Every sportswriter is a trader in nostalgia. It comes with the territory: Instant memories. Even if you file a match report on the whistle it’s already fading into the past — “matches previously played” was Christopher Hitchens’ phrase.

Declan McBennett, RTE’s head of sport, spoke earlier this week about the national station’s coverage of last year’s Women World Cup and his sense that the tournament had proven to be a Rubicon moment for female sport around the globe.

Andy Farrell has experienced the cruel extremes of Anglo-Irish rugby conflict from both sides, for England in Dublin and Ireland in London.

A storm is coming. Question is whether it will be Ireland, Wales or just Storm Ciara that rattle through the Aviva Stadium this afternoon.

Simon Easterby knows what it is to be dropped in at the deep end.

Donal Lenihan looks at the recipe for opening day success in the 2020 Six Nations.

On the face of things, the similarities are unavoidable.

From Lansdowne Road to Wembley and from Palermo to Ibaraki, Niall Quinn enjoyed plenty of euphoric moments in the green shirt.

The new Football Association of Ireland board is set to have its first female director after the Schoolboys FAI (SFAI) last night proposed Ursula Scully as their nominee to replace John Earley.

Another day, and another battering of the FAI’s reputation — but this today's pummelling in Leinster House could prove the tipping point for its survival prospects.

The FAI’s executive lead Paul Cooke tonight refused to deny a claim by Sports Minister Shane Ross that the association have sought a bailout of over €10m.

It was bad enough for Eoin Hand to observe his former employer deep in trouble last week but to see his former club sink beyond rescue this week was especially heartbreaking.

The ghosts of Christmases past will be circling around the four provinces this weekend as they prepare for the unique demands that come with the traditional back-to-back December rounds in the Heineken Champions Cup.

The Football Association of Ireland are prepared to defy Sports Minister Shane Ross by appointing a new chief executive without his imprimatur.

While the Wolves man grabbed his first international goal five minutes from full-time to cancel out Martin Braithwaite’s breakthrough 12 minutes earlier, the 1-1 draw sent Denmark into the finals at Ireland’s expense.

Troy Parrott could yet return to Ireland’s U21s for tomorrow’s Euro qualifier against Sweden as manager Stephen Kenny will wait to see if the teen is involved for the seniors tomorrow night.

Since rugby history was made when Romania’s Farul Constanta played eventual winners Toulouse in the first ever pool match, the Heineken Cup has produced some of the most breathtaking moments in the sport. Simon Lewis gives us his top 25

In the clamour for football ‘content’ we are now flies on every wall, forever ‘behind the scenes’.

What is the defining moment in the history of the Heineken European Champions Cup?

'He has not been that talkative (in camp this week) but he stood up and sung last night.'

The Aviva wasn't exactly the place to be tonight but it's no stretch to say that most of those fans who made the effort would have had a debut goal for a much-hyped wunderkind near the top of their list of wants and needs.

Wexford retained their FAI Women’s Cup thanks to a winner from captain Kylie Murphy in a five-goal thriller against Peamount at Lansdowne Road.

Nicola Sinnott admits Sunday’s FAI Cup final offers one last chance for this generation of Wexford players to enhance their legacy.

The team that had supposedly forgotten how to lose suddenly remembered at the worst possible time yesterday and the first all-Six Nations global decider vanished like a mirage.