As the Frank and Walters revisit their Grand Parade album, they tell Ed Power the fascinating tale of why their best record never had the impact it should have

Job done, for now, Martin O’Neill’s Republic of Ireland players turn their attention back to domestic matters for the next four weeks, all too aware of the need to impress with their clubs before the World Cup play-offs swing around.

As honest off the pitch as he is on it, Jon Walters isn’t looking to sugarcoat the bitter pill Ireland were forced to swallow in Tbilisi.

While Darren Randolph was earning plaudits for his role in helping Middlesbrough keep a clean sheet against Preston – including one fine save to deny ex-Cork City man Sean Maguire – his Ireland understudy Keiren Westwood was having a much less happy time of it in the Championship on Saturday.

Stoke manager Mark Hughes will not stand in Jonathan Walters’ way after accepting he wants to join the Irish contingent at Burnley.

A throwback this and not just because it was, in the main, an atavistic reversion to the old long ball game from Ireland, an all too familiar one-dimensional approach which looked like it was never going to pay off – until it did.

As much as he can’t hide his frustration at losing Ireland’s newly crowned player of 2016, Robbie Brady, to a needless suspension for the game against Wales, Martin O’Neill will be delighted that the player of 2015, Jon Walters, is available for selection on Friday after making a full recovery from a problematic knee injury.

Mark Twain once beautifully defined an expert as “some guy from outta town”. That being so, the guys and gals whose heads are entirely off the planet must be the greatest experts of them all.

It looks increasingly likely that Ireland will have to do without Jon Walters when they take on Belgium in their Group E game in Bordeaux on Saturday.

“All good, very good”.

Jonathan Walters’ daily injury updates continue to be delivered in upbeat tones, but the race is on for the Stoke City player to prove his fitness ahead of the Republic of Ireland’s European Championship opener against Sweden on Monday.

Everton manager Roberto Martinez hasn’t ruled out a return to action at the weekend for Irish international Seamus Coleman.

Republic of Ireland boss Martin O’Neill is facing an anxious wait as he prepares to name his squad for the Euro 2016 finals with all five of his strikers currently injured.

Edin Dzeko tried to be diplomatic, even if he didn’t try too hard to think. After the Bosnia and Herzegovina striker spent a few minutes talking about how Ireland’s many absent players wouldn’t negatively affect Martin O’Neill’s side, the 29-year-old was asked which opposition players had impressed him.

Republic of Ireland international striker Jon Walters has turned down a new contract at Stoke and hit out at the terms of the deal he was offered.

Lords & Ladies takes the viewer on a historical journey to celebrate our past through the wonders of food and the glories of cooking.

Minette Walters

Jon Walters hasn’t ruled himself out of the running for Ireland’s Euro qualifier against Poland at the end of the month despite confirmation yesterday that he has a fractured cheekbone.

STUDENTS of the music, management and sound course at Cork city’s Colaiste Stiofáin Naofa (CSN) are a little starry-eyed with dreams of becoming rock stars. 

Read on for ur spolier-free guide to tonght's telly.

Rochdale 1 Stoke 4: Bojan Krkic and Victor Moses scored breathtaking goals at Rochdale as Stoke avoided joining the long list of Barclays Premier League teams to exit the FA Cup at the fourth-round stage.

Stoke held on to beat Arsenal 3-2 after a dramatic afternoon at the Britannia Stadium.

THE REPUBLIC of Ireland failed the test of nerve at a raucous Celtic Park last night as Gordon Strachan's Scotland jockeyed themselves into Euro 2016 qualification contention.

Scotland 1 Republic of Ireland 0

Euro Championship 2016 qualifier

Hot licks, boogie woogies, and jive-talkin’ Janes — it has to be the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival.

An arsonist who set his flat on fire after being served an eviction notice laughed when he was told by police that he had almost trapped his upstairs neighbour and her two children in the blaze, a UK court heard today.

Jon Walters will hope to face the might of Portugal barely a week after finding himself on a drip in hospital.

Norwich City 1 Cardiff City 1

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was reluctant to make predictions about his team’s Barclays Premier League title prospects after their damaging 1-0 defeat at Stoke.

Ireland striker Jonathan Walters is in danger of missing his first game for Stoke in 103 games.

Jon Walters reckons Stoke City manager Mark Hughes can bring the best out of Stephen Ireland.

Republic of Ireland 3 Faroe Islands 0

Sunderland 1 Stoke 1

Sunderland 1 Stoke 1

Stoke boss Tony Pulis has commended Jon Walters for his willingness to take penalties – even though the Potters forward has failed to convert his last two.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers admits a lack of consistency is damaging chances of progress at the club.

Two goals in the final nine minutes from Jonathan Walters and Cameron Jerome handed Stoke their third consecutive home victory in the Barclays Premier League and condemned injury-hit Newcastle to a fourth defeat in a row.

West Ham 1 Stoke 1