Fourteen years on from the World Cup finals in Japan and Korea, when he scored for Ireland against Saudi Arabia, Gary Breen is still being followed around the place by one of the daftest and most memorable of the Green Army’s all-time greatest hits.

At the age of 32 and on his third time round with Cork City, Liam Kearney knows that he’s not guaranteed to see action at the Aviva Stadium tomorrow but should John Caulfield call on the veteran — as he has done 11 times already this season — he’ll be availing of a member of an elite group within his squad who has experience of both good days and bad in an FAI Cup final.

With an incredible total of 24 FAI Cup final victories, Shamrock Rovers have a sense of ownership of the trophy, writes Liam Mackey

Where does this Dundalk side rank in the pantheon?

In an edited extract from his new book about the club, the Cork City stalwart Neal Horgan recalls the thrills and spills of European football which helped shape the celebrated title-winning team of 2005.

Cork City 2 Drogheda United 1

With four SSE Airtricity League Premier Division games to go for Cork City, the go-to cliché is that each one is a cup final.

League leaders Dundalk have suffered a major blow with the news striker David McMillan will miss the remainder of the title run-in with an ankle ligament injury incurred in the Lilywhites 2-0 win over UCD on Friday.

The fixture might be a preview of next weekend’s EA Sports Cup final but the more immediate reward will be a place in the FAI Ford Cup semi-finals for the winner of tonight’s meeting between Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk at Tallaght Stadium (kick-off 7.05pm, live on RTÉ 2).

While certain nuances of the game may have changed, it’s still all about the players and the people around them, according to Damien Richardson who is revelling being back in football again.

The recent return of Damien Richardson (Rico) and Pat Fenlon to the league, with Drogheda and Shamrock Rovers respectively, augurs well for the future competitiveness and health of the League of Ireland.

With Dundalk six points clear at the top of the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division, it’s hard to believe that, back in March, Stephen Kenny’s team lost their opening game in the campaign 4-1 to neighbours Drogheda United.

Cork City FC are celebrating their 30th birthday and congratulations have been pouring in from fellow clubs.

Mark O’Sullivan is the man who has swapped the top of the house for the top of the table, his headed goal and all around man-of-the-match performance helping Cork City see off Shamrock Rovers 3-0 at Turner’s Cross on Friday to go two points clear in the SSE Airtricity Premier Division.

Romance was in the air at Ford’s showrooms in Sandyford, Dublin on Tuesday but, despite the gleaming array of new and vintage motors on display, that special tingle had nothing to do with the lure of the open road or the magic in the night that Springsteen had in mind back when him and Mary were “pullin’ outta here to win”.

Overwhelmed not just by the number, but by the calibre of those interested in the post, Sligo Rovers have extended the deadline in its search for a new manager until Monday.

THERE were plenty of household names, old friends, familiar faces and League of Ireland veterans in the Aviva Stadium the other night for the launch of a new book about the FAI Cup.

THE best of times and the worst of times — in the League of Ireland it sometimes seems as if you simply can’t have one without the other.

THERE was no doubt about who was the star of the warm-up show at the Aviva Stadium yesterday, as Manchester City unveiled their new €40 million man, Sergio Aguero.

Manchester City have unveiled their new €40m man, Sergio Aguero, at the Aviva Stadium tonight.

THE dispute over participation fees for the Airtricity League XI in the Dublin Super Cup has been resolved following discussions yesterday between the footballers’ union, the PFAI, and the director of the League, Fran Gavin.

MCDOWELL’S pub in Inchicore rose in acclamation of Pete Mahon when the St Patrick’s Athletic boss popped in after his side’s win against Shakhter Karagandy on Thursday night.

ONLY 53 days to go in the transfer window (thanks for that, Sky). Will we ever be able to stand all the excitement?

IRELAND are bound for Barcelona in October.

REPUBLIC of Ireland U19 head coach Paul Doolin has named an 18-man squad for the UEFA Championship finals which take place in Bucharest, Romania from July 20 to August 1.

Bray Wanderers 1 Dundalk 5

DAMIEN RICHARDSON is delighted to be involved with the sort of company the inaugural Dublin Super Cup will bring to the Aviva Stadium next month, having been yesterday named as manager of the Airtricity League XI.

THE Queen might not have made it to the Aviva Stadium — or even to dear old Dalyer to doff her crown to the Jodi Stand — but Irish football had its own reasons to feel the hand of history on its shoulder this week.

Bray Wanderers 1 Sligo Rovers 3

A NIGHT where the scoreboard wasn’t supposed to matter but that was before Manchester United went and racked up seven goals to leave everyone with a love for the domestic game feeling a tad red-faced.

Airtricity League XI 1 Manchester United 7

HISTORY in the making. The first round ball kicked in the new home of Irish football.

YOUNG Bohemians hotshot Paddy Madden is relishing the opportunity of sharing the pitch with one of the game’s greatest marksmen when an Airtricity League XI take on Manchester United in football’s inaugural outing at the Aviva Stadium tomorrow.

WITH the smell of drying paint in my nostrils and freshly-laid grass under my feet, I giddily surveyed the new Lansdowne Road stadium when it swung open its just-hung doors recently.

MANCHESTER UNITED will make a little bit of Irish sporting history when they provide the opposition, against an Airtricity League XI, for the first football match to be hosted at the new Aviva Stadium on Lansdowne Road on August 4.

CORK CITY’s new cooperative owners yesterday appointed Tommy Dunne as their first team manager for the coming season. Dunne served as assistant manager with former Turner’s Cross chief Paul Doolin during the eventful 2009 season.

GEORGE O’CALLAGHAN was a familiar face at training yesterday as the Cork City squad held their first session of the season under the watchful eye of new manager Roddy Collins.

Colin Healy could become Roy Keane’s latest signing at Ipswich Town, it has emerged.

FORMER Cobh Ramblers player-manager Dave Hill has returned to the helm of the club as successor to the new Waterford United boss Stephen Henderson.

BY THE time you read this, Declan Kidney will have filed away the memories and moved on to the next item on his checklist, but the current Irish coach did take 10 minutes to reminisce on a dream year that yesterday resulted in him being named Philips Manager of the Year.

Damien Richardson has emerged as the early favourite to take over from Pat Scully at Shamrock Rovers.

The news Cork City are in serious financial trouble has sent shock waves throughout Irish football and raises questions about the long-term viability of the League of Ireland, writes Liam Mackey

GEORGE O’CALLAGHAN is set to make a dream debut with Tranmere Rovers in a televised Merseyside derby friendly with Liverpool today just two days after completing his switch from Cork City.

Cork City’s midfielder Gareth Farrelly could miss the rest of the season after undergoing anoperation in Liverpool over the weekend.