Tuesday was a rare enough good day for the Football Association of Ireland with the budget announcement that they will receive “multi-annual” funding of €3 million towards League of Ireland academies. What would complete their week would be an upturn in the fortunes of the men’s senior international team, their World Cup qualifying hopes looking decidedly ropey after last month’s draw with Hungary and defeat by Armenia.
Troy Parrott watched the Armenia horror show on television, a knee injury having ruled him out of that international window, but having returned to action for AZ Alkmaar last weekend, he’s back in Heimir Hallgrímsson’s squad. Gordon Manning heard from the in-form striker who insists that Ireland can turn those fortunes around.
But is that possible when Ireland simply do not possess quality midfielders? That, writes Gavin Cummiskey, has been “the root cause of the Republic of Ireland’s struggles throughout the 2020s”. Among Hallgrímsson’s options in that department is Jayson Molumby, Gavin talking to the West Bromwich Albion man.
In rugby, ahead of his first game of the season for Leinster, the URC meeting with the Sharks on Saturday, a well-rested James Lowe is “ready and pumped”. Johnny Watterson hears from the winger who recharged his batteries in Bali after the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia.
Ulster should be well rested too after Storm Amy forced the postponement of their game against Edinburgh last weekend. Michael Sadlier has the news from their camp in the build-up to Saturday’s tussle with the Bulls in Belfast.
So hectic is Leona Maguire’s travel schedule, she rarely gets time to rest. She’s in China this week for the Buick LPGA Championship, after that it’s South Korea and Malaysia before she finishes her season’s work in Florida. Philip Reid caught up with her to see how she rates her year.
Seán Moran, meanwhile, reflects on a dizzying few days for Jim Gavin, from “accepting bouquets for the extraordinary work done in the past 20 months by his Football Review Committee” to being swallowed up by “the snake pit into which presidential elections regularly sink for people unused to politics”.
TV Watch: The live sporting options on telly today are so utterly barren, the best we can offer you is darts’ World Grand Prix (Sky Sports Plus, from 7pm). And that’s no offence to darts’ World Grand Prix, honest.
