Hi °C | Lo °C 
Sharapova beams ahead of French Open title defence
Maria Sharapova has described defending her French Open title as one of the greatest honours in tennis.
McConvey ready for 'do-or-die' Ras push
With three riders level on the same time going into the final two days, today's rendezvous with the Wicklow Mountains means it's do or die in the An Post Ras.
Armstrong brands Di Luca 'stupid' after failed test
Cycling's first major race since the end of the Lance Armstrong case was rattled by another high-profile positive doping test.
Ireland up the ante for Test match status
THE clamour for Ireland to join the elite of Test-playing nations after Thursday's thrilling tie with Pakistan will became a din should Phil Simmons' team go one run better and win tomorrow's second ODI at Clontarf and claim the RSA Series.
Borna Gem to sparkle in final Oaks heat
THE Irish Oaks got off to a great start on Thursday and it set to go into orbit tonight when the remaining eight heats of the Classic are run at Shelbourne.
Prost: Modern-day drivers know nothing of danger
Alain Prost's eyes drift into the middle distance, somewhere between the Grand Casino and Hotel Hermitage, as he contemplates a dark past seldom glimpsed at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Froch ready for Kessler rematch
Carl Froch will go toe-to-toe with conqueror Mikkel Kessler tonight determined to overturn his 2010 defeat by the Dane and secure his legacy as one of Britain's all-time greats.
Serena Williams bullish ahead of Roland Garros
Serena Williams goes into the French Open on a winning streak of 24 matches and believing she is playing the best tennis of her life.
Snow forces cancellation of Giro
Friday's 19th stage of the Giro d'Italia from Ponte di Legno to Val Martello has been cancelled due to adverse weather conditions, race organisers have announced.
Sponsorship cloud has silver lining for home elite
THE Dublin Marathon is without a title sponsor again for only the third time in its 34-year history, but, paradoxically, that spells good news for Ireland's top long-distance runners.
Cricket: O'Brien snatches tie with last ball
PAUL STIRLING and Kevin O'Brien wrote another glorious chapter in the history of Ireland cricket as the home side snatched a pulsating tie with Pakistan at Clontarf.
Nibali in control of giro
Home favourite Vincenzo Nibali strengthened his grip on the Giro d'Italia race lead with a commanding victory in the stage 18 mountain time-trial in the Dolomites.
Win a greyhound for a year with the Irish Independent
All you Irish Independent readers will have a real bonus over the next couple of weeks when you'll have the opportunity to win your own greyhound, with massive bonuses thrown in to make the prize even sweeter.
Burnett ready to take chance
AFTER spending over a year wondering if he'd ever get the chance to fight again, it would be an understatement to say that ex-Olympic Youth champion Ryan Burnett can't wait for the opening bell in Liverpool tonight.
De Pauw's game of 'poker' pays off as McConvey runs out of luck
Young Belgian sprinter Moreno De Pauw blasted clear of Belfast man Connor McConvey and Dane Rasmus Guldhammer just 400m from the line in Mitchelstown to take victory on stage five of the An Post Ras.
Cricket: Ireland fall agonisingly short of famous win against Pakistan
IRELAND fell agonisingly short of a first-ever win over a Test-playing national in Dublin as the opening RSA Insurance one-day international against Pakistan ended in a tie.
Carl Froch will face investigation after saying he is prepared to kill Mikkel Kessler
The Boxing Board of Control will be investigating what they deem "inappropriate" comments made by the supermiddleweight Carl Froch on Wednesday when the world champion and standard bearer for boxing in the UK said he was prepared "to kill" opponent Mikkel Kessler in the ring on Saturday night.
Tennis: Missing French Open could be a blessing in disguise for Murray
As Andy Murray prepares to spend the next fortnight following the French Open from afar, he would do well not to think about the last time injury forced him to miss out on Paris in the spring.
Visconti surges to victory as Movistar keep up hot streak
Italian Giovanni Visconti recorded his second stage win of the Giro d'Italia to give his Movistar team their third straight victory and their fourth overall in the 2013 race.
Greyhound Racing: Chance meeting launched chain of success
My dad was only 57 when he died and I made up my mind to retire and do what I wanted to do when the time came. I duly finished up with eircom at the end of February after working there for 40 years, and haven't had any regrets.
