After that calamitous defeat away to Armenia last month, the Republic of Ireland’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup looked a little on the slim side. They will, Gavin Cummiskey heard manager Heimir Hallgrímsson concede, be done and dusted if his team fails to collect at least three points from the upcoming games against Portugal in Lisbon and Armenia at home.
On the club front, it was a night of mixed fortunes for Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers in the Conference League, Gavin in Tallaght to see Shelbourne open their campaign with a valuable draw against Sweden’s Häcken, but Rovers going down 4-1 away to Sparta Prague.
Meanwhile, Cork City fans are expected to protest against the stewardship of majority owner Dermot Usher ahead of this evening’s FAI Cup semi-final against St Patrick’s Athletic, Stephen Barry bringing the background on what has been “a wretched season” for the club.
In rugby, so much for the hope that Munster would be less blighted by injuries than they were last season. John O’Sullivan fills you in on their latest woes, Ulster not without their walking wounded either ahead of their URC game against the Dragons.
Fresh from winning gold at the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool, Aoife O’Rourke talks to Johnny Watterson about her plans, high on her list of ambitions both her and her sister Lisa, also a world champion, qualifying for LA 2028.
Johnny also turns his thoughts to the awarding of the 2026 Irish Open to Donald Trump’s Doonbeg, which is only ranked at 14 in the list of Ireland’s best links courses. The decision, he writes, “degraded” the tournament “to the level of a bargaining chip”.
In golf, David Gorman reports on Tom McKibbin and Conor Purcell’s bright starts at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and in Gaelic games, Seán Moran talks to national match officials manager Donal Smyth about how referees have taken to the Football Review Committee’s rule changes – the most welcome of the lot are the penalties for dissent and gamesmanship.
And in horse racing, how impressed was Brian O’Connor by last Sunday’s Irish Cesarewitch, Europe’s richest handicap, using race-day reserves? A “ridiculous” “piece of nonsense”. Not very.
TV Watch: Sky Sports Golf’s coverage of round two at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship starts at noon, while this evening’s football offerings include the FAI Cup semi-final between Cork City and St Patrick’s Athletic (RTÉ 2, 7.30) and the clash of the top two in England’s WSL, Manchester United and Chelsea (BBC Three, 7.30). And at 8.05, Ulster are away to Edinburgh in the URC (Premier Sports 1).
