Compiled by Keith Duggan

January

30/12/02: Ireland open the Six Nations season with a whopping 54-10 victory against a hapless Welsh side at Lansdowne Road. It represents a dream start for the new management team led by Eddie O'Sullivan. In Murrayfield, England douse the Scottish fire on a score of 29-3. A fortnight later, they disabuse Ireland of delusions of grandeur with a 45-11 whipping. O'Sullivan shrugs and says he always knew it was going to be a tough day.

The GAA'S Strategic Review is published with the recommendation that Dublin be split into two distinct football entities, with the Liffey as the half-way line.

The long-awaited heavyweight clash between Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson is announced in New York. Tyson gets his retaliation in first (above), gnawing gamely on Lewis's lower shin.

Munster enjoy another famous day, defeating Stade Francais in the Heineken Cup quarter-final 16-14. FA Cup holders Liverpool crash out at the quarter-final stage, losing 1-0 to Arsenal.

Riot police use batons to force back hundreds of Cardiff supporters who invade their home pitch to taunt visiting Leeds fans after a famous 2-1 victory. Leeds are Premiership leaders at the time. Wayne McCullough, banned from fighting by the BBBC on health grounds, boxes in a Las Vegas challenge fight for the first time in 27 months.

Kevin Keegan reveals he is really Confucius in disguise with the following mind-bender: "As I said to Kevin Horlock, we can't all be generals, someone has to stand on the pavement and wave as the generals go by on their horses and if there is no one there the generals wouldn't go by on their horses."

February

Around Ireland's Gaelic fields, the National League starts. No fewer than 13 games are postponed due to foul weather. The following weekend, Kildare becomes the first team to fall foul of the irksome blood substitutes rule by using six substitutes.

Alexander Banquet wins the Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown and is instantly made favourite for the Aintree national.

Out in Salt Lake city, Canada wins its first ice hockey gold medal game in 50 years with a 5-2 win over the United States. Ireland discovers royalty and ice racing in the same week, with Lord Clifton Wrottesley (right) coming desperately close to the medals in the skeleton event. The real fun, as ever, lies in the sequined world of figure skating, where there is a scandal involving the French, which seems to please every other nation.

After being de-mudded for over an hour, Peter Matthews and Anne Keenan Buckley are formally identified as the winners of the Irish senior cross country titles.

March

Ireland's topsy turvy Six Nations story continues with a 43-22 win over the Scots. Brian O'Driscoll achieves the second hat-trick of his career. Still no smiles from Eddie who declares himself unhappy with the Irish lineout. They go on to beat Italy 32-17 in what is Peter Clohessy's last game at Lansdowne Road.

Cork hurling star Diarmuid O'Sullivan moonlights as a football full-forward to great effect, stinging All-Ireland champions Galway for 1-2 in Tuam.

Irish sprinter Karen Shinkins (left) takes bronze in the 400 metres final of the European Indoor championship in Vienna.

The Formula One season actually gets off to an exciting beginning, with Rubens Barrichello taking flight at the first corner of the Melbourne Grand Prix. Gasps of surprise are heard worldwide when Michael Schumacher eventually wins.

The All-Ireland club championships - the longest sporting tournament on the planet - enjoys its day in the driving rain in Thurles. Ballinderry take the football and Birr takes their third hurling title in seven years.

Paula Radcliffe wins the World Cross Country championships in Leopardstown in the long course. The Irish team triumph in the short course event, taking third place in the teams.

April

Bindaree, ridden by Jim Culloty, wins the Aintree national, securing for the jockey a Gold-Cup-National double.

Dundalk beat Bohemians 2-1 in the FA Cup final at Tolka Park.

Ireland visit Stade de France with an outside chance of claiming the Six Nations championship but France destroy them 44-5 on their way to completing the Grand Slam.

Munster march on, however, defeating Castres 17-25 in a thrilling European Cup semi-final in Beziers.

In London, Paula Radcliffe's winning marathon time of 2:18:56 is hailed as one of the greatest ever in the history of the event. It is Radcliffe's debut in the discipline.

In Augusta, Tiger Woods wins his third US Masters title, by three strokes. Padraig Harrington leads the Irish challenge, tying fifth.

Kerry's Seán Kelly becomes president-elect of the GAA at the annual congress. A motion to devolve the authority for use of Croke Park to the association's central council is defeated.

Tyrone capture the National League title with a 0-16 to 0-7 win over Cavan at Clones. Colin Cooper, a newcomer for Kerry, hits 1-2 as Kerry beat Laois in the Division Two decider. During the league finals weekend, 171 of the top players come together for a watershed meeting of the GPA, demanding official recognition from the GAA.

