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Yesterday

17th January 2026

Profile

‘He hasn't anglicised himself at all’: ‘Authentic’ Brian Barry-Murphy climbing UK football ladder

We profile Cardiff City manager Brian Barry-Murphy, flying at the top of League One and tipped for bigger things.

20 hrs ago

1.8k

Last week

11th January 2026 - 17th January 2026

column

In defence of the Saipan movie

Saipan movie plays fast and loose with some facts – but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t get to the truth.

Gavin Cooney

16 Jan

1.9k

Interview

'I still haven’t fully processed it' - The Mayo teenager flying out for Junior Australian Open bid

Mayo tennis prospect Eoghan Jennings speaks to The 42.

15 Jan

2.5k

Opportunity

No 1 issue: Gavin Bazunu must improve stats and consistency at Stoke City

Data gurus rank the Irish international as the worst performing goalkeeper in the championship by one key metric.

Gavin Cooney

13 Jan

2.0k

weekend in amsterdam

Ulster awarded 28-0 win as postponed Cheetahs game is officially cancelled

The game was due to be played in Amsterdam but was postponed twice owing to snowfall and freezing temperatures.

11 Jan

7.5k

Sponsored

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Jan 16

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new man in charge

Cork City appoint ex-Celtic midfielder Barry Robson as club's new manager

11 Jan

2.3k

On the Move

Gavin Bazunu likely to join Stoke on loan, Kelly Brady completes move to Crystal Palace

11 Jan

4.0k

giddy gidey

Gidey sets new national 10km record in Valencia

11 Jan

1.7k

This month

January 2026

column

Why football's posturing, meddling corporate class prevent good management

There is no evidence that United and Chelsea’s structures can succeed at the elite end of English football.

Gavin Cooney

9 Jan

1.2k

brittle and broken

Ruben Amorim at least stood for something - unfortunately for him, it was never going to work

Amorim’s inflexibility now looks absurd, and the United hierarchy have run out of patience.

Gavin Cooney

5 Jan

2.1k

Back to the drawing board

Assessing Ireland's midfield options after the shattering injury to Josh Cullen

Cullen has started every competitive game for which he has been available for the last five years – how can Ireland replace his influence?

2 Jan

2.4k

Anthony Cacace and Pierce O'Leary to co-headline world title fight night at 3Arena

2 Jan

834

bizarre episode

The Atomic Bowl: The untold story of the American football game played at Ground Zero in Nagasaki

A new documentary unearths the bizarre and chilling tale of the American military’s New Years’ game on the site on which they dropped the bomb.

1 Jan

1.9k

Sponsored

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Jan 5

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Cornamaddy Court, Athlone

From €340,000

Maple Woods, Midleton

From €425,000

Balmoston, Donabate

From €440,000

Folkstown Park, Balbriggan

From €460,000

Furzefield, Swords

From €500,000

Millers Glen, Swords

From €525,000

Belcamp, Balgriffin

From €545,000

View all

Last month

December 2025

Sidelined

Ireland dealt major Josh Cullen injury blow ahead of World Cup playoffs

30 Dec 2025

4.8k

swede gig

Former Cork City boss Ger Nash appointed to role with Swedish champions

30 Dec 2025

5.8k

secondment

Jones and Flannery link up with Bulls for short-term coaching roles

28 Dec 2025

4.6k

Political Football

Rip-off ticket prices, ICE raids, moving fixtures: What to expect from the MAGA World Cup

We look ahead to some of the storylines to expect from next summer’s World Cup in North America.

Gavin Cooney

27 Dec 2025

1.4k

Sponsored

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essay

What I think about when I think about Rory McIlroy in 2025

Assessing the making and the legacy of McIlroy’s extraordinary 12 months.

Gavin Cooney

26 Dec 2025

3.9k

Comment

Villa's amazing run looks unsustainable while United are genuinely getting better

Villa are giving a historically emphatic two-fingers to Expected Goals, while Man United are onto the right thing with Ruben Amorim. They just need to get better players.

