Munster coach Anthony Foley last night revealed that Tommy O’Donnell is ‘crestfallen’ after being ruled out of Ireland’s Rugby World Cup .

Ireland squad manager Mick Kearney insists Cian Healy’s recovery from neck surgery is “coming on fine”.

Six years after sitting disconsolately in his hotel room in Akron wondering if he had the game to play on tour, Shane Lowry stands on top of the world safe in the knowledge that he’s now a man to be feared.

A look around the UL Bowl yesterday quickly indicated that Munster should be in a much better position regarding player availability this season than was the case for the Guinness Pro 12 final against Glasgow Warriors only ten weeks ago.

Peter Stringer and Brad Thorn don’t share too many attributes as rugby players, but the Irish scrum-half may yet match the Kiwi by stretching his professional career beyond his 40th birthday.

World number one Rory McIlroy will not defend his WGC-Bridgestone Invitational title next week as he continues his recovery from an ankle injury.

In a bid to capitalise on the greater interest in rugby this year thanks to the World Cup and Rugby Sevens' inclusion in the 2016 Olympics, Wicked Witch Software has announced that it will release Rugby Challenge 3 later this year.

Full horse boxes have been arriving back at Willie Mullins’ yards in recent days and weeks, and so we’re getting ready for a very busy but equally exciting spell.

Michael Carrick has no qualms about fighting Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin for a place in the Manchester United first team.

The season is yet to start but Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho are already point scoring, with Wenger yesterday rejecting claims from the Chelsea manager that Arsenal have abandoned their cautious transfer approach.

Stuccodor gets the nap selection to get punters off on the right foot by taking the opening maiden hurdle on Galway Plate Day in Ballybrit.

Customers are set to reap the benefits of an impending price war among major airlines this winter; A Chinese woman died after being trapped in a shopping mall escalator; and animal rights groups have expressed outrage after road markings were painted over a dead cat. Here’s this morning’s irishexaminer.com round-up.

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal will not break his promise to retire in 2017, even if he is offered a huge contract by a wealthy Qatari club.

It was a small thing but it told us a lot.

Roy Keane thinks it would be good for Irish football if Martin O’Neill were to remain as manager for the World Cup campaign but says there are "a few hurdles" to get over before he can offer clarity on his own future as the Derryman’s assistant.

Though there were plenty of contenders, including Sam Bennett and Eddie Dunbar, Dingle woman Josie Knight was perhaps the breakthrough Irish cyclist of 2014.

A Matter of Life & Death is the new book from football writer Jim White, who purports to tell the history of football in 100 quotations.

The Banking Inquiry has been advised not to hear evidence from the former Anglo boss David Drumm by video-link; a brawl at a Mass in Meath had to be halted by the priest; and Donal Óg Cusack had some home truths for the Cork GAA community. Here’s this evening’s irishexaminer.com round-up.

Louis van Gaal hosted a frank Q&A session in San Jose last night. Plenty of the questions Manchester United fans have been asking were tackled.

Arsene Wenger has said Theo Walcott is likely to pen a new deal at Arsenal very soon — and has backed him to score plenty of goals this season.