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Ronaldo signing is about pleasing fans; Irish swimmers into Paralympic finals

The Morning Sports Briefing: Keep ahead of the game with ‘The Irish Times’ sports team

Ireland’s Barry McClements in action at the Tokyo Aquatic Centre on day six of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Photograph: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
Ireland’s Barry McClements in action at the Tokyo Aquatic Centre on day six of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Photograph: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
Mon Aug 30 2021 - 07:29

The Republic of Ireland will play a cameo role in the global football narrative of Cristiano Ronaldo's return to Manchester this week. Ireland take on Portugal in the first of three World Cup qualifiers in six days on Wednesday at Estádio Algarve. In his column this morning (Subscriber Only), Ken Early explains why Ronaldo's arrival is more about appeasing fans than team-building: "It remains to be seen how Ronaldo reacts the first time he is felled by a defender's forearm to the brainstem, only for the referee to impatiently wave play on." On Sunday, Mason Greenwood's 80th minute winner gave Manchester United the three points against Wolves. Ali Coote and Andy Lyons scored as Bohemians' booked their place in the last eight of the FAI Cup after a rollicking Dublin derby against Shamrock Rovers at Dalymount Park.

All three Irish swimmers - Barry McClements, Nicole Turner and Róisín Ní Riain - have progressed to their respective finals at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo. The trio are all in action in their finals later this morning. Kerrie Leonard's brilliant campaign in in the Para archery came to an end however after losing her head to head 1/8 round match against Stepanida Artakhinova of the Russian Paralympic Committee. You can keep up to date with all of the latest from Tokyo here. On Sunday, Ireland's 'Gold Smyth' Jason Smyth claimed his sixth Paralympic success in the T13 100m final in Tokyo, which he won in a season's best 10.53 seconds.

Rory McIlroy claimed fourth place with a five-under 67 at the BMW Championship outside Baltimore. Patrick Cantlay made a litany of must-have putts, culminating in a 17 1/2-foot birdie on the sixth playoff hole that carried him to a victory over Bryson DeChambeau. Shane Lowry missed out on the top 30 in FedEx Cup standings who qualified for the Tour Championship finale.

Meanwhile, Malachy Clerkin reflects on Tyrone's All-Ireland football semi-final win over Kerry on Saturday. The hardy hoors from mid-Ulster produced "a display of pure thorny Tyroneness, they outfought and outlasted Kerry on Saturday night, seeing out extra-time on a scoreline of 3-14 to 0-22. It means they see their way into a final against Mayo in a fortnight's time. And it will only be a fortnight – right lads?"