St. Munchin's Ewan O'Brien consoles Ruairi Woodcock of Glenstal Abbey after today's Munster Junior Schools Cup. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO

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• Aston Villa have completed the signing of in-form Irish midfielder Conor Hourihane from Barnsley.
• The new National Indoor Arena in Abbotstown was officially opened today.
• Dublin’s Sinead Goldrick has called for equal Government funding for men’s and women’s GAA players.
• Tom Tierney has named five uncapped players in his squad for the upcoming Women’s Six Nations.
• Carl Frampton has received the backing of Conor McGregor ahead of his WBA featherweight title defence against Leo Santa Cruz.
• Both Graeme McDowell and Paul Dunne have made encouraging starts to the Qatar Masters on the European Tour.
• Garda College breezed into the second round of the Sigerson Cup with victory over Cork IT this afternoon.

Jockey David Mullins celebrates winning the The Goffs Thyestes Handicap Steeplechase with Champagne West at Gowran Park. Tommy Dickson / INPHO Tommy Dickson / INPHO / INPHO

Away

• Roger Federer edged an epic Australian Open semi-final tussle with Stan Warwinka to book his place in Sunday’s final.
• Serena and Venus Williams will meet in their first Grand Slam final since 2009 after the sisters won their respective semi-finals at the Australian Open.
• Jamie Carragher has blasted Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge following the club’s League Cup semi-final defeat to Southampton.
• The eagerly-anticipated rematch between Daniel Cormier and Anthony Johnson will headline UFC 210.

The Best Thing We Shared

https://www.facebook.com/The42.ie/videos/vb.110967718965726/1348353945227091/?type=3&theater

A look inside the new state-of-the-art National Indoor Arena at the National Sports Campus.

On The Record

“The last three years I kind of had to put the pin in the wall and make a marker and I think I said in the first two years that a top-two finish would be something I would be really happy with.

“Last year, just on the back of losing so much experience and so much ability through injury, it was a bit of a rebuilding time for us. I think we built not too badly.

“I think it is going to be more competitive than ever [this year], but again it would be great if we could get a top-two finish.”

Joe Schmidt has always been keen to manage expectations and he has largely set realistic Six Nations targets for his team this year.

Where We Were Today

Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

Sean Farrell was out with the Ireland U20s in Sandymount as captain Jack Kelly looked ahead to their Six Nations campaign.

The Fixture List

• The FA Cup fourth round gets underway on Friday with Derby hosting Leicester City at 7.55pm.

Showbiz, baby!

Barnsley’s farewell video to Conor Hourihane explains exactly why he was in demand.

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‘We want to win the Six Nations’: Ireland out to lay down a marker in World Cup year