Punchestown Festival
The finale of the jump racing season in Ireland takes place in Co Kildare from Tuesday to Saturday. Boasting several Grade One races, the highlights at Punchestown Racecourse during the week include the Champion Chase on Tuesday, Champion Stayers Hurdle on Wednesday and Champion Hurdle on Thursday. – RTÉ, Tuesday-Saturday
Irish Cup Final
The first Irish Cup final between Cliftonville and Linfield since 1934 takes place at the weekend at a sold out Windsor Park. Around 15,000 (a few thousand less than capacity due to the segregation of fans) have tickets for the decider. While security at the Reds v Blues clash will, inevitably, be very tight, the IFA are hoping for a positive advertisement for the game in Northern Ireland – on and off the pitch. – BBC, Saturday
Giro d’Italia
The 107th Giro d’Italia begins at the weekend in Venaria Reale, just outside Turin, and finishes on May 26th in Rome. Much the talk in the build-up to the three-week Grand Tour cycling stage race (the other two being the Tour de France and Vuelta a España) has been about Slovenian Tadej Pogacar. The two-time Tour de France champion is the hot favourite to add the Giro title to his collection. – Eurosport, Saturday-May 26th
MONDAY (Apr 29th)
- TENNIS – Sky Sports Tennis, 10am-11pm – Day 7 Madrid Open
- SNOOKER – BBC 2, 1pm-6pm, 7pm-8pm; BBC Four, 8pm-10pm; Eurosport 1, 1pm-4pm, 5pm-10pm World Championship
- CYCLING – Eurosport 2, 2.30pm-4.30pm – Stage 2 Women’s La Vuelta a España
- SOCCER – TNT Sports 1 – Serie A – 7.45pm Genoa v Cagliari
- SOCCER – LaLigaTV & Premier Sports 1 – La Liga – 8pm Barcelona v Valencia
- SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Championship – 8pm Preston NE v Leicester City
- GAA – TG4 – Leinster U-20 Football) – 7.30pm Meath v Louth
- RUGBY – RTÉ 2, 8pm-9pm Against the Head
TUESDAY (Apr 30th)
- TENNIS – Sky Sports Tennis, 10am-11pm – Day 8 Madrid Open
- SNOOKER – BBC 2, 10am-12.15pm, 1pm-6pm, 7pm-8pm; BBC Four, 8pm-10pm; Eurosport 1, 10am-10pm World Championship
- CYCLING – Eurosport 2, 2.30pm-4.30pm – Stage 3 Women’s La Vuelta a España
- RACING – RTÉ 2, 3.30pm-6.30pm Punchestown Festival
- GAA – TG4 YouTube – Munster MFC Quarter-final – 7pm Kerry v Cork
- SOCCER – RTÉ 2 & TNT Sports 1 – Champions League Semi-final – 8pm Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
- SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Championship – 8pm Coventry City v Ipswich Town
WEDNESDAY (May 1st)
- SNOOKER – BBC 2, 10am-11.15am, 1pm-6pm, 7pm-8pm; BBC Four, 8pm-10pm; Eurosport 1, 10am-10pm World Championship
- TENNIS – Sky Sports Tennis, 11am-11pm – Day 9 Madrid Open
- CYCLING – Eurosport 2, 2.30pm-4.30pm – Stage 4 Women’s La Vuelta a España
- RACING – RTÉ 2, 3.30pm-6.30pm Punchestown Festival
- SOCCER – Sky Sports Football & Showcase – Women’s Super League – 7pm Liverpool v Chelsea
- GAA – TG4 – Munster U-20 Football Final – 7.30pm Kerry v Cork
- GAA – TG4 YouTube – Ulster U-20 Football Final – 7.30pm Derry v Tyrone
- SOCCER – Virgin Media Two & TNT Sports 1 – Champions League Semi-final – 8pm Borussia Dortmund v PSG
THURSDAY (May 2nd)
- GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 6am-11am China Open
- TENNIS – Sky Sports Tennis, 11am-11pm – Day 10 Madrid Open
- GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 12.45pm-midnight Byron Nelson
