Some top names in Irish sport and sports writing give their views on 2006

Bernard Dunne - Boxer IBF title holder

Favourite sporting moment of 2005? Liverpool winning the Champions League. On a personal level, my first major professional fight in Ireland will always stay with me.

Who will win All-Ireland hurling/football titles? It's hard to see the champions being beaten although I would love to see Dublin make an impact in the football. Cork and Tyrone.

Premiership - 2nd/3rd/4th place? Liverpool, Man United, Arsenal.

Champions League? I'd love to see Liverpool defend the title but I have to say Barcelona.

World Cup winners/How will England do? Spain, with England to get out of their group at the very least.

Six Nations - one to six? Shane Horgan regularly comes to the fights so I would love to see Ireland win it. Two to six I don't really care.

Ryder Cup - will it impact on your life? Definitely. I am a really keen golfer so I will be following events. The Yanks are naturally all world class but maybe they won't like the Irish weather.

One for the future? I hope Andy Lee does really well. He took a huge risk turning pro but I have nothing but respect for his single-mindedness. It would be nice to fight on the same card as him in the coming year.

Sporting wish for 2006? For Roman Abramovich to leave Chelsea. Seriously though, my goal is to win a European title in the next 12 months. My next fight is back in Dublin on January 28th so I'll take it from there.

Bob Casey - Rugby London Irish & Ireland

Favourite sporting moment of 2005? Has to be Liverpool winning the Champions League. I was over in Istanbul with Andy Dunne (former Leinster outhalf, now with Bath) and everyone knew this because when Cisse scored in the penalty shoot-out the camera went on me celebrating.

Who will win All-Ireland hurling/football titles? Now that Babs Keating is back, Tipperary. My parents are natives as well. In football, the Lilywhites (Casey hails from Maynooth).

Premiership - 2nd/3rd/4th place? Liverpool, Man United, Spurs.

Champions League? Liverpool have a good draw. Barcelona are the best but that doesn't always mean you win the Champions League so I'll stick with Liverpool.

World Cup winners/How will England do? Brazil, although I think Holland will go well under Marco van Basten. England to reach the semi-finals.

Six Nations - one to six? France, England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Italy.

Heineken European Cup? Toulouse or Stade Français. Sale are the strongest team and will be hard to stop.

Ryder Cup - Will it impact on your life? I always follow the exploits of Harrington and McGinley. It's not massive for me but I'll certainly watch it now that it's at the K Club.

One for the future? Robert Kearney and Jamie Heaslip are doing well at Leinster but at London Irish we have a 19-year-old centre called Shane Geraghty who looks destined for the top level of the game.

Sporting wish for 2006? To play for Ireland again.

Stephen Butler - Hockey Glenanne & Ireland

Favourite sporting moment of 2005? Winning the European Championship trophy in Rome. We beat the Czech Republic in the final.

Who will win All-Ireland hurling/football titles? Cork to achieve the three-in-a-row and Tyrone to win their third All-Ireland in four years.

Premiership - 2nd/3rd/4th place? Liverpool, Spurs, Man United.

Champions League? Barcelona.

World Cup winners/How will England do? Brazil. England will get out of their group but lose in the second round.

Six Nations - one to six? England, France, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Italy.

Heineken European Cup? Munster.

Ryder Cup - Will it impact on your life? Yeah, definitely and I think Europe will retain it too.

One for the future? Mitch Darling from Wesley College and Leinster has been coming up the underage ranks for some time. I think this will be his breakthrough year.

Sporting wish for 2006? To qualify for the World Cup in China. We have to finish in the top six of the qualifying tournament next April.

Ronan McGarrity - Mayo footballer/Ballina basketballer

Favourite sporting moment of 2005? Ballina winning the All-Ireland basketball club title. Outside of my own sports it has to be Roy Keane signing for Celtic.

Who will win All-Ireland hurling/football titles? I can't see Cork doing the treble so it's Kilkenny in the hurling. It's impossible to do the double in football so Armagh or Kerry.

