested in 75 athletes across 14 sports.

A late withdrawal from the National Indoor Championships, Ciarán Ó Lionaird reflects instead on the dunes of Owenahincha — and Tallahassee in Florida. 

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.

Athletics Ireland put up a spirited challenge in the men’s distance medley relay at the Armory Invitational, going under the old world record but having to be content with second in 9:25.37 behind a dominant US outfit in 9:19.93.

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.

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.

Daniele Meucci has won the men's marathon for Italy at the European Athletics Championships ahead of Yared Shegumo of Poland and Aleksey Reunkov of Russia.

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.

Sonia O’Sullivan believes Ireland’s athletes must grasp the opportunity to make their mark on the senior international stage at the European Track and Field Championships starting 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.

Rob Heffernan will lead an Irish team of 25 athlete’s to Zurich for next months Europeans, which take place from August 12 – 17.

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.

Robert Heffernan was placed 23rd (1:21:00) over 20km at the IAAF World Race Walking Cup in Taicang, China yesterday.

The expected cross-country debate never materialised at the Athletics Ireland General Congress which finished ahead of schedule at the Moran’s Silver Springs hotel in Cork on Saturday, where Ciarán Ó Catháin was re-elected as president for a further two years.

The Athletics Ireland biannual General Congress takes place this weekend in the Moran’s Silver Springs Hotel in Cork and there is expected to be some lively debate and arguments over a wide range of topics from cross-country to finance and high performance.

There are questions I asked, and questions I wish I’d asked. Over the years in sporting situations, some queries have materialised in the frontal lobes before being pushed to the back of the cranium, where they hang remain, spiky and unfulfilled.

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

Irish Olympian Derval O’Rourke has called on Athletics Ireland to become more athlete-focused when considering financial outlay in future.

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

Now that Paul Galvin has hung up his inter-county boots and with more and more Irish sports people getting tattoos, who will now sport the best body art and why? We went in search of some answers.

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.

Now firmly settled in its new home at the CIT track in Bishopstown, the Cork City Sports International meet captured the partisan crowd’s attention last night as Robert Heffernan clocked a new national record in the 3,000m race walk.

American sprinter Cleo VanBuren is determined to write her name into the history books by becoming the first lady to break 11 seconds on Irish soil.

Derval O’Rourke is the standout name of the athletes pre-selected for the European first league team championships at the end of the month.

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.

A strong team of 11 has named to represent Ireland at the European Indoor Athletics Championships, which get underway in Gothenburg on Friday.

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.

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.

Irish boxing is punching above its weight

Alistair Cragg last night defended the performances of Irish athletes competing at the Olympic Games.

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.

A taste of the Olympics comes to Dublin tomorrow night (7.15pm) as a host of star names compete in the Morton Games before going for gold in London.