Most of the noise in Spanish football this summer was generated by superstars Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo — with the former leaving Barcelona for Paris Saint Germain, and the latter staying [for the moment at least] at Real Madrid.

Catch up on some of the stories and issues highlighted on irishexaminer.com this morning.

The temptation is to say ‘game over’ for Ireland after the host nation came out a distant second-best in this win-or-bust Pool C decider against a slick French side in the Women’s Rugby World Cup at Belfield last night.

Ireland’s comprehensive 21-5 defeat to France at a rain-soaked UCD Bowl saw Tom Tierney’s side fail to qualify for the Women’s Rugby World Cup semi-finals last night.

Today, the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup folds its tents and moves up the M1 from the UCD campus on Dublin’s southside to Belfast.

The All Blacks juggernaut hit a road bump in the British and Irish Lions series but it should be back to business as usual for the world champions when they take on South Africa, Australia and Argentina in the Rugby Championship.

It’s Sunday afternoon and the currach races at the Inishbofin Maritime Festival are in full flow. There’s a slow breeze blowing in around the ruin of the old Cromwellian barracks and across the harbour.

It says a lot about the huge influence Les Murray had, not just on football in Australia but on the country itself, that the much loved broadcaster, who died at the end of July aged 71, was accorded the rare honour of a state funeral.

No-one did more to bail Ireland out than Jenny Murphy when Australia had them under the pump in their Pool C opener eight days ago.

Graeme McDowell and Shane Lowry are among the players needing a good performance in the Wyndham Championship to qualify for the FedEx Cup play-offs.

Death threats, persecution, and hostility were all part of the drawn-out battle for justice for the victims of the 1989 disaster, Professor Phil Scraton tells Daniel McConnell

Serbia have recalled Torino attacker Adem Ljajic to their squad for the upcoming World Cup qualification double-header against Moldova and Ireland.

Cork City boss John Caulfield is taking a “wait and see” approach to his contract talks as he keeps focus on securing the club’s first title in 12 years.

With France, it’s always about the known unknowns.

IT might be an exaggeration to say that there is, in one dusty office or another, a report on the failures in our health services for each of the 72,022 fans who saw Waterford beat Cork in Croke Park on Sunday. 

A top Irish bartender is honing his shaking and stirring skills ahead of the industry’s world cup next week.

Ryle Dwyer looks back at the origins of the Rose of Tralee festival and how it captured the public imagination right from the beginning

Ciara Griffin says Ireland’s Six Nations victory over France earlier this year will mean nothing ahead of Thursday’s World Cup showdown at UCD.