That underwhelming Six Nations campaign? It was never his target in a World Cup year. The recent Twickenham hammering? When we finally get to hear Donal Lenihan properly he reveals he was talking to one of the players, they’d been in Portugal for nine days beforehand “and it was hell”.

Mayo farmer Brendan Kilduff, who received fatal gunshot wounds on Tuesday night last, was described at his funeral Mass as “a man of the land, a man of family, a man of the parish, a generous soul.”

There was a point on Saturday night in Yokohama when Kieran Read gathered his troops about him and told everyone to just take five.

City have fallen foul of Uefa’s curiously subjective FFP structures and now the roof is falling in, writes Simon Curtis.

Cork, known in Congress as the county that likes to say no, could very well turn out to be the only traditional hurling power to vote yes to the sin bin come Saturday week.

A mucky and miserable Mullingar workout for Cork, one which Kieran Kingston’s charges were most fortunate to escape from with a win.

Two second-half Patrick Horgan penalties and a most fortuitous Bill Cooper goal got Cork out of jail at a mucky Mullingar this afternoon.

Munster achieved their essential aim of taking all five Guinness Pro 14 points from the visit of the lowly Southern Kings by the half-time whistle at Musgrave Park and after that, it was little more than a romp for a bang-in-form home side who thrilled the appreciative Cork crowd of 6,854 with ten tries on a delightful evening for attacking football.

PM O’Sullivan canvasses the opinion of three former hurling referees on proposed rule changes to the game.

The game was still in the balance when Darragh Fitzgibbon was helped off in injury-time but the Cork midfielder had done his bit.

Galway needed penalties to beat Mayo in atrocious weather conditions in MacHale Park last Saturday afternoon to qualify for the Connacht Under-20 Championship semi-final next weekend.

Turns out Ciarán Sheehan was tempted to come home to Cork from Australia. While making his way with Carlton, in Aussie Rules football, the All-Ireland medallist kept up with Éire Óg’s performance in the intermediate ranks.

So Andy Farrell opted to play safe last weekend with his selection against Scotland?

So Andy Farrell opted to play safe last weekend with his selection against Scotland? Really?

It took an own goal from Ro-Shaun Williams to seal the tie, and a questionable VAR decision to rule out a Shrewsbury opener to make it happen.

With the nightmare of the World Cup in Japan finally consigned to history as the Andy Farrell era of Irish rugby got underway, it is somewhat ironic that the new boss’s very first tournament will have a direct influence on Ireland’s next World Cup campaign in France in three years’ time.

A festival showcasing young orchestral musicians in Ireland was one of the first items on the agenda of the newly formed Irish Association of Youth Orchestras (IAYO) in 1994.

The Kerry football team’s heroics didn’t end with the final whistle in Saturday’s sensational one-point Allianz League win against Galway at Austin Stack Park.

Seven tries, each one brilliantly executed in the course of a game that reflected the competition in the most favourable possible light, featured in St Munchin's 27-24 victory over Limerick rivals Castletroy College.

Clare county councillors will debate a motion next week calling on the Government to intervene and reinstate Joe Brolly to RTÉ's football coverage.