OLYMPIC gold medallist Cian O’Connor is innocent until proven otherwise, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern urged yesterday.

THE BRAZILIAN Olympic Committee (COB) has officially appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne for marathon runner Vanderlei de Lima to be awarded an Olympic gold medal.

UEFA have launched an investigation into the incident which saw Swedish referee Anders Frisk struck by an object thrown from the stands during Roma’s Champions League match at home to Dynamo Kiev.

ALL the Republican convention in Manhattan was short of this week was a guest appearance by the eccentric former priest Neil Horan.

The Brazilian runner obstructed by a rebel Kerry priest in the Olympic marathon said he would “love” to come to Ireland and “hug” his family.

The controversial Irish ex-priest who leapt on the race leader in the Olympic men’s marathon said today he still hopes to travel to Brazil to apologise to the runner after his plans were scuppered by a judge.

The Olympic Council of Ireland is reportedly considering inviting Brazil’s Vanderlei de Lima to act as an honorary marshal at the Dublin City Marathon this October.

ALL-IRELAND winning captain Jimmy Deenihan has called for the creation of an Irish Institute of Sport based on the world renowned Australian model.

ECCENTRIC priest Fr Neil Horan refused to apologise for disrupting the Olympic marathon but promised he would not give a repeat performance.

The defrocked Irish priest who sabotaged the Olympic Marathon vowed today that his illegal stunt days are over.

Fine Gael has called on Irish Olympic chiefs to honour Brazilian marathon runner Vanderlei de Lima at a special ceremony in Croke Park on All Ireland Final Day.

IT was a measure of Ireland’s lacklustre Olympic performance — with the glittering exception of Cian O’Connor and his horse Waterford Crystal — that yesterday’s homecoming was overshadowed by the manic behaviour of an ex-priest and the controversy raging around Pat Hickey, Irish Olympic Council president.

THE Irish priest who caused havoc at the Olympic Games is determined to disrupt more international events, according to his family in Kerry.

Irish ex-priest Cornelius ('Neil') Horan was given a 12-month suspended sentence today for disrupting the men’s Olympic marathon in Athens.

A 57-year-old former Irish priest remains in police custody in Greece today after disrupting the men’s marathon at the Olympic Games in Athens yesterday.

Gold medal winner Cian O’Connor leads the homecoming today for a 39-strong Irish Olympic team.

A total of 10,500 athletes took part in the most expensive, most security-conscious Olympic Games in history.

Brazilian Vanderlei de Lima was tonight involved in the first high-profile security breach of the Olympic Games as a spectator watching the men’s marathon accosted the long-time race leader.