May

At the National Hurling League final, the Cork players carry out a scruffy-protest, participating in the parade with their socks down. Kilkenny present a tidier front and maintain the form in the actual match, winning by 2-15 to 2-14.

A week later, the championship is upon us and Rory Gallagher of Fermanagh lands a record 3-9 as his county smash Monaghan.

Business is also concluded in the All-Ireland League, with Shannon defeating Cork Con by 21-17 in the Division One showpiece.

Arsenal claim the FA Cup and Premiership double, while at Hampden Park, Zinedane Zidane whets the appetite for the World Cup with a sublime goal for Real Madrid that is the prefect finish to the Champions League final over smalltown heroes Bayer Leverkusen.

Across in Cardiff, Munster fall at the final hurdle again, losing the European Cup final to Leicester 15-9. Much is made of the decision by Leicester flanker Neil Back to illegally swipe away the ball during a crucial Munster scrum. Back is unrepentant. Some good news during a dismal Grand Prix season for Jordan, with Giancarlo Fisichella finishing fifth and earning the Irish team a few valuable points.

After a farewell against Nigeria at Lansdowne Road, Ireland depart for the World Cup. Within days of landing in Saipan, remote and sweltering, it emerges that all is not well. Captain Roy Keane, appalled at the arrangements, decides to leave the World Cup but changes his mind at the last minute. Twenty-four hours later, Mick McCarthy challenges him over an interview he gave to this newspaper. After an unholy war of words, McCarthy calls a midnight press conference and announces he is sending the Irish captain home. Keane leaves Saipan the next morning while the rest of the squad flies onto Japan. Attempts to broker a reconciliation end disastrously and after a weekend of high anxiety Keane announces that his World Cup is over before it even begins.

June

Ireland's World Cup starts on June 1st, with the country still in shock after the Keane debacle. Cameroon, fancied by many as potential champions, are expected to murder the Irish. Eamon Dunphy turns up on RTÉ wearing the colours of the African champions. Patrick Mboma's 39th-minute goal seems like the beginning of the inevitable. Then Mattie Holland equalises and suddenly life seems a little brighter. In Manchester, Keano takes his dog for a walk. A week later, World Cup fever is officially declared when Robbie Keane saves the Irish against Germany (celebrating, below). Qualification is duly achieved and, on June 16th, Ireland play Spain in the second round at Suwon. Famously, they lose on penalties. Tears all round and a general consensus that the better team lost.

The hurling and football championships are at molten point. Waterford's hurlers win hearts and silverware in Cork, defeating All-Ireland champions Tipperary in the Munster final. Tom Lyons leads the Dublin football renaissance.

In Memphis, Lennox Lewis at last humbles the bullyboy of the dark trade, Mike Tyson. Oozing blood and contrition afterwards, Mike promises he will be back.

July

World Cup carries on despite Ireland's absence. Brazil, written off as yesterday's men, eventually claim the trophy, beating a stoical German team 2-0. It is a day of redemption for Ronaldo, the superstar striker whose world fell apart on the eve of the 1998 final.

Michael Schumacher wraps up the most drama-free sports season of all time, officially declared Formula One championship at Silverstone.

Lleyton Hewitt takes the men's singles title at Wimbledon while Serena defeats Venus Williams for the women's championship.

At Croke Park, Kilkenny take their fifth successive Leinster title while Armagh enjoy another Ulster final triumph. And 78,000 people show up at Croke Park for the Leinster football final where Dublin defeat Kildare. Galway crash out of the hurling championship against neighbours Clare, and Antrim give Tipperary a fright at Croke Park.

The wind blows at Muirfield and Tiger Woods is the chief casualty, enduring the most humbling round of his career. Padraig Harrington misses out on a place in Sunday afternoon's play-off by a single stroke. Ernie Els wins the four-way play-off.

In France, Lance Armstrong moves steadily towards the company of Hinault and Merckx with his fourth consecutive Tour de France victory.

August

The championship continues and the great names fall on the carpet at Croke Park. Kerry dismiss Galway from the football championship. Dublin evict Donegal after a classic drawn game. Sligo scare the pants off Armagh. Against the odds, Clare sweep into another hurling final, ending Waterford's dreams. Kilkenny beat Tipperary in the other semi, a game that approaches the realms of true classic.

Sonia O'Sullivan, suffering a so-so season by her own standards, is squeezed into the silver medal slot after a sprint finish against Spain's Marta Dominquez in the 5,000 metres final of the European championships. Mark Carroll finishes sixth in the corresponding men's event and targets the New York marathon as his next big event.

