Manchester United’s wait goes on; Portmarnock finally vote to admit women members

Manchester United's wait for a trophy extends to five years after last night's penalty shoot-out Europa League final defeat. Villarreal won the most dramatic of shoot-outs 11-10 after United goalkeeper David de Gea missed the first spot kick of the night. Edinson Cavani had equalised for United in the second half but Ole Gunnar Solskjær's team struggled to create chances as normal and extra time ended in a 1-1 draw. A judge in the UK has stopped the trial of two former South Yorkshire police officers and the force's former solicitor, who had been charged with perverting the course of justice for amending police statements after the 1989 Hillsborough disaster. Read more on that story here.

It only took 127 years for change to come about but, finally, the men-only membership policy at Portmarnock Golf Club in north county Dublin – which stubbornly stuck to its exclusion of women members since its founding in 1894 – has overwhelmingly voted for change. In so doing, the famed north county Dublin club will likely return as a chosen championship venue, certainly for the Irish Open but, perhaps, at some future stage, for The British Open too.

Dan Martin took arguably the most dramatic victory of his professional career on Wednesday. The 34-year-old Irish rider raced to Giro d'Italia success atop the gruelling Sega di Ala climb, proving strongest after a mountainous 193 kilometre stage through the Dolomites. Martin becomes just the 102nd rider in the history of the sport to take a stage win in each of the three Grand Tours, a considerable feat. He's only the third Irish cyclist to do so.

Meanwhile, all eight Irish players chosen in the British and Irish Lions squad, along with the remainder of those selected to tour South Africa, have received their first coronavirus vaccinations ahead of the summer expedition.