Youngster Desmond looks to kick-start career following Newcastle release

Every summer, hundreds of Irish youngsters from various age groups make their way across the Irish Sea with stars in their eyes to take up contract offers from professional clubs all over England - and every year, making the return journey, are a slightly older group, their bright eyes dimmed by the rash realisation that their dreams have been dashed.

The Belgian footballing mini-pilgrimage, April 2013

On April Fool's Day 2013, I jetted* out to Belgium to visit a friend who is currently living in the city of Leuven. Anthony Gallagher and I are long time acolytes of the game and will watch a match anywhere we can whenever we can - and his current Erasmus placement afforded us an opportunity to add to our last experience of European football.

No surface worries for Sligo as they make it five from five

Bohemians   0     Sligo Rovers   3

The much maligned Dalymount Park surface didn't stop the Sligo machine from churning out another victory as Ian Baraclough's men made it five wins from five Premier Division games with a 3-0 victory over Bohemians, providing RTÉ with live League of Ireland goals for the first time in four attempts in the process.

On the importance of Neil Lennon staying at Celtic

Only 17 men have had the distinction of managing Glasgow Celtic in 125 years. Of those 17, only eight were in charge for three years or less - Liam Brady (1991-93), Lou Macari (93-94), Tommy Burns (94-97), Wim Jansen (97-98), John Barnes/Kenny Dalglish (99-2000) and Tony Mowbray (09-10). And presently, Neil Lennon is the eighth - this is only his third full season at the helm (but he's in charge three-and-a half years having taking over from Mowbray in March 2010 on a temporary basis initially).

Shels Byrned by former striker as Crowley sees red on début

BRAY WANDERERS   1     SHELBOURNE   0

The countdown to 200 is on for Jason Byrne as the Bray striker's second-half goal proved to be the difference between the Seasiders and ten man Shelbourne at the Carlisle Grounds.

Airtricity League Premier Division: key players for 2013

Every new League of Ireland season brings with it some familiar faces appearing in familiar or unfamiliar places, some old faces returning to the league from spells abroad and some new faces appearing in the league for the first time.

Remember the name: Cüneyt Çakır

For almost an hour, Manchester United were tactically perfect against Real Madrid. A Gonzalo Higuaín cross which evaded everybody and a rightly disallowed goal aside, United nullified the much-vaunted counter-attacking threat of José Mourinho’s outfit that undone a diminished Barcelona twice in the space of five days. Enter Cüneyt Çakır.

Can Boyd and McFadden rejuvenate the SPL?

So James McFadden has returned to the SPL with his first club Motherwell, making substitute appearances in Motherwell's back-to-back defeats to Dundee United and Ross County, and looks all set to feature against runaway leaders Celtic tonight. And Kris Boyd has also returned to his roots, to Kenny Shiels' Kilmarnock - and he too could feature tonight, against Hibernian.

Teaandtoast.ie: Mafia Wars (July 10th, 2012)

On Sunday morning, I woke up at around seven o’clock because I have to go work. As if I’d stir that early for any other reason; I hate the sanctity of my lazy Sundays being breached by anything. By now, I have a routine for the early shifts: I’ll get up, go about my bathroom business, get dressed, go downstairs and breakfast while Facebooking. I enjoy that 20 minutes to myself to listen to some music and to laugh at the ridiculous things the internet has to offer, as they help me battle on through the day – but not this day.

Teaandtoast.ie: Donaghmede Binn

When you’re forced to wait ten years for something, you’ll most likely build it up into some sort of ridiculous expectation which the eventual reality can never hope to match. The obvious example is the first time you have sex. For years, our teenage selves were force fed these glorified, exaggerated images of sex in movies which gave us all an unreal picture of what the event was actually like. Unless you’re a twelve year old Anthony Kiedis and you banged your dad’s 18 year-old girlfriend. Then you’re just a tank.

Teaandtoast.ie: Portmarnock riots: all for one bus

“Up rolls the riot van and sparks excitement in the boys…”

Teaandtoast.ie: A good game of hurling

The ironic thing about me answering the call of a friend to contribute to this new section of Teaandtoast.ie is the fact that I’m not a fan of tea. Never have been, never will be. I can feel people leaving this article in droves already. Let me redeem my self by affirming my faith in toast: it’s alright…sparingly. 

De Klassieker: January 29th, 2012 - an excerpt from my Rotterdam journal

“De Kuip is Feyenoord and Feyenoord is De Kuip. So it was and so it always will be.”[1]

Drogheda Independent: Campbell helps seal Irish spot in world finals

Megan Campbell is becoming something of a talisman for the Ireland under-17s ladies side.

During the Elite Qualifiers for the recent UEFA Championship finals, the Drogheda native produced a crucial goal for Ireland in a game they had to win against Sweden, one of the strongest women's national sides in Europe.

Fingal Independent: Byrne "gutted" at the manner of the defeat

Conan Byrne admitted he was "gutted" with the manner in which Sporting Fingal let three points slip from their grasp against UCD at Morton Stadium.