Katie Taylor had her Bray bash, John Joe Nevin was feted in Mullingar, while Paddy Barnes and Michael Conlan got the red carpet treatment in Belfast.

It wouldn’t come as a big surprise to find that Ireland show jumping manager Robert Splaine is putting the controversy over Denis Lynch behind him, and he would be forgiven for, briefly, taking his focus off the Olympics today, as he aims to engineer a get-out-of-jail performance in Hickstead.

Ireland is almost certain to have a dressage rider at the Olympics, with Anna Merveldt the likely contender.

Cian O’Connor laid down an early marker in his bid to represent Ireland at the Olympics with a double clear in the US nations cup on Friday night.

What proved a special weekend at Ballindenisk is set to be given the Olympic seal today when the FEI publishes the list of individual riders who have qualified for London.

Sligo show jumper Darragh Kerins was delighted with his second place in Saturday night’s $125,000 World Cup contest in Florida, considering the mare Lisona returned to action just three weeks ago after a year-and-a-half layoff.

AS Ireland’s eventing riders go through an intensive training period in a final push to secure a team place in the Olympics, rider Michael Ryan noted how the vagaries of the sport impacted on him and his wife four years ago.