Damien Shaw has been handed the onerous task of leading the An Post Chain Reaction team into battle for this year’s An Post Rás which gets underway from, Dublin Castle on Sunday week, May 21.

Wandering around the lobby of the Diamante Beach Hotel in Calpe, Spain, on a gun-metal grey afternoon in January are a host of the world’s best cyclists and teams.

Ireland’s Nicolas Roche and Philip Deignan have been named in Team Sky’s nine-man roster for the Giro d’Italia, which gets under way this Friday in the Netherlands.

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.

Lukas Postlberger was yesterday crowned the winner of An Post Rás following a week that saw him deal with crashes, crosswinds, and even the theft of his bike the night before the final stage.

Just 24 hours after An Post Rás yellow jersey wearer Francesca Reda was thrown off the race for receiving an illegal tow, his teammate Matteo Malucelli of Team IDEA 2010 ASD claimed stage 3 into Bearna yesterday.

There has been only one Irish winner of the An Post Rás in the last decade and that trend is unlikely to change this year, writes Brian Canty.

Páidi O’Brien made it three wins from four at the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan yesterday when he blasted to glory on the fourth stage of the race but it was Sean McKenna who took overall glory.

Sean McKenna of the Irish National team is the new race leader of the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan after a thrilling stage around south Kerry yesterday afternoon.

Paidi O’Brien won yesterday’s opening stage of the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan after an absolutely bruising day that saw many riders lose over 10 minutes.

Sam Bennett will break new ground tomorrow when he competes in the iconic Milan-San Remo. 

Simon Ryan claimed a sensational victory at Rás Luimní in Caherconlish, Limerick, yesterday.

Judge the German Shepherd was with the West Deptford Police Department in New Jersey for seven years and was involved in over 150 arrests.

The Irish track team brought their World Championships campaign to a conclusion in Paris yesterday, with the standout performances coming from Caroline Ryan and Eoin Mullen.

The recent appointments of Roisin Jordan and Tracey Kennedy to the chairman and vice-chairman of their respective counties appear to indicate the GAA’s growing acceptance of women in high office.

CYCLING: Sam Bennett is the hot favourite to win tomorrow’s Elite National Road Race title in Mullingar, but the Carrick-on-Súir rider is playing down his chances.

Paddy Clarke takes the yellow jersey into today’s final stage of the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan – level on time with Mark Dowling (DID Dunboyne) – following yesterday’s thrilling third stage.

Former international rower turned bike rider, Cathal Moynihan won yesterday’s opening stage of the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan for the biggest win of his career and the first leaders’ yellow jersey of this year’s race.

Monaghan secretary Seán McKenna has hit out at the GAA’s decision to take home advantage off them during the league following what he terms “a scuffle” with Kildare.

MONAGHAN secretary Sean McKenna is confident the senior squad will row in behind new football boss Eamonn McEnaney, despite the disillusionment amongst some players over the controversial end to Seamus McEnaney’s reign in charge.

SINN FÉIN president Gerry Adams led tributes to Brendan ‘the Dark’ Hughes, once one of Belfast’s most feared IRA gunmen, who died over the weekend.

Ardara, on the edge of Donegal’s western seaboard, became another town blackened by allegations of garda corruption after an arson attack on a telecommunications mast and an explosive was planted at it in November 1996.

A sergeant was shocked and astonished when another officer dipped a spoon into powder fro a suspect device to test it for explosive materials, the Morris Tribunal heard today.

Ulster hopefuls Monaghan have been dealt a crushing blow with the news that Vincent Corey has been suspended for two months.

ORLA McKENNA has been waiting five years to have her tonsils removed.

A former IRA hunger striker who was questioned in April about the theft of sensitive security documents from a top security police station could be a Sinn Fein candidate in the next Assembly election, it emerged today.

THE ongoing political row over the provision of accident and emergency services at Monaghan General Hospital took on a sporting contest last night when the Monaghan County Board called on the Minister for Health to restore A and E cover.