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15

Wexford hurling boss Keith Rossiter faces anxious wait with future of several star players up in the air for 2026

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Wexford hurling boss Keith Rossiter faces an anxious few weeks with the future of some of his leading lights still up in the air heading into the 2026 season.

‘I’d happily have stayed on’ – Martin O’Neill reveals he’d have remained in charge of Celtic ‘if asked’

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Martin O’Neill has said he would “happily have stayed on” as Celtic manager after overseeing a successful interim spell that delivered seven wins from eight matches.

14

Mark O’Connor returns to Geelong training with participation in Dingle’s All-Ireland club semi-final looking unlikely

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AFL star Mark O'Connor is back training with Geelong and unlikely to be available for Dingle's All-Ireland club SFC semi-final against Leinster champions Ballyboden St Enda's on January 3.

Bohemians unveil new Kneecap jersey for 2026 season

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Bohemians have released their new away jersey for 2026 in collaboration with Belfast rap group Kneecap.

13

Kildare centurion Niall Kelly hailed for his ‘outstanding service’ as he calls time on his inter-county career

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Long-serving Kildare forward Niall Kelly has called time on an inter-county career that stretched back well over a decade.

Pat Spillane: 2025 has been a life-saver for Gaelic football – a year when the game was handed back to the players

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Since the first ball was kicked in the 2025 season, under the new rules, it’s been onwards and upwards for the game of Gaelic football. Chalk it down as a golden year.

11

Bohemians will open new League of Ireland season with Aviva Stadium derby against St Patrick’s Athletic

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Bohemians will return to the Aviva Stadium on the opening weekend of the 2026 League of Ireland season for a Dublin derby with St Patrick's Athletic.

Rory McIlroy and Michael Bannon honoured by Irish Golf Writers’ Association

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Masters champion Rory McIlroy and his lifelong coach Michael Bannon have been recognised for their outstanding achievements in the annual Irish Golf Writers’ Association (IGWA) awards.

07

Eamonn Sweeney: Celtic deserve better than Dermot Desmond and Co, they’re dragging the club down the drain

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Celtic deserve better than Dermot Desmond. Enough is enough. Things can’t go on like this. Ireland’s leading Bismarck lookalike and his minions are dragging the club down the drain. It’s hard to imagine things improving on their watch.

Rúaidhrí O’Connor: Munster’s damp squib in Cork sums up the Champions Cup predicament

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?Like all GAA stadiums, SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh isn’t ideal for rugby and yet there is no doubting that Munster should keep returning to Cork for big games.

Surgeries, travelling and Christmas plans put on ice after camogie stalemate stirs the pot for exciting 2026 reunion

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Christmas will look a bit different to what was anticipated for the camogie players of Athenry and St Finbarr’s, with yesterday’s All Ireland club final concluding in a draw – after a dramatic closing period.

‘He’s an absolute beast and I love playing with him’ – Joe McCarthy happy to have little brother Paddy by his side

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The television cameras didn’t manage to pick it up but we got the first proper glimpse of Leinster and Ireland’s newest ‘bash brothers’ in action at Welford Road.

Ruben Amorim accepts criticism from Manchester United legends over Kobbie Mainoo treatment

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Ruben Amorim has no problem with high-profile former players criticising him and his handling of Kobbie Mainoo as the Manchester United manager knows he is “not doing good enough”.

‘Those moments are special’ – Stuart Lancaster happy to see his Connacht young guns step up

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Connacht coach Stuart Lancaster is confident they have the squad depth to have a crack at the Challenge Cup and nail down a knockout place in the URC in his first season in charge in the west.

Sunday, Dec 14

23

John Shortt closes Winter Championships with two new Irish junior records

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John Shortt closed out the Irish Winter Championships in Dublin with two new Irish junior records, taking his tally for the past four weeks to an incredible 21 records.

22

‘You don’t know me, you’ll think I’m all over the place’ – Wilfried Nancy dismisses claim tactical change cost Celtic final

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Wilfried Nancy dismissed suggestions his tactical transformation had cost Celtic the Scottish League Cup after his disastrous start to life in Glasgow continued with a 3-1 defeat by St Mirren.

Richard Jolly: The key unanswered questions left after Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool return

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Mohamed Salah will go away but the issue will not. Salah returned to the Liverpool side as a substitute against Brighton. Arne Slot may have tried to consign the issue of his remarkable interview at Leeds to the past, but accepted others…

21

Dominic Calvert-Lewin draws comfort for Leeds against Keith Andrews’ Brentford

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Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored for a fourth-consecutive match to end Leeds’ away-day blues with a 1-1 Premier League draw at Brentford.

Therese Donohue inspires Athenry fightback against St Barr’s as sides set for camogie final replay

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Go and make sense of that then. It will take superior minds to this one, and countless viewings of the footage.

Tony Ward: Fans are being duped as ‘order of the boot’ and disrespectful selections are ruining the Champions Cup

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A win is a win is a win, or so they continually tell us in the aftermath of weekends such as this – ‘they’ being the steerers of the professional ship.

20

Oh My Word strikes at Navan for Thomas Cleary as Cheltenham bumper target comes into view

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The Tom Cleary-trained Oh My Word upset more illustrious stables in the hands of Derek O’Connor when the four-year-old finished with a flourish to capture the EBF Future Champions INH Flat Race at Navan.

Battling Ireland come up short as England hold on for win in FIH Pro Hockey League

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The Ireland Women’s Hockey team came up short against England in their final FIH Hockey Pro League outing in Dublin, losing 2-1.

Wilfried Nancy’s nightmare start deepens as St Mirren stun Celtic to win Scottish League Cup final

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Wilfried Nancy’s nightmare start to his Celtic reign continued as St Mirren wrestled the Premier Sports Cup from their grasp with a 3-1 Hampden triumph.

19

‘This is not a quick fix’ – Thomas Frank wants more time to turn Tottenham around after Forest defeat

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Tottenham boss Thomas Frank expects to be given time to turn his side’s problems around after insisting there is “no quick fix” following a 3-0 Premier League defeat at Nottingham Forest.

Unai Emery hails ‘ambitious’ Aston Villa as comeback win over West Ham keeps them in title race

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Unai Emery hailed the response of his “ambitious” Aston Villa side after they came from behind twice to beat West Ham 3-2 and keep themselves in the Premier League title race.

Sunderland battle to hard-earned win over Newcastle thanks to Woltemade own goal

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Sunderland secured a 1-0 victory over Newcastle United thanks to Nick Woltemade's unfortunate own goal on Sunday which settled the derby in dramatic fashion as the fierce North-East rivals met in the Premier League for the first time in…

Brian Keogh: Irish golf playing long game as Tour presence wanes

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Neil Manchip still remembers when he started as the GUI’s national coach in 2005 and wondered aloud what the future might hold for Irish professional golf.

18

Kildare’s Grangenolvin crowned Leinster junior football champions after edging out Fighting Cocks

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Kildare side Grangenolvin took the Leinster Junior Football Championship title at a wind-swept SETU Carlow Campus as they edged out the Carlow champions.

‘We will be closer’ says Pep Guardiola as Manchester City reduce gap to Arsenal with Erling Haaland double

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Pep Guardiola urged Manchester City to play on their own terms after they battled to a 3-0 win against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park to cut the gap to two points at the top of the Premier League.

‘When players are useful to the team, they have to play’ – Roma boss gives encouraging words to Evan Ferguson

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Roma boss Gian Piero Gasperini says he is pleased with the form of striker Evan Ferguson and has told the Ireland international that he will get chances in the team if his displays earn that for him.