Each weekend, we highlight some of the performances that light up the Irish sporting landscape.
This weekend, we highlight action in Rugby, Skiing, Athletics, Swimming, Gaelic Football and Camogie
This week’s Champions of the Weekend is brought to you by AIB, one of Sport for Business’s key partners, and supporters of our coverage of Gaelic Games.
Irish Rugby
It had looked like this might be a return to the old days of going to Twickenham and being taught a lesson but the joy of Saturday’s win was as much in its unexpectedness as in its record breaking margin. Player of the Match could also have gone to any of four or five players. This was also the main course after a tasty starter of the Ireland U20’s winning in London on Friday night as well.
Ben Lynch
An Irish Skier in an Olympic Final, nailing a place as one of the Top 12 in the world in the Freestyle Half Pipe. And then going out on a high with his best run his final one and an eighth place finish. And he was one of the youngest in the final at age 23. Roll on the French Alps in 2030.
Cork Football
Wins for the Men’s Gaelic Footballers over Meath and the Women’s over Kerry have the two Cork football teams sitting proudly on top of their respective divisions in the Allianz and Lidl National Leagues.
Maeve O’Neill
And more joy for Cork with Maeve O’Neill breaking the Irish 800 metre Indoor record overnight in Boston. The Providence College student’s time is also inside the automatic qualifying standard for next month’s World Indoor Championships in Torun, Poland. Only six Irish women have ran faster for the distance outdoors.
Irish Swimming
John Shortt closed out his weekend of racing with a third gold medal at the McCullagh Invitational at the Sport Ireland National Aquatic Centre. this time in the Male & Open 200m Backstroke. The National Centre (Limerick) swimmer ripped through the water in dominant fashion, clocking 1:57.24 to top the podium. That time sees John Shortt sitting third in the world rankings so far in 2026.
Ellen Walshe also picked up her third win of the weekend in the Female 400m Freestyle Final. The Templeogue swimmer, who won 100m Backstroke and 200m Freestyle gold on Saturday, won out in 4:15.80.
Antrim Camogie
A trip away to Cork in the Centra Camogie League might not have been one undertaken with confidence by Antrim Camogie on Saturday but a 2-10 to 1-11 win, the first in over 50 years has breathed fresh enthusiasm into the continued development of the sport in the county.
Image Credit: Sport for Business
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