21 Dec 2025

3.5k

column

Best Heckle, WTF moment and Ronaldo red card of the year - The alternative 2025 awards

It’s time to look back on 2025 with the highly prestigious The 42 Alternative Awards of the Year.

Gavin Cooney

19 Dec 2025

2.1k

column

The proof that America has conquered football - Welcome to the Rip-Off World Cup

Here is another event separating us all according to the great hierarchy of wealth, telling many of us that, actually, this World Cup just isn’t for you.

Gavin Cooney

12 Dec 2025

2.8k

Explainer

Hoping to go to the World Cup? Here's how to try to get tickets

Fifa’s latest ticket sales window opens today and runs until 13 January.

11 Dec 2025

3.8k

Liverpool

Liverpool show signs of arduous progress against Inter - but they have an Isak problem

This was another wretched outing for the club’s record signing: technically sloppy, physically overwhelmed, and just generally looking diffident and confused.

Gavin Cooney

9 Dec 2025

3.6k

Comment

Salah knows his time at Liverpool is over, and he is right to say it is not his fault

For the first time, Liverpool’s self-interest does not align with Salah’s. In these scenarios, the player is always the fall guy.

Gavin Cooney

8 Dec 2025

6.5k

Eurozone

Parrott scores again in AZ draw, nine-man Real Madrid shocked by Celta Vigo

Updated 7 Dec 2025

8.4k

Golden Girl

Ellen Walshe makes history with 200m butterfly gold at the European Short Course championships

Walshe stormed home to gold with a stirring finish.

Updated 7 Dec 2025

5.2k

Cyrus Christie

‘I’m enjoying football again’ - Ireland’s forgotten defender on injuries, racial abuse, and chasing promotion dream

6 Dec 2025

3.0k

Planning

Hallgrimsson hopes to resurrect plans for January international matches for LOI players

6 Dec 2025

3.8k

forecasting

'It's a beatable group' - Hallgrimsson reacts to Ireland's potential World Cup draw

5 Dec 2025

4.7k

column

From the GAA to World Rugby to Fifa - Stop changing the formats of our great competitions

The formats of virtually of our biggest events have changed radically in the last few years – we have to call a halt.

Gavin Cooney

5 Dec 2025

1.2k

Money matters

LOI players secure increase in minimum wage for 2026

2 Dec 2025

3.2k

Last year

2025

making his name

Charlie Smyth kicks 56-yard field goal in impressive NFL debut

30 Nov 2025

5.0k

Sponsored

Grandma's Prizefall gives Irish players a chance to win exciting prizes this Christmas

panenka goes wrong

Parrott misses 99th-minute penalty in narrow AZ defeat

30 Nov 2025

4.9k

Comment

Even with only a draw, Chelsea mark themselves out as real title contenders

For Arsenal this was a good result even with the odds in their favour – for Chelsea this was an opportunity missed even from adversity.

Gavin Cooney

30 Nov 2025

1.3k

Dunne and dusted

Alex Dunne third in Qatar but Fornaroli wraps up F2 title

30 Nov 2025

1.4k

column

Revealed*: Cristiano Ronaldo's letter to Fifa explaining why World Cup ban should be quashed

*Letter may be the product of the author’s imagination.

Gavin Cooney

28 Nov 2025

5.6k

Damien Duff

'My take-home as a coach is maybe to relax a little bit more'

27 Nov 2025

3.8k

draw specialists

Fifa: Ireland will be bottom seeds in their group if they qualify for World Cup

25 Nov 2025

6.6k

Off the Mark

Evan Ferguson scores first Serie A goal as Roma go clear at the top

Ferguson got off the mark on his return from injury in a 3-1 win away to Cremonese.

Updated 23 Nov 2025

8.4k

power cut

Seamus Power falls short in bid to retain full PGA Tour card

23 Nov 2025

3.3k