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Today News

04

‘Don’t play championship in muck and s**t of April’ – two hurling legends issue plea to GAA

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Two retired hurling stars have questioned the condensed nature of the inter-county season – and called for an end to All-Ireland finals in July.

‘It was very sore for four or five seconds’ – James Ryan on the ‘freak’ injury that derailed his season

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It’s the day before Ireland are due to fly to London for their Six Nations clash with England, and Andy Farrell is putting his squad through their paces in what is the final proper training session of the week.

James Ryan ‘touch and go’ in fitness battle for Leinster’s Champions Cup semi-final in Croke Park

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Leinster co-captain James Ryan has admitted he remains “touch-and-go” in his bid to prove his fitness in time for his side’s Champions Cup semi-final clash with Northampton at Croke Park on May 4.

Frank Roche: It’s only April but it’s already make-or-break for Wexford and Dublin hurlers

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To many folk, championship hurling in April simply doesn’t feel right, the scorched-grass stereotype buried by the new reality of rucks in the muck.

‘There are some bad people out there’ – Mack Hansen’s thoughts and prayers with Sydney stabbing victims

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Connacht and Ireland winger Mack Hansen says his thoughts and prayers are with the six people who were stabbed to death in a Sydney shopping centre last week.

Ireland players ready to put themselves in a ‘dark place’ for England showdown – Declan Danaher

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Ireland defence coach Declan Danaher says players are ready to put themselves in “a dark place” tomorrow when they come up against world No 1 England in the Women’s Six Nations at Twickenham.

Ireland’s Test match with Zimbabwe in Belfast set to go ahead this summer

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Cricket Ireland are expected to confirm today that this summer’s Test match against Zimbabwe will go ahead, after scrapping plans to cut the Belfast showpiece to balance the books.

Cian O’Sullivan: When everyone is firing Dublin can put it up to anyone

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When Dublin won the 2016 Leinster MHC title, Cian O’Sullivan of St Brigid’s played at centre-back. Up through the years that was his orbit until a casual discussion with Ger Cunningham altered the course of his career early the following…

‘The wind, 10 degrees outside, I prefer this’ – Why Bohs’ Kacper Chorazka prefers playing in Dublin to Cyprus

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He swapped sunny Cyprus for a Dublin that has spent much of the last two months under grey clouds and what feels like near-constant rainfall.

03

West Ham exit Europa League as Bayer Leverkusen strike late to maintain sensational unbeaten record

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West Ham bowed out of the Europa League but only after giving new German champions Bayer Leverkusen an almighty fright.

02

League of Ireland Premier Division preview - 19th April

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Irish Independent's Seán O'Connor previews all this weekend's League of Ireland Premier Division action.

Thursday, Apr 18

00

Liverpool limp out of Europa League as attack fails to fire again against Atalanta

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Liverpool could not conjure up another remarkable comeback when they needed it most as their 1-0 victory over Atalanta in Bergamo failed to salvage their Europa League hopes.

23

Shelbourne fan who threw smoke bomb at assistant referee handed lifetime ban

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Shelbourne have handed down a lifetime ban to the supporter who was identified for the smoke bomb-throwing incident which has led to Reds fans being barred from Friday’s league game away to Galway United.

GAA team news: Galway handed championship boost as Shane Walsh and Damien Comer return for Sligo clash

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Shane Walsh is back in the Galway team after he was named at centre forward in their side to face Sligo on Saturday with fellow attacker Damien Comer on the bench.

22

Emiliano Martinez the penalty shootout hero as Aston Villa advance to first European semi-final since 1982

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Emiliano Martinez was the unsurprising star of a dramatic penalty shootout as Aston Villa edged past Lille and into the semi-final of the Europa Conference League.

Clare continue impressive start to Munster MHC with deserved win over Limerick

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Clare maintained their 100% start to the Electric Ireland Munster Minor Hurling Championship with a second win, this time over a disappointing Limerick.

21

Crowds to be limited to 16,000 at 2024 Irish Open at Royal County Down

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Crowds will be limited to around 16,000 a day for the Amgen Irish Open at Royal County Down from September 12-15.

‘He’s carrying on the tradition through his family’ – Stephen Bradley heaps praise on Cian Barrett

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Stephen Bradley has hailed the progress made by Shamrock Rovers youngster Cian Barrett as the third generation from that football family to make an impact in the senior game.

To spark another famous European night, Liverpool may need Jurgen Klopp speech to lift low spirits

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Ahead of European games like this, Jurgen Klopp doesn’t prepare a speech. Most of the words come naturally. He is already in the mood, knowing he has to inspire a similar feeling of insurgency in his players.

Miguel Delaney: Why Europe is celebrating English football’s night of failure

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It remains as much of a surprise as the Premier League’s total wipe-out. In the final minutes of Arsenal’s defeat to Bayern Munich, a player as brilliant as Bukayo Saka had the chance to just go for it… and didn’t. From a free-kick on the…

20

Mixed fortunes for Irish boxers on opening day of European championships

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Olympic-bound Irish heavyweight Jack Marley suffered a surprise loss on Day 1 of the European championships in Belgrade.

Cork boss John Cleary knows Rebels are ‘going to a different level’ facing Kerry in Killarney

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John Cleary isn’t expecting stone-splitting sunshine on Saturday afternoon, nor is he expecting the crowd in Fitzgerald Stadium to be spilling out on to the pitch as it might have done in his own playing days, but the Cork manager is still…

19

Gary Neville ‘stunned’ as Bastian Schweinsteiger reveals ‘illegal’ treatment under Jose Mourinho at Man United

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Bastian Schweinsteiger has revealed Jose Mourinho banished him from the Manchester United first-team and made him train with the Under-16s for three months without explanation.

‘Chances are coming and once we get one the goals will flow’ – Stephen Kenny’s son Eoin confident of Dundalk revival

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Teenager Eoin Kenny – son of the former Ireland and Dundalk boss Stephen – says he’s delighted to have made the leap from Dundalk fan to first team player after his debut earlier this week.

18

‘What a brilliant opportunity to play in front of 45,000 people’ – Ireland relishing Twickenham outing

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Ireland defence coach Declan Danaher says Sam Monaghan was ruled out of Saturday’s Women’s Six Nations game against England because she hadn’t “fully recovered” from last weekend’s game against Wales.

17

Leinster to play their home games next season at the Aviva Stadium and Croke Park

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Leinster will play the majority of their home games next season at the Aviva Stadium while the RDS is being redeveloped, while Croke Park will remain available to the province for bigger games.