Michaela Walsh has been beaten in her featherweight boxing final at the European Games in Minsk, while badminton’s Magee family scored bronze.

Archery supplies Ireland’s first interest at the European Games in Minsk, with just one Irish competitor in action on the opening day.

Ireland’s Lydia Boylan won a silver medal in the women’s point race at the Track Cycling World Cup in Poland yesterday.

"I'm overwhelmed to be honest. I'm not sure when that will sink in. Just incredible."

Conor Dunne was crowned Irish national champion yesterday in Sligo as he rode home to a spectacular solo victory.

James Gullen remains on course for the biggest win of his career as he leads the An Post Rás by over a minute entering the final two stages.

It was coming for a few days and yesterday on the brutal Donegal terrain the An Post Rás was blown to pieces as overnight leader Matt Teggart lost the yellow jersey in bittersweet fashion.

It will be an An Post Rás full of nostalgia for one of the country’s most experienced riders next week as Eugene Moriarty lines up at the start in Dublin Castle for an incredible 20th time, writes Brian Canty.

An Post Rás stage winner Eoin Morton has been handed the onerous task of leading the Irish national team into battle in this year’s contest which starts in Dublin on Sunday.

Tom Mazzone of the Isle of Man team will wear the first yellow jersey of this year’s Kerry Group Rás Mumhan after claiming a brilliant opening stage win last night in Killorglin.

Mark Downey won’t be 21 until July but he is already one of the most decorated Irish track riders of all time.

Ireland’s latest track sensation Mark Downey has said he and Madison partner Felix English are ready to take on the best at the UCI World Championships in Hong Kong next month.

Ireland’s Mark Downey won a gold medal in the 30k points race at the UCI Track World Cup in Cali, Colombia, over the weekend while Lydia Gurley followed up 24 hours later with a bronze in the women’s 10k scratch race.

Eddie Dunbar avoided disaster to stay in contention for the yellow jersey at the An Post Rás yesterday, the young Corkman battling to limit his losses to just 14 seconds after a late mechanical threatened to derail his chances.

Tour de France race leader Tony Martin will wait until this morning to decide whether or not he can start today’s seventh leg of the race after he crashed towards the end of yesterday’s stage.

Ryan Mullen is the big favourite to land back-to-back U23 time-trial titles tonight as this year’s national championships get underway in Omagh, Co. Tyrone.

Ireland’s good start to the UCI World Championships in Ponferrada, Spain continued yesterday when junior rider Michael O’Loughlin finished a brilliant eighth in the men’s time trial.

Ireland’s Ryan Mullen captured a silver medal at the UCI World U23 Time-Trial Championships in Ponferrada, Spain, yesterday, the 20-year-old finishing a mere 0.48 seconds behind winner, Campbell Flakemore of Australia-

Cycling Ireland last night named a strong team for the UCI World Championships in Ponferrada, Spain in two weeks’ time.

Ireland’s Josie Knight has won a silver medal in the Junior Women’s Individual Pursuit at the UEC European U23/Junior Track Championships in Anadia, Portugal.

Fintan Ryan took the biggest win of his career to date when he claimed the National Junior road race title in Omagh yesterday.

Three days after they were the laughing stock of the Tour de France, when their team bus became wedged under the finishing line gantry, Orica GreenEdge capped a marvellous turnaround when they won their second stage in as many days and claimed the race leader’s yellow jersey yesterday.

The new ‘Nicolas Roche Performance Cycling Team’ has announced its roster for the coming season with an eight-man line-up comprising some of the most talented underage riders in the country.

A MUCH-maligned Offaly side produced one of the shocks of the All-Ireland SFC qualifier weekend with a deserved victory over Division One opponents Monaghan in Tullamore.

Monaghan 1-09 Dublin 0-13

IN recent times, victories for the Cork footballers have tended to revolve around the scoring exploits of their stars in the full-forward line.

Cork 1-15 Monaghan 1-12

Armagh 1-11 Monaghan 0-13

Monaghan 0-19 Galway 0-14

GARDAÍ arrested and charged a man in connection with the discovery of a substantial cannabis-growing factory in Cork city.

Gardaí arrested and charged a man today in connection with the discovery of a very substantial cannabis-growing factory in Cork city.

Monaghan will field the same team that defeated Armagh when they go into battle against Derry in tomorrow's All-Ireland SFC second round qualifier in Clones (throw-in 3pm).

WATERFORD last night received a major boost for Sunday’s Munster SHC final against Tipperary at Semple Stadium when co-captain Stephen Molumphy was named to lead the attack in a sector notable again for the exclusion of 2007 Hurler of The Year Dan Shanahan.

WATERFORD football manager John Kiely’s appeal to his hurling counterpart Davy Fitzgerald to release Gary Hurney and Shane Walsh for tomorrow’s first round Munster SFC game against Cork in Dungarvan has brought a positive response and both players are included in the starting 15 to face the Rebels.

IT’S not the trophy they crave, but yesterday’s NFL Division Two final success in Croke Park still gives the Cork footballers a nice fillip as they crank up their championship preparations.

Cork 1-14 Monaghan 0-12

THE marquee show tomorrow afternoon in Croke Park may be the Division One decider, but in terms of portents for the summer the Division Two final can be equally instructive.

Monaghan 4-16 Laois 0-8

GER REIDY of Castleisland Desmonds and Aidan O’Shea from the Glenbeigh-Glencarr club are the two new faces on the Kerry team to play Donegal in the opening round of the Allianz NFL at Austin Park, Tralee tomorrow.