Should Poland do Ireland the inestimable favour of eliminating Scotland by beating them in Hampden Park on Thursday night, then Martin O’Neill’s team will be certain of qualifying for a European Championship play-off place, even if they were to suffer successive defeats in their last two group games at home to Germany and away to Poland.

Roy Keane shares Niall Quinn’s disappointment at Stephen Ireland’s international exile — insisting representing Ireland should rank as the high point of a player’s career.

A teenage boy has gone missing from his home in Wexford.

Plans for a new centre to commemorate Seamus Heaney have been given the go-ahead, the North’s Environment Minister has announced.

Just a few hours north of Sochi is the city of Maykop, where Seamus O’Connor’s maternal grandparents were born.

There were many heavy hearts in Seamus Heaney’s spiritual home last night, but none heavier than Barney Devlin’s.

There were many heavy hearts in Seamus Heaney’s spiritual home today but none heavier than Barney Devlin’s.

Two men arrested on the UK mainland by police investigating a loyalist sectarian murder in the North 40 years ago have been released pending reports to prosecutors.

DARACH Murphy was devastated when his brother Seamus, who has a mild intellectual disability, was admitted to a closed ward at St Ita’s Hospital in Portrane, a north Dublin suburb miles from his home in Glasnevin.

VINNY COREY has heard it all before. How this is the last chance for this group of Monaghan players and their manager Seamus McEneaney. Different year, same remarks.

A young Cavan man has been jailed for life for murdering his father at their home two years ago.

The jury at the trial of a young Cavan man accused of murder has been listening to closing speeches from the prosecution and the defence at the Central Criminal Court today.

A young Cavan man accused of murdering his father has subtle brain difficulties that may result in an inability to control behaviour, a psychologist has told the Central Criminal Court.

A young Cavan man accused of murdering his father told gardaí: “I always had it in my head growing up to kill somebody”, the Central Criminal Court has heard.

YOU COULDN’T help but notice a look of disappointment in Jim Williams’ demeanour when asked would he have liked to have been on the Millennium Stadium pitch, winning a Heineken Cup medal with Munster on Saturday.

VINNY MULVEY (Raheny Shamrock) made the 100-metre trip from his apartment to claim the National inter-club cross-country championship title in spectacular fashion at Santry Demesne on Saturday from young Mark Christie (Mullingar Harriers) and his flatmate, Killian Lonergan.

JIM WILLIAMS wasn’t too disappointed or surprised when a Christmas card from the Japanese Rugby Union didn’t land in his Ballincollig hallway last month.