Rich Beem, sometime golfer and author of one of the funniest books about the sport, has the last laugh in Minnesota, taking the US PGA championship. He was ranked 197th in the world at the beginning of the year.

Eddie Jordan stuns the racing world by landing a three-year deal with Ford (the car company, not the model agency).

September

Dublin's magical football odyssey ends in dramatic fashion in Croke Park when Ray Cosgrove (below) hits the post with a last-second free. Armagh, the Ulster champions, squeeze through to their first All-Ireland final since 1977.

Ireland's soccer heroes meet up and get their European campaign under way with a visit to Moscow. The city is shrouded in smoke caused by the smoke from acres of burning gorse. Ireland lose 4-2, with Phil Babb scoring an own goal just seconds into his return from exile.

A day later, in the All-Ireland hurling final, Kilkenny conclude a perfect season with another polished performance. Clare, masters of the big performance, simply cannot live with Kilkenny's tally of 2-20.

A fortnight later, it is Armagh's turn. They recover from an early blitz of show-time football from Kerry to transform the All-Ireland football final into a nail-biting epic after Oisín McConville's goal.

The month ends on a memorable note for Irish golf. The Ryder Cup at The Belfry goes down to the wire and ultimately hinges on an 11-foot putt by Dublin's Paul McGinley.

Sonia O'Sullivan also declares her intention to run in the New York Marathon and posts second fastest time in history in a five-kilometre race in London.

October

At the climax of a lucrative and consistent season, Padraig Harrington takes the fifth title of his career, the Dunhill Links, lifting his season earnings by €818,000. He is now a serious contender for the European Order of Merit.

Peter Reid is sacked as Sunderland manager and Mick McCarthy is rumoured to be on the verge of leaving Ireland to succeed him. The publication of his diaries sparks off the World Cup controversy again. He denies that he equivocated when asked to comment on the Sunderland job.

In Chicago, Paula Radcliffe (right) does it again, setting a new women's world record in the city marathon on a time of 2:17:18. Sonia O'Sullivan, preparing for the New York epic, dominates the Great Ireland Road Race, winning comfortably a day after a two-and-a-half hour run.

At Croke Park, the Australians win the annual International Rules series with the tightest of wins against Ireland. The game is played in a hailstorm in front of 71,500 people and is generally-regarded as the best since the sport was revived.

Derry win the FAI Cup by a single goal over Shamrock Rovers.

November

In New York, Sonia O'Sullivan hits the wall half way though the marathon, falling behind as she crossed the Queens borough bridge. There is brighter news for Mark Carroll, who comes in sixth in the men's race, a promising beginning to the final phase of his career.

Seventeen-year-old Wayne Rooney is the new soccer sensation in England, beating Arsenal and then Leeds with a pair of wonder goals.

The Dublin GAA championship goes legal as Na Fianna, thrown out for playing six substitutes, take their case to the High Court. It is heard and turned down. UCD win the county title.

The Swiss visit Lansdowne Road and, on a baleful night, win 2-1. The best fans in the world jeer long and loud. Days later, Mick McCarthy resigns and the Genesis Report, commissioned by the FAI, finds the association to be wanting in the area of running a football association. Niall Quinn retires at Sunderland.

Rugby world champions Australia arrive at Lansdowne Road on a day of unimaginable weather and lose 18-9. It is Ireland's first win over the Wallabies since 1979. A week later, they coast past Fiji and close a memorable trilogy with a 16-7 win against Argentina, leaving them with six consecutive wins.

In Valderrama, Padraig Harrington loses the Order of Merit race to Retief Goosen, but goes on to win twice (with Asian Open trophy, left) in the already-started new season.

December

There is revolt in Cork, with the county's hurling players withdrawing their services because of perceived ill-treatment. Soothing noises are made from Páirc Uí Chaoimh. The footballers throw their weight behind their colleagues and after a week of negotiations, a detente is reached.

DJ Carey wins his ninth All-Star award, equalling Pat Spillane's record. Mount Sion win the Munster club hurling championship and, at Clones, Peter Canavan leads Errigal Ciarán to provincial honours over Enniskillen.

The women's international tennis circuit lands in Dublin for the inaugural Collins Cup between Europe and the US.

The FAI and the Scots go on vacation to Geneva for the announcement of the winner of the 2008 European championship finals bid. Despite popular rumours, the tournament is not awarded to the Celts.

Not for the first time in the year, the FAI comes home with some explaining to do.

Leinster go on a roll in rugby's European Cup and, at season's break, all four provinces are alive in European competition.