A direct ticket to next year’s World Cup in Brazil wasn’t to be, Ireland’s 1-0 defeat by France in Grenoble on Tuesday night meaning they will now have to take the “scenic route” to the tournament. Gavin Cooney reports on the game and he hears from head coach Carla Ward who already has her eye on October’s play-offs.
In Gaelic games, Darragh Ó Sé has no doubt what the story of the football championship has been so far: “It’s Westmeath, by a distance.” And for Darragh, “Westmeath football will always be connected to Páidí”. If his uncle was with us today, he reckons he’d be down in Mullingar telling everyone, “sure didn’t I open the door for ye, lads?”
It’s been a harder grind for Meath so far, not helped by that defeat by their neighbours, Gordon Manning talking to Joe Sheridan about his county’s hopes of getting back on track against Derry on Saturday.
Seán Moran, meanwhile, looks at the challenge the World Cup has posed for the GAA down the years, the challenge even greater for himself when he was on reporting duty: “From 1998 until 2018, it generally wasn’t possible to finish in time to see anything but fragments of the World Cup final.”
World Cup Group G guide: Belgium and Egypt look for last hurrahs from ageing stars
World Cup Group H guide: Stage set for Lamine Yamal to shine with Spain
World Cup Group I guide: Early tests for potential champions France and Norway
Hurling’s professional age: Novel shines light on a forgotten Ireland 216 years removed
In hurling, Jeffrey Lynskey brings us a tactical analysis of the Munster final between Limerick and Cork, one that had a controversial ending - but stand-in Cork captain Mark Coleman tells Stephen Barry that he takes “no issue” with referee James Owens’ timekeeping.
In rugby, James Lowe confirmed on Tuesday that he will leave Leinster at the end of season, thereby ending his nine-year spell in Ireland, but fellow New Zealander Jared Payne will return to these shores to join the Munster coaching team.
John O’Sullivan looks back at the life of Philip Browne, the former IRFU chief executive who died earlier this week, aged 64, following a short illness. “His death is widely mourned and the tributes paid reflect the esteem in which he was held.”
And news broke on Tuesday night of the sudden death of athlete Ciarán Ó Lionáird who was just thirty-eight. Ian O’Riordan reflects on the Cork man’s career, which included an appearance at the 2012 Olympics in London.
In golf, Philip Reid visited Doonbeg to see how preparations for September’s Irish Open are going, the organisers unsure yet whether a certain Donald Trump will pay a visit to his resort during the tournament.
In tennis, Johnny Watterson looks ahead to this week’s ATP Challenger 75 tournament in Donnybrook where Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, a three-time Grand Slam semi-finalist, will be the star attraction.
And in racing, Brian O’Connor has news of the imminent return to the sport of French jockey Pierre-Charles Boudot who had his licence revoked in 2022 after he was charged with rape. Those charges were, though, dismissed last week, so he is now free to resume his career.
TV Watch
Our own Mark English, Andrew Coscoran and Orla Comerford are among the contenders at the Oslo Diamond League this evening (Virgin Media Two and BBC Three, 7pm), and at 8pm England play their final World Cup warm-up game, Costa Rica their opponents in Orlando (Virgin Media Three and UTV, 9pm).
