"It has been the main part of my life since seven and I played with Cork since I was 14."

Shamrock Rovers' early-season surge continued at The Showgrounds on Saturday night when they defeated an understrength Sligo Rovers 3-2.

The tag of raging hot favouritism meant that for Cork this journey into the West Clare night was first and foremost about avoiding any potential banana skins they might encounter along the way.

A defensive error brought a tame game to life as Bohemians clinically punished their visitors to take a ninth minute lead.

The English papers were chock-full of U2 puns as they revelled in what The Telegraph termed "redemption day".

The Leinster side held a six-point cushion – 1-3 to no score – after 12 minutes, but the Saffrons reeled in the deficit after the break.

First-half goals from Ronan Hale, who netted with a marvellous strike, and Chris Forrester gave St Patrick’s Athletic a fully merited 2-0 win against a poor Sligo Rovers at The Showgrounds.

Andy Farrell began this week by warning his Ireland squad of the danger of turning up at Twickenham merely hoping it goes well.

Quite a lot was achieved in Ireland’s last Six Nations victory over Wales in Dublin.

Connacht backs coach Nigel Carolan says another “ruthless” performance is necessary to have any chance against Edinburgh in tonight’s Guinness PRO14 clash (7.35pm, eir Sport).

Twickenham is a strange mix of the magnificent and the meh.It’s an oddly unloveable place but maybe that’s just down to experience, writes Brendan O'Brien.

John Murray, 39, of Derragh, Dunmanway, Co Cork, was arraigned at Cork Circuit Criminal Court where he pleaded guilty to damaging the station, threatening to kill Garda Heather Chandler, and dangerous driving.

With Ireland now two from two in the tournament, and chasing a Triple Crown against England on Sunday week, Larkham was thrilled with how the Red contingent shone in the green of Ireland.

A screaming gale wind and slashing, sideways rain brought the footballers of Waterford and Wexford face to face not just with the absolute reality of life in Division 4, but with the most pressing questions of existence, starting with ‘do I really want to be here?’

This was a statement win for Ireland, Andy Farrell, and for his senior players, writes Tom Savage.

A gritty win for Wexford in stormy Dungarvan, edging out the home side Waterford in this NFL Division 4 game.

Presentation Brothers College eased their way into the quarter-finals of the Clayton Hotels Munster Schools Junior Cup with a decisive win over Castletroy College at Musgrave Park.

Andy Farrell has backed the players who scraped past Scotland to take the extra steps required to overcome the greater challenge a rampant Wales will bring to Dublin on Saturday.

Conor Murray or John Cooney? It’s the selection question that has polarised opinion at the outset of Ireland’s new era under Andy Farrell but it doesn’t always have to be one or the other.

It's the selection call that has divided opinion like no other in this new Andy Farrell era but Conor Murray and John Cooney put up a united and, it has to be said, relaxed front when they sat down together in front of the media at the National Sports Campus on Monday.

Cometh the hour, cometh the man they had all been talking about.

Ireland were jaggy, a little confused structurally on both sides of the ball and under pressure in the scrum/maul, but they showed up to work in the hard moments in both halves and came out with a win, writes Tom Savage.

Johnny Sexton starred on his first outing as permanent Ireland captain as Andy Farrell’s tenure as head coach began with an unconvincing 19-12 victory over Scotland.

Scotland threw everything at the hosts in the closing stages but some heroic defence saw Ireland hold on.

A last gasp goal by full-forward Emma McCroary delivered a dramatic Lidl National Football League Division 1 win for the Donegal ladies on a windswept Saturday afternoon in Dungarvan.

A new-look team was unveiled yesterday as the national team head coach showed his hand for this Saturday’s 2020 Guinness Six Nations opener at home to Scotland

Andy Farrell is convinced there is plenty of road left for Conor Murray to travel in his Test rugby career after backing his under-fire scrum-half to steer Ireland in their Six Nations opener against Scotland in Dublin this Saturday.

Saturday’s Six Nation’s opener between Ireland and Scotland brings together two coaches at different stages of their journey. Both will be feeling the pressure, but for different reasons, writes Donal Lenihan

Simon Lewis identifies the three biggest talking points after new Ireland boss Any Farrell named his team to face Scotland on Saturday.

"Pete's been absolutely sensational since I gave him the news yesterday."

That Conor Murray gets the nod at scrum-half for Ireland's Six Nations opener against Scotland on Saturday - despite the clamour for the in-form John Cooney - was predictable, writes Donal Lenihan.

IRELAND’S implosion at the World Cup sent ripples in all sorts of directions.

Thirteen man Limerick maintained their unbeaten start to the season on a damp and dreary Saturday night in Dungarvan.

A number of media organisations have lost their appeal over an order preventing identification of a man who admitted sexual assault and attempted defilement of a child when he was aged 16 and she was 15.

Jim Murray is a guitarist, originally from An Muine Fliuch, Co Cork.

The European debuts came thick and fast as Munster said their farewells to the Heineken Champions Cup for another season and made a determined change of direction towards the Guinness PRO14.

Results over the weekend ended Munster’s slim chances of qualifying before a turnstile opened in Thomond Park on Sunday, writes Tom Savage.

Letterkenny IT are making the transition from Trench Cup to Sigerson Cup look seamless – their six-point win over IT Sligo at Ballinode has put the Donegal outfit into the last four of third level football's top tier.

Shane Walsh fired Galway to FBD Connacht League glory, hitting 1-8 to see off defending champions Roscommon at Dr Hyde Park.