Ireland’s team of Patricia Ryan, Niall Griffin, Geoffrey Curran, Louise Lyons and Austin O’Connor finished eighth with 276.10 points after the showjumping phase of the equestrian competition in Hong Kong today.

FOUR jumping clears from Ireland’s eventers in yesterday’s cross-country phase at Hong Kong moved them up two places to eighth in the 11-country competition.

IRELAND’S eventing high performance coach Ginny Elliot put a brave face on Ireland’s Olympic prospects after the team finished the dressage phase 10th of 11 teams in Hong Kong.

Horse Sport Ireland coach Ginny Elliott was still optimistic this morning about Ireland's hopes after the dressage phase of the Three Day Event in Hong Kong left the team in tenth place of eleven teams competing.

If first impressions count, the Hong Kong Jockey Club is off to a good start as far as Olympic event rider Captain Geoff Curran is concerned.

THIS was one of those rare occasions when a draw was the perfect outcome to a marvellous game of hurling in the Cork premier intermediate championship at Páirc Uí Rinn yesterday.

A record number of Irish riders will line out this weekend at one of the world's top three-day Events, Britain's four-star Badminton, the biggest paid-in sports event in the UK, with over a quarter of a million spectators expected on the cross country course.

THE likelihood of Ireland being represented in eventing at this year’s Olympics has received a boost, with Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) opting to fully support riders if they should qualify.

IRELAND were lying in ninth place of 14 countries last night following the completion of the dressage phase of the eventing competition at the World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany.

IRELAND’S eventing team coach Lars Christensson yesterday said the riders at this week’s World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany were aiming for the best result in honour of Sherelle Duke, who died tragically last weekend.

TOP eventer Sue Shortt says compatriot Steven Smith has the credentials to win the World Cup qualifier at this weekend’s Irish Horse Board Ballindenisk International Horse Trials.

EVENT rider Michael Ryan has no doubt it is his fiancée Patricia Donegan who will carry the flag for the pair in next week’s World Cup qualifier at the Irish Horse Board Ballindenisk International Horse Trials in Cork.

THE curtain came down on this year’s Allianz Sciath na Scol football competition at Páirc Uí Rinn yesterday where five finals were decided amid tremendous scenes of jubilation by the victors.

THE chairman of the implementation group charged with setting up an umbrella body for equestrianism hopes to complete the group’s task by Christmas.

Ireland's Mark Kyle and Drunken Disorderly finished 14th in tonight's mixed individual jumping final in three day event individual competition.

Ireland's three day eventers had a disappointing end to the Olympic team competition, failing to match their Sydney finish of fifth as their show jumping saw them slip to eighth overall.

Irish swimmer Michael Williamson failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the 200metres breaststroke in Athens this morning.

Ireland's three-day eventing chances took a nose-dive this afternoon to ninth overall at the Markopoulo centre in Athens, as both Edmond Gibney and Mark Kyle struggled and became the team's discard dressage scores.

Irish medal hopefuls Sam Lynch and Gearoid Towey fired out a warning to their rivals in the Olympic lightweight men’s double sculls with a superb victory in the heats.

By Brendan Mooney

Just 24 hours after celebrating his 27th birthday, three-day eventer Niall Griffin will lead the Irish Olympic team in Friday's eagerly-awaited opening ceremony for the 2004 Games.

GROWING up in Rosslare, he would have been known as a son of Liam Griffin, a man consumed by his passion for hurling and forever associated with the inspirational role he played in Wexford’s 1996 All-Ireland triumph.

TOMMY WADE yesterday said he had no intention of resigning as Chef d’Equipe to the Irish show jumping team, despite a vote of no confidence in him and the international selectors committee at the Show Jumping Association of Ireland AGM on Tuesday.

BLYTH TAIT kept his cool at a balmy Punchestown yesterday to claim a brace of victories, as Niall Griffin lifted Irish spirits with a third to the former world champion in the feature Olympic-format event.

THE squad charged with carrying the Irish flag in next week’s European Eventing Championships in Punchestown was named this week following a final outing in Annaharvey.