Bialoblocki hunts down McConvey to stay on top
For the past three days on the An Post Ras, Polish race leader Marcin Bialoblocki has been surprising elderly women at the various stage finishes by suddenly kissing them on the cheek and presenting them with a bouquet of flowers.
Irish licence no obstacle to my candidacy – McQuaid
Pat McQuaid has refuted suggestions that his recent nomination by Swiss Cycling for a third term as UCI president may yet be proved invalid due to technicalities surrounding the issuing of licences from the Irish and Swiss federations.
Heartache for Ras leader Hawkins as he crashes out
Five years after Meath man Mark Cassidy crashed out of the An Post Ras near Patrickswell while wearing the yellow jersey, Peter Hawkins has suffered the same fate in the same part of the country.
Irish Oaks teed up for explosive start
The Sporting Press Irish Oaks will be run as a 72-bitch event, with four heats to be contested tomorrow night at Shelbourne and the remaining eight on Saturday.
Mark Webber wants Monaco title tonic
Mark Webber is hoping the comfort of Monaco will help him get his Formula One title challenge back on track.
Hawkins joy after sealing yellow jersey
Belfast man Peter Hawkins took over as race leader of the An Post Ras as flying Kiwi Shane Archbold gave the An Post-Chain Reaction team a fine victory at the end of stage two in Nenagh.
Calendar needs a serious rethink
The format of the Irish greyhound calendar needs a serious rethink. The problem has been highlighted by the massive Irish challenge for the English Derby, which begins next week.
Equestrian: Hanley joy at comeback win
Showjumper Cameron Hanley, whose career seemed to have ended following a freak accident two years ago, has underlined his return to the top by winning the Riders Tour Grand Prix in Wiesbaden, Germany.
Mark Webber wants Monaco title tonic
Mark Webber is hoping the comfort of Monaco will help him get his Formula One title challenge back on track.
Oscar Pistorius will not race in 2013 ahead of murder trial
Oscar Pistorius will not compete again this year as he awaits trial for murder, despite receiving a number of meeting invitations, his agent has confirmed.
Cricket: O'Brien inspires Union to derby victory
KEVIN O'Brien was the scourge of YMCA once again as his 74 eased Railway Union to their victory target of 193 with six overs to spare as the Park Avenue side maintained their impressive recent record in the Sandymount derby.
Don't Miss
Sport Video
Gullit backs Mourinho return
Former Chelsea midfielder, Ruud Gullit, believes Jose Mourinho's possible return to Stamford Bridge would be a good move for the club.
Ras: Rogers edges bunch sprint to claim stage six
Rico Rogers wins sixth stage of the Ras into Carlow
Froch has a point to prove
Carl Froch will go toe-to-toe with conqueror Mikkel Kessler determined to overturn his 2010 defeat by the Dane and secure his legacy as one of Britain's all-time greats.
Vettori future in doubt
As one of the country's most consistent performers in recent years, the Black Caps would be loathe to draw a line under a Test career that started in 1997, but current skipper Brendon McCullum admits there are concerns.
Manchester City edge Chelsea in 4-3 thriller in St Louis
Manchester City fought back from 3-0 down to beat Chelsea 4-3 in an exhibition match in St Louis.
Highlights: Day five of The Rás
Twenty-two year- old Moreno De Pauw, riding for the Belgium National Team, has won Stage Five of The Rás. De Pauw completed the 150- kilometre stage from Glengarrif to Mitchelstown in 3 hours 36 minutes 25 seconds.
City in New York
Manchester City have launched a new club in the USA called New York City FC. They are in partnership with baseball giants the New York Yankees.
Billy Keane's views on The Rás passing through Kerry
Interview with Irish Independent Billy Keane ahead of Stage Five of The Rás
Hull derby set to be feisty affair
Super League Magic Weekend showcases the best of Rugby League over two days - and the Hull derby is set to be a match no-one should miss.
Froch, Kessler ready to go again
Both Carl Froch and Mikkel Kessler cannot wait to get in to the ring again, for their super-middleweight unification bout on Saturday.
