Ireland is to bid to hold the opening stages of the Tour de France, Sports Minster Catherine Martin has revealed.
The tour last came here a generation ago – in 1998 – when it first ran into a major doping scandal.

The island of Ireland intends to pursue a joint North-South bid to host the opening stages of a future tour, Ms Martin and her Northern counterpart, Gordon Lyons, announced.
They have submitted an expression of interest to the formal bidding process to the tour organisers.