
Healy joins select group of Irish riders to wear yellow jersey
just the fourth Irish man to don the race's yellow jersey
. Ian O'Riordan reports on a momentous day for Healy whose 'sensational breakaway ride' in stage 10 lifted him to the top of general classification.
Rory McIlroy wouldn't say no to a momentous day at Portrush come Sunday when
he'll hope to be in contention for the Open
. If he gets to hit the winning putt on the 18th,
Sky Sports' Spidercam
will record it all, providing an 'immersive experience unlike any seen before in a live TV production for golf'. Philip Reid explains all.
Gerry Thornley brings you the latest from the build-up to the Lions' first test against Australia on Saturday,
Mack Hansen Andy Farrell's latest injury concern
. The addition of Jamie Osborne and Thomas Clarkson to the squad brings to
a remarkable 18 the number of Irish players now on Lions duty
- expect an 'anti-Irish blame game' if it all goes horribly wrong.
Gerry also profiles
'the wonderfully skilful and athletic' Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii
, the 21-year-old who 'carries the hopes of the Wallabies on his broad shoulders' having switched from rugby league just over a year ago.
READ MORE
Has Owen Doyle been happy with
the officiating on the Lions tour
so far? Hell no. His chief gripes continue to be intrusive TMOs and 'the lineout remaining on the slippery slope towards extinction as a contest for possession'. He's beginning to think that match officials' jobs should be 'handed to AI'. Don't tempt them, Owen, don't tempt them.
In Gaelic games, Conor McManus reflects on
the weekend's football semi-finals
, while Malachy Clerkin looks forward to the final.
Will it be a clash of styles
, between a group of Kerry players who are the 'keepers of the kicking flame' and a Donegal crew that 'would handpass their granny's coffin into the grave if they thought they could get it past the priest'? He thinks not.
Gordon Manning hears from
Donegal's Ryan McHugh
who's now hoping to become the third member of his family, after his father Martin and brother Mark, to have an All Ireland winner's medal to his name.
And in the build-up to Sunday's hurling final, Gordon looks at how
Tipperary and their manager Liam Cahill have proved their doubters wrong
this season, few in the county imagining that 'they'd be scrambling for All-Ireland final tickets come July'.
It's as well that
the Irish Oaks was shifted to a Saturday some years back
, otherwise it would be competing for attention with the hurling final and the concluding round at Portrush on Sunday. Brian O'Connor previews the race, 'the feature event of Europe's weekend action'.
TV Watch
: It's a weirdly quiet day on the live-sport-on-telly front, so you'll have to make do with Sky Sports' lengthy coverage of practice at Portrush ahead of the 153rd Open (2pm). It's a rest day at the Tour de France, but if you want to catch up on the first week of the race, TG4 brings you the highlights (9.15).
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Irish Daily Mirror
30 minutes ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Rory McIlroy spotted wearing Green Jacket while leaving Portrush
Rory McIlroy decided to throw the green jacket back on ahead of this week's Open at Portrush. McIlroy won the Masters after a decade of trying to complete the Grand Slam. He now returns to Northern Ireland to try to win a second Claret Jug. The hometown hero has garnered plenty of attention since landing in Portrush on Monday and has had packed galleries follow him for his early morning practice rounds. Now that McIlroy is back in Northern Ireland, he will have plenty of social obligations to fulfil. On Tuesday evening, he was spotted wearing his green jacket while on Portrush grounds. The Career Grand Slam winner has been in fine form this week while mingling with fans and conducting his media duties. McIlroy had previously spoken about his lack of motivation after winning the Masters and had some tetchy exchanges with the media in that period. Fast forward to a good finishing round at the Travelers Championship and a few weeks off, and McIlroy arrives to Portrush rejuvenated and showed signs of life by finishing second at the Scottish Open. 'I'm certainly encouraged by how I've played the last two starts, especially last week in Scotland,' he told the media. 'I'm excited with where my game is. I felt like I showed some really good signs last week. I feel like I'm in a good spot and – not that last week was a pure preparation week – but I definitely feel like it put me in a good spot heading into here.' He gets his Open Championship underway at 3.10 pm on Thursday and will play his first two rounds alongside Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Thomas. World Number One Scottie Scheffler will play with 2019 Champion Shane Lowry and former champion Collin Morikawa.


Irish Independent
2 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Kildare referee Brendan Cawley to take charge of All-Ireland senior football final
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Irish Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Rory McIlroy tells autograph hunter 'stop lying' as Open star shows true colours
Rory McIlroy thrilled young supporters at Royal Portrush, spending over 10 minutes signing autographs following his Open Championship practice round on Tuesday, and the five-time major champion put some professional autograph hunters in their place. McIlroy was once again the first to hit the course in his home country of Northern Ireland on Tuesday, teeing off at 7 a. m. local time for the second consecutive day. This time, he played alongside fellow Ulstermen Darren Clarke and Tom McKibbin, with a large crowd gathering to give the local favourites a warm welcome. However, it was McIlroy who stole the show. He received a massive cheer from the spectators around the 18th green as he sank a short-range putt. From there, he dropped a few practice balls for some extra reps before making time for his fans, reports the Mirror US. Firstly, he was presented with a portrait by gifted 15 year old artist Lucia Heaney, who won a local competition. On the opposite side of the green, a large crowd of fans gathered, with a chorus of children begging their hero to sign their hats, flags, head covers, trading cards, and more. McIlroy was incredibly generous with his time, moving up and down the line and doing everything he could to please as many people as possible. Of course, he was once that child, attending Open Championships and eagerly seeking autographs and memorabilia from his favourite stars. The Masters champion, Rory McIlroy, was visibly irritated when he noticed a couple of professional autograph hunters among the spectators, especially after he had obligingly signed items for them earlier on Monday. McIlroy, keen to give scores of kids an unforgettable experience, addressed the autograph seekers with a resolute message: "Guys, I've signed enough for you this week." Despite their protests of innocence, McIlroy wasn't having it and dismissed them with a repeated, "Yeah, you have", twice no less. He then put them firmly in their place, stating: "Stop lying. Get off the fence and let the kids come in." McIlroy was generous with his time, but he was clear that he wanted youngsters to be the beneficiaries (Image:) When they failed to heed his warning, McIlroy's security guard stepped up, threatening to eject them unless they left. This incident marks not the first time a notable sports figure has lost patience with professional signature collectors in the UK; Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola expressed his exasperation with such individuals who incessantly requested his autograph at matches earlier in January. Although McIlroy's calendar is dominated by U.S. duties, restricting his visits home, he conveyed his joy at being back on familiar turf during Tuesday's press briefing. Offering heartfelt remarks, he noted: "It means an awful lot. It's weird, it doesn't feel like six years have passed since 2019. I think it's amazing that Portrush has this opportunity so soon after the last Open to host again," highlighting his appreciation for the historic Irish course. "Just great to be back. I don't spend a lot of time in these parts anymore, just with travel schedule, living abroad, all that stuff. To be here, to see a lot of familiar faces, every hole on the course has a different team of marshals from different golf clubs, and just to see people that I've met throughout the years out there this morning was really nice. It's really nice to be back, and obviously very excited for the week."