The FAI’s Under-15 national league will kick off in August and will be followed in the near future by an Under-13 equivalent, according to John Delaney.

It’s fair to say Alan Browne and Aiden McGeady are at different ends of the international football spectrum.

Ireland’s chances of winning medals at the next Olympic Games could increase substantially next month if the International Olympic Committee votes to introduce a new ‘mixed relay’ in modern pentathlon.

With Austria four points behind joint leaders Serbia and Ireland in Group D, the conventional wisdom has it that nothing less than a victory in Sunday’s game at the Aviva will be enough to resuscitate the visitors’ flagging World Cup qualifying hopes.

Harry Arter cocks his head to one side and asks for the question to be repeated.

Any positive assessment of the decision to hold soccer’s World Cup in Qatar in five years required the suspension of all critical faculties.

As trips to North America go, Kieran Marmion’s four years ago wasn’t bad.

Darren Randolph or Keiren Westwood?

It’s a big week in the club career of Jonny Hayes, as he ponders his options, but the sight of a potential competitive Ireland debut against Austria is also occupying his thoughts.

Pauline McLynn might never escape the associations with Craggy Island, but her role with Corcadorca on Spike will be one of the highlights of Cork Midsummer Festival, writes Ellie O’Byrne.

Irish Examiner Cork City marathon

There were only a couple of selection decisions Martin O’Neill needed to be convinced of last night and Kevin Long did well enough against Uruguay to show he’s capable of stepping up to the challenge of a World Cup qualifier on Sunday.

Home debutant Kevin Long admitted he was eager to lay down a marker in his first duel with Edison Cavani as Uruguay were swept aside with ease last night.

Martin O’Neill has succinctly laid out the terms of engagement for Ireland against Austria in their World Cup qualifier next Sunday.

Where next for Real Madrid and their latest generation of Galacticos - to infinity and beyond?

A walker reading one of my pocket-book West Cork walking guides contacted me to say that, although she had walked a saltmarsh behind Garafeen Strand near Kilbrittain for 10 years, she had never seen the skylarks I mentioned in my book.