IRELAND TRAINED UNDER blue skies at Carton House, Maynooth this morning ahead of this weekend’s Six Nations clash with France in Paris.

Gordon D’Arcy’s impressive beard stood up to the heat of an intense training session and both Peter O’Mahony and Cian Healy proved their fitness to the Irish coaching staff. Here are some of the best pictures from today’s run-out in Kildare.

Here comes the beard. INPHO / Cathal Noonan INPHO / Cathal Noonan / Cathal Noonan

Joe Schmidt chats with captain Paul O'Connell. INPHO / Billy Stickland INPHO / Billy Stickland / Billy Stickland

Signing autgraphs will be a work-out in itself for 6' 10" Devin Toner. INPHO / Cathal Noonan INPHO / Cathal Noonan / Cathal Noonan

Simon Zebo gets the jump on Donnacha Ryan. INPHO / Cathal Noonan INPHO / Cathal Noonan / Cathal Noonan

Rob Kearney was happy to sign some autographs. INPHO / Cathal Noonan INPHO / Cathal Noonan / Cathal Noonan

BOD leads the stretches. INPHO / Cathal Noonan INPHO / Cathal Noonan / Cathal Noonan

Peter O'Mahony making some young Irish fan's day. INPHO / Cathal Noonan INPHO / Cathal Noonan / Cathal Noonan

Jonny Sexton takes this autographing business seriously. INPHO / Cathal Noonan INPHO / Cathal Noonan / Cathal Noonan

Ulster's little and large: Paddy Jackson and Iain Henderson. INPHO / Cathal Noonan INPHO / Cathal Noonan / Cathal Noonan

Tall Irish rugby fan poses for a picture with Joe Schmidt. Wait... that's Rhys Ruddock. Cathal Noonan / INPHO Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO

Healy and O’Mahony set for Parisian showdown after coming through training

James Hart: ‘I can’t see how Ireland are going to lose to France this weekend’