Premiership - 2nd/3rd/4th place? Man United, Bolton, Wigan.

Champions League? Chelsea.

World Cup winners/How will England do? I'd like to see Argentina win it. England to escape from their pool but that's where the journey will end.

Six Nations - one to six? Ireland, Wales, France, Scotland, England and Italy.

Heineken European Cup? Sale

Ryder Cup - Will it impact on your life? I will probably watch most of it as I work for Vincent Doherty bookmakers down here in Mayo. I would like to see Europe win it.

One for the future? A strange one but if Ciarán Whelan can repeat the form of last year Dublin will be very difficult to beat.

Sporting wish for 2006? Ballina to win the Superleague Cup, Mayo to go well in the All-Ireland series and Gavin Duffy, who is a Ballina man, to get selected for Ireland in the Six Nations.

Paddy Power - Bookmaker

Favourite sporting moment of 2005? Moscow Flyer winning the Queen Mother chase at Cheltenham. It was a bad result for us but still nice to see an Irish victory.

Who will win All-Ireland hurling/football titles? Cork and Armagh.

Premiership - 2nd/3rd/4th place? Man United, Liverpool, Spurs.

Champions League? Juventus. They have a great draw, against Werder Bremen, while either Chelsea or Barcelona will not make the last eight.

World Cup winners/How will England do? Brazil. I would have tipped England to win it but contrary to popular opinion I think they got a tough draw. Their record against the Swedes is terrible and if they finish second in the group they meet Germany - presuming the hosts win their group.

Six Nations - one to six? France, England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Italy.

Heineken European Cup? Stade Français

Ryder Cup - Will it impact on your life? Nobody will see me for three days unless of course I get tickets - then I'll be down at the K Club. I think it is a great sporting event. The range of betting is enormous.

One for the future? Trainer Colm Murphy. Brave Inca is the stable star but Feathard Lady is another up-and-coming horse to watch out for. There are plenty of other youngsters in his stable that will come on this year. Some are Irish Cheltenham material.

Sporting wish for 2006? England don't win the World Cup.

Malachy Logan Sports editor

Favourite sporting moment of 2005? Hard to separate two markedly different accomplishments. Tiger Woods chipping in for birdie from a really difficult position at the back of the 16th on the final day at Augusta and going on to win the US Masters again. And learning, while on holiday in France, that my colleague and friend Grania Willis had climbed the North Side of Everest only 15 months after taking up climbing.

Who will win All-Ireland hurling/football titles? Kilkenny and Dublin.

Premiership - 2nd/3rd/4th place? Man United, Liverpool, Spurs.

Champions League? Juventus.

World Cup winners/How will England do? Italy; England to make it to semis.

Six Nations - one to six? France, England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Italy.

Heineken European Cup? Biarritz.

Ryder Cup - Will it impact on your life? Absolutely. Certain to be immense - the hype alone will have even those with only the remotest interest in golf desperate to get their hands on a ticket.

One for the future? Lionel Messi of Barcelona and Argentina. Could be a sensation at the World Cup.

Sporting wish for 2006? That the new Irish soccer team manager is not some unproven manager whose only real credentials are that as a former Irish player he has "a unique understanding of the passion and pride that are critical for the post".

Grania Willis Equestrian correspondent

Favourite sporting moment of 2005? The Tyrone-Armagh replays were unbelievably exciting and it would have been so easy for the final to be an anti-climax, but Tyrone kept up the pace and Kerry stayed with them right to the wire. Clare O'Leary's mid-December feat of becoming the first Irishwoman and only the 15th woman in the world to climb the Seven Summits has to rank right up there too.

Who will win All-Ireland hurling/football titles? Kilkenny, Tyrone.

Premiership - 2nd/3rd/4th place? Liverpool, Man United, Spurs.

Champions League? Barcelona.

World Cup winners/How will England do? Brazil. England to go out at the quarter-finals.

Six Nations - one to six? Wales, France, England, Ireland, Scotland, Italy.

Heineken European Cup? Toulouse.

