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3 days ago | 
balls.ie | Eoin Harrington
Leinster prop Niall Smyth is one of the province's most highly-rated up-and-comers. Described as the "next Tadhg Furlong," Smyth looks set to contend for first-team opportunities with Leinster next season, having frustratingly spent much of this campaign on the sidelines. The 19-year-old grew up in New York and was a latecomer to rugby, despite his father's encouragement for him to try the sport as a kid. Smyth's love of football was a major reason for that.
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3 days ago | 
balls.ie | Eoin Harrington
Rory McIlroy's triumph at the Masters was one of the most memorable in recent sporting memory, on a day filled with emotion at Augusta. The Holywood native finally secured the Career Grand Slam after a decade of trying and coming up short, in a dramatic playoff against England's Justin Rose. McIlroy was in tears as he lifted his daughter Poppy in the air in celebration, and Poppy had been with him throughout his round through a lovely message on his marker.
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5 days ago | 
balls.ie | Eoin Harrington
The special friendship between Ireland's Caoimhín Kelleher and Liverpool teammate Andy Robertson was showcased wonderfully in a video from the Premier League on social media this week. As part of their campaign to raise awareness of mental health in football, the Premier League asked players and managers from all 20 clubs to call somebody dear to them and check in on them.
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5 days ago | 
balls.ie | Eoin Harrington
The Ulster final was already an enticing prospect before the bombshell news on Saturday that Rian O'Neill had arrived with the Armagh squad in Clones. O'Neill was an All-Star winner as Armagh won their second All-Ireland title last July, having played a pivotal role throughout the championship from corner forward. However, the victory in last year's All-Ireland final against Galway remains the last time O'Neill togged out for Armagh.
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5 days ago | 
balls.ie | Eoin Harrington
Discussions in GAA spheres have been dominated by the camogie skort debate over the past week, since last weekend's scenes at the Leinster senior final between Dublin and Kilkenny. Both sides emerged in shorts for the warmup and were threatened with a match postponement if they not change into skorts. Though players are required to wear skorts as per the camogie association's regulations, a recent GPA report stated that 83% of players would prefer to have a choice between skorts and shorts.
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6 days ago | 
balls.ie | Eoin Harrington
Johnny Sexton's involvement on this year's Lions tour has certainly caused a stir in the rugby world. In the relative infancy of his rugby coaching career, Sexton has jumped to one of the most prestigious jobs in the sport, working alongside Andy Farrell as an assistant coach for this summer's tour to Australia. The legendary Irish fly-half began working on Farrell's Ireland coaching team for last year's Autumn Internationals, and his role ramped up during the Six Nations earlier this year.
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6 days ago | 
balls.ie | Eoin Harrington
Stephen Kenny was left frustrated on Friday night as he saw his St Pats side throw away a half-time lead and fell to defeat to Shels at Tolka Park. Mason Melia gave Pats the advantage in the first half with a delightful curled finish, and Pats looked good value to pick up their first Dublin derby win since mid-March. It did not take long in the second half for the game to turn on its head, with Shelbourne drawing level within three minutes of the restart through Harry Wood's close-range finish.
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1 week ago | 
balls.ie | Eoin Harrington
On every Lions tour, there is a player that nobody saw coming who ends up playing a huge role. Players who weren't even included in the original 30-something group can end up as pivotal players by the time the three tests roll around and players have dropped out injured - just ask John Hayes. In 2021 in South Africa, both Bundee Aki and Jack Conan were shock inclusions in Warren Gatland's squad, but both had played their way into the test starting XV by the end of the series.
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1 week ago | 
balls.ie | Eoin Harrington
Johnny Sexton faced the media for the first time in his coaching career on Thursday, as the Irishman made a surprise appearance at the Lions squad announcement in London. Sexton retired from playing after the 2023 World Cup and initially suggested he had little interest in moving into coaching in retirement. However, the 39-year-old has quickly changed his tune, and has been fast-tracked into the Ireland coaching setup by his former head coach Andy Farrell.
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1 week ago | 
balls.ie | Eoin Harrington
Mack Hansen has been selected by Andy Farrell as one of the 38 players to tour Australia with the British and Irish Lions this summer. The Connacht wing's participation had been plunged into doubt with injury concerns in the lead-up to the squad announcement on Thursday. However, his consistency in the green jersey over the past three years has paid off, and the Ireland star was selected alongside his back-three companions James Lowe and Hugo Keenan in the touring squad.
