Channel 4’s Alan Gardner reveals he has heart failure and says he wants to focus on his health not his Asperger’s. Áilín Quinlan meets him in Clonakilty

There was no quick getaway from their Swiss mission for the Republic of Ireland players.

Additional Voluntary Contributions: Additional contributions paid by a member of an occupational pension scheme in order to secure benefits over and above those set out in the rules of the scheme.

Stephen Kenny hit out at Moldovan referee Dumitri Muntean for his role in ending Ireland’s unbeaten U21 Euro qualifying run.

Cian Healy has praised Bundee Aki’s resilience in the face of a tournament-ending suspension after the centre gave his all in Ireland’s first training session for Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final against New Zealand.

Tony Spollen did his job in Allied Irish bank without fear or favour, exposing fraudulent practice irrespective of the consequences for himself, writes Michael Clifford

The sport's governing body have opted for experienced referees for the four last-eight ties which all take place this weekend.

Brighton and Hove Albion’s loss was Ballygunner’s gain

A team if you will.

Done up to the nines, with some architectural aplomb and, quirkily, with a strong, pink-hued thread running through its decor and interior design, it’s now a very sizeable 3,391 sq ft private family home.

Eoghan Cormican in preview box The three-in-a-row has become a rare commodity in the Cork Senior Hurling Championship.

60 second on-the-whistle report from Kobe as Ireland secure bonus-point victory over Russia

North Clare and its Burren landscape is a barren, yet breath taking part of the country, writes Mimi Murray.

For several years, it was not so much smoke but thick clouds of cynicism that hung over Salazar’s work as head coach at the Nike Oregon Project.

Football is a game of two haves — the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’. There is always a champion and a loser. There is always a veteran and a youngster. And there are always the rich, and the poor.

There is no talk of winning or losing in the Irish or the Russian camps this week. Nobody doubts which way the result will fall when they meet in Kobe tomorrow. This game will be about so much more than the numbers beside each nation’s name at the final whistle.

St Mary’s’ bid to complete the six-in-a-row of Jack Murphy Cups will have to wait until the middle of January at the earliest, as Dromid Pearses secured a late draw with two Niall Ó Sé frees during six minutes of added time in the Kerry SFC final at a bitterly cold Portmagee yesterday.

The result, which played out in front of a crowd of 1,628, means the All-Ireland champions cannot now progress to the decider.

In some quarters of the media, it has been said that Verona Murphy is only saying what a lot of people think.

The door closed today in Mardyke Street and the best-known medic in Irish sport finally put his feet up.