Colin O’Brien’s Republic of Ireland U17 side maintain their perfect record as they rounded off the first phase of qualifying for the European Championship with victory over Israel at Turner’s Cross yesterday.

Nemo claimed a 21st county title thanks largely to a devastating ten minute spell in the middle of the first half transforming a draw game into a ten-point half-time lead.

Noel Mooney has said that he would love to have Brian Kerr back working with the FAI but, having described him as “bitter” in a recent podcast, reiterated his dismay that the former Ireland manager chose to make public an email from the association’s general manager, in which the suggestion that he take up the role of ‘media watchdog’ was subsequently witheringly dismissed by Kerr.

Nemo Rangers manager Paul O’Donovan would prefer if the Cork SFC was a club-only competition.

Ireland U17 manager Colin O’Brien is optimistic that the Cork public will be keen to see the stars of the future at the upcoming European Championship qualifying games at Turners Cross.

Nothing new to report here - Douglas remain incapable of bettering Nemo Rangers in the championship, while the latter upheld a very fine semi-final record.

The ambition as always, according to manager Paul O’Donovan, is for Nemo Rangers to win a county every year, and Cork football’s standard-bearers restarted their seasonal quest with a deserved victory over gallant Dohenys in Brinny on Saturday.

Newly-promoted Sheffield United are closing on a €6.6m move for Ireland international striker Callum Robinson.

Colin O’Brien has heaped praise on the efforts of his U17 players after a 1-1 draw with Belgium in Tallaght on Thursday saw Ireland fall short of claiming a quarter-final berth in the European Championships.

There will be no quarter-final place for Ireland in the U17 European Championships for a third year in a row after the hosts could only manage a third draw in a row and bowed out of this year’s tournament.

Having watched the epic unfold on television in the squad’s City West base, Irish U17 international Josh Giurgi took an important lesson away from Liverpool’s staging of the ‘Miracle Of Merseyside’ against Barcelona on Tuesday night and, in particular, the fact they pulled it off without any input from two of their most important players, Mo Salah and Roberto Firminho.

Colin O’Brien says that his young Irish players are fully focused on tomorrow evening’s deciding Group A game against Belgium in Tallaght.

Extracted from Cork roots, Matt Everitt is a determined sort and so views tonight’s meeting with Czech Republic as an opportune time to right a wrong from Friday’s Euro U17s finals injustice.

Twelve months after an injustice undid them at the Euro U17 finals, Ireland were again left fuming by a refereeing decision in the tournament.

There’s been a fair bit of talk about nerves in the build-up to the U17 European Championship Finals which finally kick-off today.

Former Cork City player Derek Couglan on the end of the John Caulfield era and the daunting challenge facing his successor.

The Republic of Ireland managers have reached out to Tega Agberhiere.

Ireland manager Colin O’Brien is talking about the progress being made by Gavin Bazunu, the precocious goalkeeping talent who joined Manchester City from Shamrock Rovers earlier this year, when he offloads a timely reminder of the still tender years of all the players who are now busily gearing up to represent their country in the U17 European Championship finals which kick off in Dublin on Friday.

Manager Colin O’Brien is hoping for the green light from Spurs to allow Troy Parrott to join up with the Irish U17 squad ahead of the Euro Finals which kick off on Friday.

At a time when the FAI is in the dock, former Cork City player Derek Coughlan argues that the important work which has been done to develop our young football talent deserves to be acknowledged

A John Sheehan goal proved pivotal for Carbery as they eventually saw off Avondhu in the opening round of the divisional phase of the Cork SHC in Páirc Uí Rinn last night.

John O’Shea believes Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s own experience as a Manchester United ‘super-sub’ is one of the main reasons he has been able to get so much out of the current squad at Old Trafford.

While Irish football comes to terms with the loss of the special talent that is Declan Rice, U17s head coach Colin O’Brien is busy preparing the next generation of players for the unique test of performing as host nation in the 2019 Euro Finals in May.

Aaron Gillane was the hero as Mary Immaculate College booked their place in this year’s Fitzgibbon Cup final when they held off the NUIG challenge at Cusack Park in Ennis..

On the back of missing out on the World Cup in Russia and being heavily beaten by Wales on their return to the competitive arena, Martin O’Neill and his squad find themselves under pressure this week as they face into two big Nations League games in Dublin.

U17 International Ireland 4 Turkey 1

An Irish teenager with the ‘Wright stuff’ has signed for Aston Villa.

Some day, while suffering a demoralising runaround of the type France treated us to last Monday, Irish football may locate its inner George Costanza.

Assuming he comes through tonight’s game away to Sligo Rovers unscathed, Shamrock Rovers hotshot Graham Burke is set to feature in the Irish team which will take on a Celtic XI in Scott Brown’s testimonial game at Parkhead tomorrow (kick-off 2pm).

Chaotic scenes marred Ireland’s elimination from the U17 European Championship at the quarter-final stage last night in Chesterfield, England.

Under-17 European Championship finals (Group C)

Ireland U17 striker Adam Idah will once again have his late grandfather Kevin Hayes foremost in his thoughts when they face Bosnia-Herzegovina in today’s pivotal European Championship finals fixture (1pm).

It was entirely in keeping with John O’Shea’s self-effacing character and career-long commitment to the concept of the ‘team player’, that the elegant defender’s farewell address to the Irish supporters seemed to be about everyone but himself, writes Liam Mackey.

Why are we all such legends? That is the poser we have to tackle this week. That is the six-marker.

Republic of Ireland 1 Azerbaijan 0: It took until the last second of the final minute in injury time but U21 defender Shaun Donnellan ensured the good times for Irish underage football continued last night.

As much as the diminishing number of Premier League regulars in the senior Ireland squad is a concern, deeper problems are evident among the U21 panel, though Noel King’s main striker Reece Grego-Cox insists the non-league circuit is ideal for him at this stage.

With each visit to Trabeg comes greater insight into the Nemo mindset.

Nemo Rangers manager Larry Kavanagh takes a straightforward view of tomorrow’s All-Ireland club semi-final; reproduce what took them past Dr Crokes in the Munster final and Nemo should be present at GAA HQ on St Patrick’s Day.

“Unusual,” is Dr Crokes selector Harry O’Neill’s reply when quizzed on the coin toss used to decide the venue for Sunday’s Munster club final against Nemo Rangers.

Alan Bennett has admitted that Cork City celebrated well but not wisely between winning the league and losing the cup final in 2005.