The Australian rules and Kerry Gaelic football star Tadgh Kennelly has said he has returned to Australia because Ireland is "on its knees" economically.

Ambassador Rooney was on a visit to Kilkenny city Wednesday, November 18, home to the tomb of Obama's long lost relative, Bishop John Kearney. He said he has asked Obama to visit Ireland.

U2 might be storming the world with "No Line on the Horizon" and their 360 Tour, but the Irish band have failed to crack the Top 50 albums of the decade. The British rock bible NME revealed its Top 50 Monday and U2 are nowhere to be seen.

France coach Raymond Domenech is pleading for players to turn out in huge numbers on Wednesday night in the second playoff game against Ireland. His side leads 1-0 after the first leg "We need the support of the fans from the first to the last minute," Domenech said. "The fans have a real part to play."

Ireland face an uphill task in Paris on Wednesday but star midfielder Damien Duff thinks the upset can be achieved. The Republic trail 1-0 on aggregate after a Nicolas Anelka goal gave France victory in Dublin on Saturday evening. But Fulham midfielder Duff believes a shock win can be pulled off at the Stade de France.

Ireland’s chances of qualifying for the World Cup in South Africa were dealt a cruel blow when an unlucky Sean St. Ledger own goal gave France a 1-0 win at Croke Park in Dublin on Saturday night.

Ireland’s chances of qualifying for the World Cup in South Africa were dealt a cruel blow when an unlucky Sean St. Ledger own goal gave France a 1-0 win at Croke Park in Dublin on Saturday night.

We are just hours away from the biggest soccer match that we have seen In Ireland for many a year. Ireland take on France in the first leg of the World Cup playoff at Croke Park, and if ever there was a need for an Irish crowd to inspire our warriors then today is the day.

Giovanni Trapattoni confirms ten of his team for the first leg of Ireland’s World Cup playoff against France at Croke Park on Saturday, but must make game time decision between McGeady/Lawrence.

Central defender Richard Dunne is in defiant mood ahead of Ireland’s crunch clash against France in the World Cup Playoff this Saturday in Croke Park.

Irish coach Marco Tardelli has warned his World Cup hopefuls that they will need to be on full alert for the two legs of their playoff against France.

Andy Lee's (19-1) preparations for his fight against France's Affif Belghecham (19-3-1) on November 14 at the University Arena in Limerick are going to plan in New York.

Wolves and former Irish national team manager Mick McCarthy believes Giovanni Trapattoni can inspire his old Ireland team to the World Cup finals in the forthcoming playoffs against France.

Giovanni Trapattoni has told his World Cup playoff hopefuls that France are beatable -- and he has the DVDs to prove it. Trapattoni, who has left Andy Reid and Stephen Reid out of his squad for the two games against the French, has spent hours studying Raymond Domenech’s side in their qualifying campaign.

U2 could be hearing from the Dublin City Council over the decibel levels reached at their three concerts in Croke Park earlier this year.

Think you know everything about the Emerald Isle? Think again! Here are 10 facts that just might throw you for a loop.

South Bend, Indiana -- Notre Dame is about much more than a football team. That can be hard to understand on a glorious fall weekend when this beautiful campus is garbed in autumn shades, and tens of thousands of fans as well as national television are on hand for the annual smackdown with

Story / Ireland draws France in World Cup playoff / Click here Giovanni Trapattoni has pointed to his team's resilience against Italy as a benchmark of their strength and determination as they now face

News from the 32: Antrim, Armagh, Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Derry, Donegal, Down, Dublin, Fermanagh, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary, Tyrone, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow

The Republic of Ireland went through the whole 2008 World Cup Qualifying campaign unbeaten after a scoreless draw with Montenegro on Wednesday night at Croke Park in Dublin.

Hull City and Republic of Ireland winger Stephen Hunt made an astonishing outburst at Eamon Dunphy after the RTE pundit called the Irish performance against the Italians on Saturday at Croke Park “shameful.”

Sean O'Shea: Irish manager Giovanni Trapattoni almost pulled off the surprise of the World Cup qualifying rounds when Ireland led World Cup holders Italy into the closing minutes of an enthralling Cup encounter at Croke Park in Dublin.

It was certainly a game of two halves as the old sports cliche goes at Croke Park Saturday as Ireland drew 2-2 with Italy in the crunch World Cup qualifier. Ireland came so close to pulling off a stunning victory against Italy that it hurts even to type these words.

There was a major upset in Group 8 (and a great result for Ireland!) as Cyprus hammered Bulgaria 4-1. The shock result meant that Ireland went into the Italian game knowing that a point would be enough for them to qualify for the playoffs. A win against Italy would technically have meant they could still chase automatic qualification

Giovanni Trapattoni has named his team for the crunch Group 8 World Cup Qualifier against Italy in Croke Park on Saturday.

