Slow Lions build-up finally culminates in Test week
The Counter Ruck podcast: What, if anything, did we learn about an Irish side which scored 100+ points against a poor Portuguese side?
Paul O'Connell
Patient Thomas Clarkson ready to put his hand up for Ireland
Leinster prop to earn his eighth cap against Portugal in Lisbon
With the Lions away in Australia, Ireland debutants have real chance to shine against Portugal
Opportunity in summer Test in Lisbon not lost on Paul O’Connell’s men as Andy Farrell keeps watch from afar
Paul O’Connell shakes up Ireland starting XV for Portugal as Jamie Osborne leaves for the Lions
Leinster back had been named to start on Saturday but has since been replaced with Hugh Gavin
The All Blacks have become patchy while France and Ireland build
Several players have made strong cases for starting berths for the British and Irish Lions, while France impressed in New Zealand
Ireland forwards coach Cullie Tucker explains how squad fix scrum problems on the fly
Connacht coach praises Darragh Murray’s debut performance against Georgia
Jacob Stockdale ruled out of Ireland’s game against Portugal
Ireland winger will see specialist to see if he requires surgery on a shoulder injury picked up against Georgia
Paul O’Connell impressed by Ireland’s ability to adapt to conditions in seeing off Georgia
Sam Prendergast secures flawless 14 points from the tee as six players make Ireland debuts in Tbilisi
New Irish blood primed for more than a battle in Georgia
Leinster’s Tommy O’Brien and Connacht’s secondrow Darragh Murray are set to earn their first senior caps in Tbilisi
Paul O’Connell excited to see how Irish players react to Georgia pressure
Tommy O’Brien and Darragh Murray will win first caps, while others are poised to do so from the bench
No animals were harmed in the making of this interview with Stuart McCloskey
The experienced Ulster centre is one of the big beasts on tour with Ireland in Georgia
Scott Wilson added to Ireland squad for Georgia and Portugal tour
‘Improving’ Gavin Coombes encouraged to take chance to impress
Denis Walsh: Why Paul O’Connell thinks a sports psychologist will help Ireland get ahead
Having worked successfully with many athletes, Caroline Currid is expected to make an important contribution on Ireland’s summer tour
Tommy O’Brien: ‘It was awesome to get Jordie Barrett’s opinions on things’
The Leinster winger hopes to make his long-awaited senior Ireland debut against Georgia or Portugal
Which Ireland players will step up for the summer squad while the Lions are away?
The Counter Ruck Podcast
Craig Casey to captain Ireland for summer Tests against Georgia and Portugal
Interim head coach Paul O’Connell names 32-man squad for July games in Tbilisi and Lisbon
Ireland casting its net broad and wide to land winning squad for Tbilisi and Lisbon
With 15 Irish players in the Lions squad, and three centurions retiring, upcoming Tests could see many players get first cap
Paul O’Connell’s Ireland coaching team confirmed for summer Tests with Georgia and Portugal
O’Connell is joined by former Munster colleagues Denis Leamy and Mike Prendergast as well as Connacht scrum coach Colm Tucker
Malachy Clerkin: Paul O’Connell deserves better than the hospital pass thrown to him by the Lions
Ireland have been generous in waving their coaching staff off to Australia, leaving the interim boss with a critical summer assignment
Lions Tour 2025: Is Andy Farrell’s coaching selection a bad thing for Ireland?
