Mick McCarthy was delighted with the Republic of Ireland’s efforts in securing a second consecutive European Championship qualifying victory.

We have been here before in this country, says Larry Ryan.

By all accounts, it was the same across the rugby clubs and bars all over the country, Irish supporters on their feet, cheering deliriously for Scotland as developments in Murrayfield were unfolding immediately following Ireland’s tight win over Wales.

The allure of media productions controlled by the sports association is both obvious and understandable. And yet the downsides are significant, also, writes Paul Rouse

Like most of the great survivors in management, Martin O’Neill likes to help the impression form that it is he doing you the favour, writes Larry Ryan

Martin O’Neill and Tony O’Donoghue seemed to attract most public interest than the inaugural Nations League draw, writes Liam Mackey.

Yesterday’s sense of déjà vu arising out of Ireland’s Nations League draw wasn’t just confined to a renewal of hostilities with Wales and Denmark.

A couple of months after Martin O’Neill took a sabbatical from football management to help look after his then ill wife Geraldine, this writer interviewed someone who had played minor inter-county Gaelic football with one of O’Neill’s great foot soldiers at Parkhead, Neil Lennon.

Are our hearts truly in these inquests any more, asks Larry Ryan.

Martin O’Neill didn’t want to deal with questions about his future so soon after last night’s World Cup play-off loss, but such is life for a modern manager and he duly offered a word or two on what may happen next.

Right, here we go. Time to give the checklist a final once-over.

Enda McEvoy reflects on how the game - and punditry - played out on TV.

Martin O’Neill was pleased with the Republic of Ireland’s performance but emphasised getting a win over Moldova was much more important ahead of Monday’s visit to Cardiff.

Roy Keane has poured scorn on the phenomenon of famous Premier League clubs seeming to equate a top four finish to the glory of winning silverware.

Paul Fitzpatrick remembers Ryan McBride, Derry City FC footballer and captain and an iconic figure among the Brandywell supporters.

Cork City FC last night paid tribute to legendary fan Noelle Feeney, who died yesterday, by making her a permanent honorary trustee.

Alan Bennett’s tweet summed it up, didn’t it?

A beautiful autumnal evening on Lansdowne Road. A pitch that would put your living room carpet to shame and an opponent ranked over a hundred places below them on Fifa’s world rankings.

Lunacy, he said. That’s a strong word. An emotive word, writes Brendan O’Brien.

The great day has dawned but the panel are worried. They’re worried for any number of reasons. Let us count the ways.

The journalists at the Irish Press group were as hard drinking as they were hardworking. Sue Leonard hears many tall tales and true from David Kenny, who was there before its demise in 1995.  

When the players of FC Haka of Finland walked off the pitch at Turner’s Cross in July 2008 following an entertaining 2-2 draw, few of the home fans could have predicted that it would be seven long years before the ground would hold another European club fixture.

On a number of levels, what a lovely surprise that was to see Mr Damien Duff turning up all hale and hearty on RTÉ’s ‘Soccer Republic’ the other night.

So there I was in my hotel room after the match in Tbilisi, killing the hour before heading to the airport by idly channel-hopping in search of BBC World or CNN.

"Let’s have some new clichés," film producer Samuel Goldwyn once demanded.

RTÉ’s Tony O’Donoghue is on a bit of a roll at the moment. First, there was his interview with Roy Keane in their native Cork, a stand-up affair in front of an invited audience in the august surrounds of the Aula Maxima in UCC.

Eamon Dunphy perpetual trophy for post-match entertainment: Davy Fitz

We had a bit of fun out of controvassy, while it lasted. But it’s hard to see where controvassy can go from here.

The head of Kazakhstan’s press delegation came over to say goodbye before he and his colleagues left the Aviva Stadium late on Tuesday night. We exchanged ritual pleasantries and then, as a parting shot, he offered what was, to judge by his serious expression and precise English, clearly meant as a sincere compliment: “You have a lovely team.”

Noel King may never get to tackle the Ireland job in a full-time capacity, and he may not have done himself too many favours with the manner he tackled that post-match interview with Tony O’Donoghue, but the interim manager did indirectly address an issue that has for too long been ignored at Irish international level in the process.

Noel King has denied he once broke Eamon Dunphy’s nose back when their playing careers briefly overlapped at Shamrock Rovers.

Entente Cordiale, surely? King for a day, or two. No need to pepper the makeshift throne.

It was the kind of gathering Colm Murray would have loved.

Giovanni Trapattoni was, naturally, attempting to just kill off all discussion. The reality, however, was that his response merely opened up all manner of debate.

RTÉ has been forced to apologise to FAI chief John Delaney for the content and tone of a sports segment on radio yesterday.

Giovanni Trapattoni is expected to make prompt use of his FAI reprieve by attending a Premier League game this weekend, with Carrow Road — where Norwich host Arsenal in a late kick-off tomorrow — a likely destination.

‘Ooofff!’

Enough’s enough for Eamo but Brady won’t abandon Trap’s ship just yet

1. Ailis McSweeney revealed Derval O’Rourke’s preparations in intimate detail: “She was in her own bed with her coaches in comfortable surroundings until two days ago.”