- SNOOKER – BBC 2, 1pm-4.15pm, 7pm-8pm; BBC Four, 8pm-10pm; Eurosport 1, 12.45pm-4pm, 5pm-10pm World Championship
- CYCLING – Eurosport 2, 2.30pm-4.30pm – Stage 5 Women’s La Vuelta a España
- RACING – RTÉ 2, 4pm-7pm Punchestown Festival
- DARTS – Sky Sports Action, 7pm-11pm – Aberdeen Premier League
- SOCCER – Sky Sports Premier League – 7.30pm Chelsea v Tottenham
- RUGBY LEAGUE – Sky Sports Arena – Super League – 8pm Wigan Warriors v Catalans Dragons
- SOCCER – TNT Sports 2 & Virgin Media More – Europa League Semi-final – 8pm Roma v Bayer Leverkusen
- SOCCER – TNT Sports 1 & Virgin Media Two – Europa Conference League Semi-final – 8pm Aston Villa v Olympiakos Piraeus
- SOCCER – TNT Sports 3 – Europa League Semi-final – 8pm Marseille v Atalanta
FRIDAY (May 3rd)
- GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 6am-11am China Open
- RUGBY – Sky Sports Action – Super Rugby – 8.05am Hurricanes v Waratahs, 10.35am Melbourne Rebels v Blues
- SNOOKER – BBC 2, 10am-noon, 1.45pm-6pm, 7pm-9pm; BBC Four, 9pm-10pm; Eurosport 1, 10am-10pm World Championship
- TENNIS – Sky Sports Tennis, noon-11pm – Day 11 Madrid Open
- GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 12.45pm-midnight Byron Nelson
- RACING – UTV & Virgin Media One, 2pm-4.30pm Newmarket
- CYCLING – Eurosport 2, 2.30pm-4.30pm – Stage 6 Women’s La Vuelta a España
- RACING – RTÉ 2, 4pm-7pm Punchestown Festival
- F1 – Sky Sports F1 from 5pm – Practice & Sprint Miami Grand Prix
- GAA – TG4 YouTube – Munster U-20 Hurling – 7.30pm Tipperary v Cork
- SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – League 1 Play-off Semi-final – 7.30pm Barnsley v Bolton
- SOCCER – TNT Sports 1 – Serie A – 7.45pm Torino v Bologna
- SOCCER – LaLigaTV & Premier Sports 1 – La Liga – 8pm Getafe v Athletic Club
- SOCCER – TNT Sports 2 – Ligue 1 – 8pm Lens v Lorient
- SOCCER – Sky Sports Premier League – 8pm Luton Town v Everton
- RUGBY LEAGUE – Sky Sports Arena – Super League – 8pm Huddersfield Giants v Salford Red Devils
- RUGBY LEAGUE – Sky Sports Mix – Super League – 8pm Leeds Rhinos v London Broncos
- RUGBY LEAGUE – Sky Sports Action – Super League – 8pm Warrington Wolves v Hull FC
SATURDAY (May 4th)
- RUGBY – Sky Sports Action – Super Rugby – 3.05am Moana Pasifika v Highlanders, 5.35am Crusaders v Reds, 8.05am Chiefs v Western Force, 10.35am Brumbies v Fijian Drua
- GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 6.30am-11am China Open
- CYCLING – Eurosport 1, 9.15am-10.30am – Women’s one-day Grand Prix du Morbihan
- SNOOKER – BBC 2, 10am-noon, 4.30pm-5.30pm, 7pm-10pm; BBC 1, 1.15pm-4.30pm; Eurosport 2, 10am-10pm World Championship
- SOCCER – Sky Sports Premier League & Showcase – Women’s Super League – Noon Everton v Tottenham
- CYCLING – Eurosport 1, 12.30pm-4.45pm – Stage 1 Giro d’Italia
- SOCCER – TNT Sports 1 – Premier League – 12.30pm Arsenal v Bournemouth
- SOCCER – Sky Sports Premier League – Championship – 12.30pm Birmingham City v Norwich City
- SOCCER – Sky Sports Main Event – Championship – 12.30pm Ipswich Town v Huddersfield Town
- SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Championship – 12.30pm Leeds Utd v Southampton
- RUGBY – TNT Sports 2 – Challenge Cup Semi-finals – 12.30pm Sharks v ASM Clermont Auvergne, 3pm Gloucester v Benetton
- GAA – TG4 YouTube – Munster U-20 Hurling – 1pm Clare v Waterford
- GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 1pm-11pm Byron Nelson