Ryder Cup - Will it impact on your life? I would absolutely love to go to the K Club. I've never been to a major golf tournament, so now it's going to be on my doorstep I'll be doing my best to get out there.

One for the future? Sarah-Kate Quinlivan took Cian O'Connor and his powerful string right to the final hurdle for the IJM Timberframe national title - and she did it with just one horse, Billy Daly's Newmarket Girl.

Sporting wish for 2006? That show jumping could get back into the headlines for its triumphs, not its tragedies. We have world-class riders and it's time their results made the news.

Philip Reid Golf Correspondent

Favourite sporting moment of 2005? It was just like old times, Tiger Woods doing the impossible. The dominant men's player of 2005 won the first major of the season at Augusta, mainly thanks to an improbable chip-in from over the back of the 16th green. The fist-pumping of the player, the delirious response of the gallery. Spine-tingling!

Who will win All-Ireland hurling/football titles? Cork and Dublin.

Premiership - 2nd/3rd/4th place: Man United, Liverpool, Bolton Wanderers.

Champions League? Barcelona.

World Cup winners/How will England do? Spain (winners)/England (semi-finals).

Six Nations - one to six? France, England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Italy.

Heineken European Cup? Toulouse.

Ryder Cup - Will it impact on your life? It could lead to writer's cramp, RSI and my children making an appointment to see me . . . and, no, I haven't any tickets to spare!

One for the future? Rory McIlroy is the most gifted talent in Irish golf. The youngest winner of the Irish Close (at 16) in 2005. Putting off turning professional until after the 2007 Walker Cup shows he has a wise head on young shoulders.

Sporting wish for 2006? That the Ryder Cup goes off without a hitch: that the road network is completed on time; the crowds remain true to the traditions of the game, and the Irish players on the team - win or lose - can say, 'We told you it would be the best ever. Why did we have to wait so long?'

Gerry Thornley Rugby Correspondent

Favourite sporting moment of 2005? None of an Irish context in a non-vintage year springs to mind so I suppose it would have to be witnessing the All Blacks' destruction of the Lions on a rainswept, atmospheric night in Wellington. Daniel Carter's ridiculous demonstration of all the outhalf skills and flawless 33-point haul (he was inches from 40 points) simply took the breath away.

Who will win All-Ireland hurling/football titles? Galway and Kerry.

Premiership - 2nd/3rd/4th place? Liverpool, Man U plc, Spurs.

Champions League? Olympique Lyon or ABC.

World Cup winners/How will England do? Argentina, just to be different from Brazil/Quarter-final exit and usual post-mortem.

Six Nations - one to six? France, England, Ireland, Wales, Italy, Scotland.

Heineken European Cup? Stade Toulousain.

Ryder Cup - Will it impact on your life? Absolutely. Americans don't embrace team culture as well; it starts with their top players.

One for the future? Eoin Reddan. Hardly a new kid on the block, but could be one of the prime beneficiaries of the flight of the wild geese, and might break into the Irish squad.

Sporting wish for 2006? That one of the provinces wins the European Cup, or Ireland, breaking free of their shackles, win the Grand Slam, ideally playing a brand of rugby that delights as well as delivers. Well, we can but wish.

Seán Moran GAA Correspondent

Favourite sporting moment of 2005? Congress repeal - albeit in very limited form - of Rule 42. Ultimately unexpected but not before time.

Who will win All-Ireland hurling/football titles? Cork and Kerry.

Premiership - 2nd/3rd/4th place? Liverpool, Man United, Arsenal.

Champions League? Chelsea.

World Cup winners/How will England do? Italy/semi-finals.

 Six Nations - one to six? France, England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Italy.

Heineken European Cup: Toulouse.

Ryder Cup - Will it impact on your life? Yeah, the All-Ireland wraps up a week early.

One for the future? Kerril Wade declined to go straight from minor into senior last year and contented himself with playing a significant role in the under-21 All-Ireland success. This considered approach to a hurling career can help exorcise the curse on emerging Galway underage prodigies.

Sporting wish for 2006? That Ireland raise their game considerably in the International Rules series this autumn.