Substitute Alberto Gilardino snatched a 2-2 draw with a 90th-minute strike just three minutes after Sean St Ledger thought he had blown the race for automatic qualification from Group Eight wide open. St Ledger’s 87th-minute goal, his first for his country, looked to have closed the gap to the leaders to a single point going into the final round of matches on Wednesday. However, Gilardino’s face-saver booked Italy’s ticket to South Africa. (more…)

Millions of revellers are due to raise pints of the world’s most famous stout to toast the birth of Guinness.

A raft of global celebrations today will mark Arthur’s Day and 250 years since the Irish brewer went into business.

Boxing legend Muhammad Ali was given a hero’s welcome on Tuesday when he visited Ennis, his ancestral home town in Ireland, and was made an honorary freeman at a reception watched by hundreds on big screens outside.Like millions of other Americans, Ali, a champion of the black civil rights movement, has Irish forebears.

The 67-year-old’s great-grandfather, Abe O’Grady, emigrated from Ennis, County Clare, in the 1860s and distant relatives of the three-times world heavyweight champion were overjoyed that “The Greatest” was paying them a visit. (more…)

Check out Genius in Ireland, one of the latest stores to carry Bumpy Pitch. If you’re ever in Dublin, check out any of their three stores (Powerscourt, The Gallery or over at Swan Centre).

Gordon Strachan is expected to leave Celtic at the end of the season and SkyBet are already betting on who replace the canny Scot in charge at Celtic Park. Roy Keane is the 3/1 favourite to land the job after Strachan leaves.

In related news, ManUtd’s Darren Fletcher hails Roy Keane as his greatest influence on his career.

Image via Getty

Former Ireland International and Newcastle right back Stephen Carr has decided to call time on a career that started with Tottenham Hostpur back in 1993, representing Ireland 44 times at the Full Team level and ending just this past summer after leaving Newcastle.

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A great song you often hear this time of year.

A live version of the song after the jump…

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