Paul O’Connell will be back in a green tracksuit today as he begins the next step on his journey into coaching.

It may have been Conor McGregor’s year, in terms of earnings banked, but in the nation’s affections, Notorious has shipped losses in 2017.

Leinster will have to do without in-form Ireland prop Cian Healy for the Christmas and new year interprovincial derbies after he was suspended for three weeks last night.

Only at Real Madrid could the manager be potentially under pressure for his job at the end of a week which began with the team returning home as world champions.

Are our youngsters coached right? Should they play less competitive football? Or more? Is the cross-channel route to the top of the game viable any longer? And can the League of Ireland provide a feasible alternative? In the second part of his look at our supply line of footballers, Larry Ryan canvasses more opinion from around the Irish game.

If money was all that mattered there wouldn’t be a top-class professional rugby player left in Ireland.

Last weekend’s RTÉ Team Of The Year accolade for Ireland’s show jumpers may have crowned a memorable 2017 for equestrian sport in this country, but we’re not quite done for the year yet.

Manu Tuilagi’s citing for a dangerous tackle on Champions Cup duty has compelled his former Lions team-mate Brian O’Driscoll to complain that the “game has gone soft”.

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David Moyes believes he could manage any team in the world and wants to prove it at West Ham.

It says much about Munster’s growing confidence and maturity as a squad that Ian Keatley could share a laugh with his captain after committing two knock-ons inside a minute.

The World Cup play-off defeat by Denmark cast Irish football into another period of introspection. Where are the players? 

Connacht 55 Brive 10: Connacht coach Kieran Keane is relishing facing into three consecutive inter-pro derbies with a squad high on confidence after their latest European masterclass.

There was a feeling in the thickening Manchester air that Tottenham might give City a difficult time, that here was a team of talent and character that might just stand toe-to-toe and offer us all some more ideas about just how good City are. 

Horse sports received plenty of recognition at the RTÉ Sports Awards on Saturday night, but it was James McClean who collected the top award.

The dive itself is an unsophisticated relic relied upon only when there has been a gross failure of imagination, writes Larry Ryan.

He’s the coaching constant at Munster, working under three different head coaches in as many years. Jerry Flannery understands better than most the value system crucial to the province’s future - and the importance of the Munster manual.