Giovanni Trapattoni will have to make do without injured players Damien Duff, Darren Gibson and Steven Reid ahead of the crunch Group World Cup qualifier against Italy on Saturday in Croke Park.

Rumor has it that legendary Irish rock band U2 is planning to wrap up their epic tour with a surprise gig at Croke Park in Dublin.

Newly crowned All-Ireland champions Kerry dominate the nominations for the 2009 Vodafone football all-stars with 12 of their team in the running for this year’s awards, while Kilkenny hurling legend Henry Shefflin is in the running for a ninth all-star honor like fellow Cats hero DJ Carey .

How music helped Danny Ellis escape the horrors of an industrial school.

Niall O'Dowd: Croke Park – All-Ireland football final day in Dublin is the centerpiece of the sporting year, the moment when Irish from all over the world tune in to see the ancient athletic contest that was celebrating its 125th anniversary on Sunday.

Kerry won their 36th All-Ireland today at Croke Park beating Cork 0-16 to 1-09. After a slow start, they gained control at midfield and led at halftime by two points. Cork dominated early play and held a three-point lead after 15 minutes.

Roy Keane is backing Cork all the way to win their first All-Ireland final in 19 years against Kerry at Croke Park

The All Ireland Final between Cork and Kerry on September 20, 2008 will be a game based on evening up the scores and avenging tough defeats For Cork, though they overcame Kerry in this year’s Munster Final, this team has not reached the Holy Grail of taking the Same Maguire cup Leeside yet, and the closest they came was in 2007 when they were sent home sour-pussed after a ten point defeat to none other than Kerry.

Kerry have been handed a massive boost ahead of Sunday’s All-Ireland final derby date with Cork after both Colm “Gooch” Cooper and Paul Galvin were cleared to play after recent injury scares.

Catherine O'Leary has a special interest in this weekend's All-Ireland Football Final between Cork and Kerry at Croke Park in Dublin. While her allegiance is most-likely with her hometown of Cork, Catherine's only bet a silent wager — is that some of the wealthier fans who prefer to see the game from luxury boxes will take part in an auction for those seats — to raise enough money so that some of her life can be restored.

Ireland's world number eight looks back a decent result in Chicago at the BMW Championship that included a trip to U2's first U.S. date on their "No Line on the Horizon World Tour" at Soldier's Field.

A little bit of local knowledge goes a long way - and with this in mind, we at Irish Central have prepared a brief guide to vacationing in Ireland.

The GAA is facing new calls to use video referees at crunch ties. The calls come in the wake of the hotly-contested final between Tipperary and Kilkenny at Croke Park. Veteran Tipperary goalkeeper Brendan Cummins said he had urged the referee to use the big screen before he awarded the fateful penalty which turned the game for the Cats.

Sean O'Shea: When the history of hurling is written, the 2009 All-Ireland final will stand out among the best ever. Kilkenny may well be the best team of all time. They are the only four times successive winning champions since Cork in the 1940s. Next year they go for the mythical five in a row, not often attempted and never achieved.

Kilkenny made it four-in-a-row when they beat Tipperary by 2-22 to 0-23 to win the Liam McCarhty cup at Croke Park on Sunday.

Kilkenny have named their starting 15 for the All Ireland Hurling Final against Tipperary on Sunday at Croke Park.

FULL TIME: Kerry 2-08 Meath 1-07 Kerry are off to yet another All-Ireland SFC final, and we can only hope their game picks up. A dreadful afternoon's football saw 32 wides from both sides in a dull affair at

Cork beat Tyrone at Croke Park on Sunday to become the first team to book a place in the All Ireland football final where they will await the winners of next week's semi final between Kerry and Meath.

In tough recession times both here and overseas, Ireland’s tourism may have slowed down, but HeritageIsland.com is providing travelers with guides and discounts to some of Ireland’s best historic and cultural spots.

Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni has named an unchanged squad for the Republic of Ireland's crunch World Cup qualifier against Cyprus on September

Muhammad Ali will be made a freeman of Ennis during his historic Irish visit, and will be the first person to receive the honorary freedom of the town during his visit to Ireland next month.

Tipperary beat Limerick with ease at Croke Park on Sunday to advance to the All-Ireland Hurling Final on September 6, where they will face three-time defending champions Kilkenny.

U2 may have pumped $70 million into the Irish economy with their three Dublin shows in July, but the Irish have returned the favor by helping the band to rake in over $100 million in just its first 13 shows.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers has moved from the luxury of his three bedroom Dublin city center apartment to the more quieter confines of Bray, County Wicklow, as he films the final weeks of “The Tudors” series.

Dublin played like a team that was mourning the departure of U2 today as they rolled over and died against Kerry. The final score at Croke Park was 1-24 to 1-07. But the score belies the fact that there have been some memorable tussles between the two great GAA teams over the years.