The Counter Ruck Podcast
Paul O’Connell confirmed as Ireland’s interim head coach for summer’s Tests
Simon Easterby has been co-opted onto the British and Irish Lions coaching ticket for the summer tour to Australia
Lions tour: Ireland coaches Simon Easterby, John Fogarty and Andrew Goodman to join coaching ticket
Paul O’Connell to take charge of Ireland’s summer tour in absence of Farrell and Easterby
Simon Easterby and John Fogarty set to be confirmed as British & Irish Lions coaches
Ulster snatch late win as Munster, Leinster and Connacht suffer defeats, with Pete Wilkins on sick leave
Paul O’Connell set to be Ireland interim head coach for summer Tests
Simon Easterby understood to have accepted place on Lions coaching ticket
Paul O’Connell pays tribute to departing Ireland trio of former team-mates
Ireland forwards coach says the trio’s attitudes have been exemplary and a great help to younger players
Steve Borthwick starts Curry twins in England backrow against Ireland
The 26-year-old Sale duo will play together at international level for the first time in Dublin
Paul O’Connell happy for warm weather training as Six Nations build-up given Storm Éowyn
Forwards coach says nothing is ever easy against England ahead of first game of championship
Ireland report clean bill of health ahead of Six Nations clash with England
Paul O’Connell says it is business as usual from the training camp in Quinta do Lago, Portugal
Paul O’Connell rules himself out of the Munster running in the ‘short-term’
Forwards coach played under Schmidt at a World Cup and still uses some of the ideas the Kiwi and former Ireland coach introduced
What next for Munster? Mike Prendergast the most likely solution
Munster's current attack coach has already made a significant impact on the province
Obsessed. The Autobiography by Johnny Sexton: One of the best Irish sports books ever written
Paul Howard hails a frank and revealing book that achieves the rare feat of being worthy of the brilliant career that preceded it
Dermot Bannon’s Super Spaces review: Starchitect lights up the screen like sunlight through a megabucks extension
Television: New series exploring ‘spaces where we work, live, socialise’ occasionally lacks sensitivity in this housing crisis era
Paul O’Connell says Ireland’s focus is internal ahead of South Africa Test
Irish coach says they have no new injury concerns as all 35 players trained
Paul O’Connell on Ireland’s lineout: ‘We haven’t changed a massive amount. I’d say we’re doing what we do a little bit better’
O’Connell said that players and coaches saw Six Nations opener against France as an opportunity to expunge the World Cup disappointment
Hugo Keenan remains in contention for Ireland’s game against Wales
Garry Ringrose, Peter O’Mahony, Bundee Aki and Tadhg Beirne all take part in training session
Andy Farrell signs contract extension as Ireland coach as IRFU leave door open for Lions
David Nucifora confirms Farrell would be free to take a sabbatical from his role in 2024-25
Gerry Thornley: We will never again see the like of Johnny Sexton
No Ireland rugby player gave more or achieved more than the recently retired outhalf
Paradigm shift shows Ireland are in All Blacks’ heads like never before
Will there be four European semi-finalists left in the World Cup for the first time ever?
Scotland aware of Paul O’Connell’s influence and expecting a tough lineout battle
Scottish forwards coach John Dalziel says his team are exactly where they want to be
TV View: Exhausted Jerry Flannery put through the emotional wringer as Ireland beat the Springboks
RTÉ misstepped when jumping back to studio just as 40,000 Irish fans started to launch into the chorus of Zombie
Rugby World Cup: Ireland struggled against underdogs in 2007. They need to beat Romania soundly
Ireland v Romania: Ireland's performances in their warm-ups may not have been spectacular but the aim of their preparatory programme was to help them reach their best during the Rugby World Cup, for once: the moment of truth is nigh
Evan Ferguson’s injury demolishes any lingering optimism over European campaign
The Republic of Ireland’s players still believe, Paul O’Connell’s optimism and the murky world of the GAA rule-book
Paul O’Connell relishing watching brief as Ireland’s forwards put through their paces
Ireland forwards coach Paul O'Connell confirms he just loves the scrummaging sessions as current generation prepare for World Cup start
Dan Sheehan ruled out of Ireland’s opening Rugby World Cup match against Romania
Jack Conan will also miss first pool game in Bordeaux while David Kilcoyne also unlikely to feature
Paul O’Connell outlines how cutting edge tech is helping Ireland’s preparations
New 5G Mobile Private Network a significant step forward for players and coaches alike within Andy Farrell’s international set-up
Irish rugby team adopts ‘game changing’ new tech ahead of Rugby World Cup
Mobile private network allows squad benefit from real-time video analytics and deliver instant feedback from coaches to players
Paul O’Connell: ‘I really like the way we’ve managed this preseason’
Forwards coach’s experience with national side has underlined how things have changed since his playing days in the green shirt
International Rugby Experience, a world-class interactive cathedral to rugby, opens today in Limerick
First look: It’s difficult not to be impressed on a visit to this not-for-profit cultural institution that is hoped to bring a major boost in tourism revenue to Limerick and the midwest
From rugby pitch to boardroom: Johnny Sexton to follow well trodden path into business world
The line up of current and former Irish international rugby players forging a career in business continues to grow with captain Johnny Sexton already planning his next move
Does Vera Pauw need to show more ambition in her tactical approach?
Karen Duggan’s first column; Paul O’Connell on a new breed of Irish forwards; Cheltenham allows connections play the system
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Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Stardust
Inquests into the nightclub fire that led to the deaths of 48 people
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
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