Shane O’Donnell has praised the “absolutely fantastic” influence of former Clare coach Donal Óg Cusack.

Victims of sexual assaults have been urged to stay off social media over the following day for fear that it could compromise a prosecution.

I didn’t know, to my shame, that the experience of women being degraded at the hands of men was so universal, writes Fergus Finlay

The two-and-a-half year jail term given to child abuser Tom Humphries last week is not unduly lenient, a sentencing expert has said.

As many as 60 people a day have been calling helplines for victims of sexual assault since the sentencing of sex offender Tom Humphries.

The kind of premeditated manipulation practised with great skill by sex offenders also works on the friends, priests and TDs who are so often called on to write references, writes Clodagh Finn

The ultimate sentence may have been lenient, but was not outlandishly so, writes Michael Clifford

The public does not trust judges and the recent lenient sentencing of a sex offender has brought the judiciary into “disrepute”, it has been claimed.

We should not feel sympathy for Tom Humphries. One expert says we need to realise nothing happened to him, that it’s entirely of his own design, reports Joyce Fegan

THE two-and-a-half-year sentence imposed on Tom Humphries has drawn widespread criticism, some of it hysterical but most of it measured and appropriate, with many commentators attacking not just its leniency but comments made by the judge during sentencing. 

The ISPCC has said the Tom Humphries case was an example of how a new cyber safety strategy was needed, and believes that it should be implemented by the Taoiseach’s department.

The CEO of Barnardos has said the sentence handed down to Tom Humphries was "incredibly lenient.

Darach Honan has become the fourth member of Clare's 2013 All Ireland-winning panel to announce his retirement from inter-county hurling in recent weeks.

Football pundit Eamon Dunphy has said the two and half year jail term handed to Tom Humphries was "just about the right sentence".

Here's your lunchtime news bulletin

Catch up on this morning's headlines...

More consideration was given by the judge to sex abuser Tom Humphries than to his victim, according to the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC).

Former sports journalist Tom Humphries has been jailed for two-and-a-half years for grooming and sexually abusing a teenage girl.

The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre has criticised the leniency of the sentence handed down to Tom Humphries.

Acclaimed sports writer David Walsh, who faced criticism for writing a court character reference for Tom Humphries, has said he unequivocally condemns the "terrible wrong" his friend committed.

The former high profile sports journalist Tom Humphries has been jailed for two-and-a-half years for grooming and sexually abusing a teenage girl.

Clare hurling coach and former Cork hurling goalkeeper Donal Óg Cusack has apologised for writing a character reference supporting convicted paedophile Tom Humphries.

Catch up on this morning's headlines...

Sunday Times chief sports writer David Walsh repeatedly described paedophile Tom Humphries as “a fine man” in 2012, after the latter had been arrested on suspicion of child sex offences, but before he was charged.

Never did word travel faster, within a small community, than the news, five years ago, that Tom Humphries was a probable paedophile, writes Terry Prone. 

Sunday Times journalist David Walsh has defended his decision to write a character reference for Tom Humphries, the former Irish Times journalist convicted of grooming a teenage girl to engage in sexual acts.

The sentence hearing of a former Irish Times sports journalist for the sexual exploitation and defilement of a child is due to take place this morning in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

The sentencing of sports journalist Tom Humphries for the sexual exploitation and defilement of a child has been adjourned to October.

LATEST: The sentencing hearing date on the case has been fixed for July 26.

Coe v Ovett. Unless you were hung up on some British class divide thing, or had a bit of a Brideshead Revisited phobia, you had to be a Coe man, didn’t you?

He’s one of the most popular figures in darts but Raymond Van Barneveld has been battling his demons on the oche in recent years. From hypnotism to Buddhism, the Dutchman is searching for alternatives to find his best form again

You may have had to sleep with the light on this week. For an old bogeyman reemerged from the shadows: the European Super League.

Fionnuala Britton reigned supreme again at the Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross Country on Saturday confirming herself as the best cross country runner in Europe whilst also issuing a rallying call to Athletics Ireland to send a women’s team to the World Cross Country Championships in March.

Slightly paraphrased, Jimmy Rabbitte’s immortal quote from The Commitments describes Pat Gilroy’s club.

IN September 1955, the 19-year-old Mick O’Dwyer was a spectator in Croke Park when Kerry’s traditional football skills triumphed over the science and swagger of a much-hyped Dublin side.

TOMMY WALSH’S debut in the AFL next week is a story that will be framed by the sports pages, distilled by short-sleeved press men and is, undeniably, about Aussie Rules.

THANK you students, please sit down. It’s an honour to address the class of 2010. I know you guys are busy cramming ahead of the Leaving Cert’s commencement in a few short days.

CORK hurling manager Denis Walsh can rest easy with the news that his goalkeeper Donal Óg Cusack has overcome a potentially serious training accident suffered on Saturday.

The explosive autobiography of GAA star Donal Og Cusack today clinched a prestigious sports book award.

JUST when you thought it had gone away, brace yourself for another outpouring of angst on the Cork GAA player strikes.

She may go into teaching, has dreamt of delivering post, but Sonia O’Sullivan will always be a runner — and an iconic sporting figure in this country. Liam Mackey kept lap times.

Seven best selling authors and a movie star will today try to inspire young students to become talented writers.

THE spectacular fall from grace of Marion Jones, the 32-year-old US sprinter who was sentenced to six months in prison last week for lying to federal prosecutors about her steroid use, is a reminder of how difficult it can be to take professional athletics seriously in the modern era.

They say 80% of all books are sold at Christmas, and God knows they’re a good fall-back for a present. With that in mind we asked Michael Moynihan to combine the sports-and-Santa hats when it comes to the pick of this year’s sports books.