- SOCCER – LaLigaTV & Premier Sports 2 – La Liga – 1pm Real Sociedad v Las Palmas, 3.15pm Real Madrid v Cádiz
- RACING – Virgin Media One, 1.10pm-4pm; UTV, 1.30pm-4pm Newmarket, Thirsk & Goodwood
- TENNIS – Sky Sports Tennis, 2.30pm-7.30pm – WTA Madrid Open Final
- SOCCER – BBC 2 – Irish Cup Final – 2.30pm Cliftonville v Linfield
- SOCCER – Sky Sports Arena – Bundesliga – 2.30pm Stuttgart v Bayern Munich, 5.30pm Cologne v SC Freiburg
- SOCCER – Premier Sports 1 – Premier League – 3pm Burnley v Newcastle Utd
- RACING – RTÉ 2, 3pm-5.45pm Punchestown Festival
- RUGBY LEAGUE – Sky Sports Arena – Super League – 3pm Hull KR v St Helens, 5.30pm Leigh Leopards v Castleford Tigers
- F1 – Sky Sports F1 from 4pm – Spring & Qualifying Miami Grand Prix
- CYCLING – Eurosport 1, 4.45pm-5.45pm – Stage 7 Women’s La Vuelta a España
- SOCCER – TNT Sports 3 – Serie A – 5pm Monza v Lazio
- GAA – TG4 – Connacht U-20 Football Final – 5.15pm Galway v Roscommon
- SOCCER – Sky Sports Premier League – 5.30pm Manchester City v Wolverhampton
- RUGBY – RTÉ 2 & TNT Sports 2 – Champions Cup Semi-final – 5.30pm Leinster v Northampton
- SOCCER – LaLigaTV, ITV4 & Premier Sports 1 – La Liga – 5.30pm Girona v Barcelona
- SOCCER – TG4 – Women’s Premier Division – 7.35pm Cork City v Treaty Utd
- SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – League 1 Play-off Semi-final – 7.45pm Oxford Utd v Peterborough Utd
- SOCCER – TNT Sports 1 – Serie A – 7.45pm Sassuolo v Inter Milan
- SOCCER – LaLigaTV & Premier Sports 1 – La Liga – 8pm Mallorca v Atlético Madrid
- RACING – Virgin Media Two, 8pm-0.30am Kentucky Derby
- SOCCER – BBC 1, 10.30pm-11.50pm Match of the Day
SUNDAY (May 5th)
- UFC – TNT Sports 1 from 3am – Rio de Janeiro Alexandre Pantoja v Steve Erceg
- GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 5am-10am China Open
- CYCLING – Eurosport 1, 11.30am-4.45pm – Stage 2 Giro d’Italia
- GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 1pm-11pm Byron Nelson
- SNOOKER – BBC 2, 1pm-4.15pm, 7pm-11pm; Eurosport 2, 12.45pm-4pm, 6pm-10pm World Championship
- SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Scottish Premiership – 1pm Rangers v Kilmarnock
- SOCCER – LaLigaTV & Premier Sports 1 – La Liga – 1pm Osasuna v Real Betis, 3.15pm Celta de Vigo v Villarreal, 5.30pm Valencia v Deportivo Alavés, 8pm Sevilla v Granada
- GAA – RTÉ 2 – Munster SFC – 1.45pm Clare v Kerry; Connacht SFC – 4pm Galway v Mayo
- SOCCER – BBC 1 – Women’s Super League – 2.15pm Manchester City v Arsenal
- TENNIS – Sky Sports Tennis, 2.30pm-7.30pm – ATP Madrid Open Final
- SOCCER – Sky Sports Arena – Bundesliga – 2.30pm Union Berlin v Bochum, 4.30pm Eintracht Frankfurt v Bayer Leverkusen, 6.30pm Heidenheim 1846 v Mainz
- RUGBY – TNT Sports 1 & UTV – Champions Cup Semi-final – 3pm Toulouse v Harlequins
- SOCCER – Sky Sports Premier League – 4.30pm Liverpool v Tottenham
- CYCLING – Eurosport 1, 4.45pm-5.45pm – Stage 8 Women’s La Vuelta a España
- SOCCER – TNT Sports 3 – Serie A – 5pm Milan v Genoa
- SOCCER – Sky Sports Premier League & Showcase – Women’s Super League – 6.45pm Chelsea v Bristol City
- F1 – Sky Sports F1 from 7.30pm Miami Grand Prix
- SOCCER – TNT Sports 1 – Serie A – 7.45pm Roma v Juventus
- SOCCER – LaLigaTV & Premier Sports 2 – La Liga – 8pm Rayo Vallecano v Almería
- GAA – RTÉ 2, 9.30pm-11pm League Sunday
- SOCCER – BBC 1, 10.30pm-11.40pm Match of the Day 2