Sean St Ledger still hasn’t given up hope of an international recall...

Artemis Fowl creator Eoin Colfer was happy to switch to drama for a play in his hometown, writes Marjorie Brennan

We learned in July that Ireland would have to take on world champions in Group D of Euro 2016 qualifying.

The onset of a new campaign under new management inevitably carries with it standard phraseology such as clean slate and fresh start but, in Stephen Ward’s case at least, there is a genuine feeling of leaving behind woes of the recent past.

When he looks beyond the end of his football career, Stephen Hunt reckons he could yet return to another of his sporting loves – hurling.

Looking back on the match against Greece, I genuinely think there were a lot of positives to take from it.

For most players, a goal, an assist and an accomplished performance all round would represent a pretty perfect international debut.

It will be only five o’clock at home this evening but ten o’clock at night here in Kazakhstan when Ireland kick off their World Cup qualifying campaign in the intimate but impressive surroundings of the Astana Arena.

DOWN may have made history on Saturday, but manager James McCartan still believes the sooner the dreaded six-day turnaround is put out to grass the better – and fairer – it will be for losing provincial finalists.

This has been a season to forget for Kevin Doyle but Stephen Ward has dismissed concerns over his club-mate’s form ahead of next month’s European Championships.

Birmingham City boss Chris Hughton insists midfielder Keith Fahey’s groin injury will not prevent him from making the Euro 2012 squad.

Mick McCarthy anticipates Wolves’ survival battle will again go to the final day of the season but hopes an in-form Kevin Doyle can help them avoid relegation from the Premier League.

One thing players can’t throw at referee Alain Rolland — what would you know, you never even played the game. The former scrum-half talks Warburton, crooked scrums and respect with his former international colleague.

WITH little enough to keep us going at all these days, weeks like the one Rory McIlroy and Conor Niland gave us mean all the more. But even in better times, the life-affirming rallies known as Irish sporting bandwagons have been good to us.

BY HIS own admission, Andy Keogh was “rotting away” on the bench at Wolves but the Dubliner is hoping his temporary switch to Cardiff City can reboot a career that had stalled at club and international levels.

WOLVES manager Mick McCarthy says that there has been no approach from Arsenal or any other club for striker Kevin Doyle.

HOW in heaven’s name did this end up as a 13-point win for Dublin?

Stephen Hunt admits Wolves’ determination to bring him to Molineux helped make his decision to switch to the Black Country an easy one.

Wolves striker Kevin Doyle has demanded more of the same from the team in tonight’s crucial Barclays Premier League clash against relegation rivals West Ham at Upton Park.

WOLVES manager Mick McCarthy is backing Kevin Doyle and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake to fire their team to Barclays Premier League safety this season.

AS the sides lined up for the dignitaries before Saturday’s game, Robbie Keane showed an admirable focus despite his very obvious hunger for the task ahead.

LIFE cannot get much sweeter for Kevin Doyle. The Wexford-born striker has just enjoyed the kind of week he must have wished would never end: a lucrative new contract, tying him to the Royals until 2011, two goals here which brought him his half-century for the Berkshire club three years after joining and the chance to enhance his international credentials in next week’s clash with Poland.

A man accused of murdering his friend at a New Year’s Eve celebration sent a text after the stabbing saying his friend had jumped on him and his "rat bird" had started it all.

ALAN BENNETT is being worked hard at Reading in a series of gruelling training sessions.

STEVE STAUNTON reckons that the League of Ireland exodus to England and Scotland reflects positively on the state of the domestic game.

Kevin Doyle is Cork City’s biggest doubt for Friday’s title showdown with Bohemians at Turner’s Cross (k.o. 7.30p.m).

IT was only yesterday, wasn’t it? 1995, closing minutes of the Munster championship first round, Clare battling like hell to close the narrow gap on Cork.

Mourners today heard how Irish rugby legend Mick Doyle was a great giant of a man and a loveable character who touched every one he met.

Hugh Farrelly charts the colourful career of Mick Doyle, one of Irish rugby’s greatest characters.

THE sporting world united yesterday in paying tribute to former Irish rugby player and coach Mick Doyle, who died following a car accident in Dungannon, Co Tyrone.