Cork are out of the Allianz Hurling League; this defeat for Kieran Kingston's side and Tipperary's victory over Waterford meaning the Rebels cannot progress to the knockout stages.

When Brendan Maher nailed the late free which pushed Borris-Ileigh three points ahead yesterday, his hurley split from the bas upon the moment of impact, the loose shaft of ash clearly flying off into the late winter dusk.

Every semi-final ever played has a double life.

Trailing by 0-11 to 0-7 at the break, Thomas’ won the second period by 1-6 to 0-3, but it wasn’t until the final 12 minutes of the half that the Thomas’ display really sparked to life.

St Thomas have won all three county finals they have played in — having only made it to their first decider in 2012 — and they will go into a repeat of last year’s Galway SHC showdown against Liam Mellows as favourites in two weeks’time to retain the title for the first time.

Reigning champions St Thomas will meet Turloughmore in the semi-finals of the Galway SHC, while last year’s runners-up Liam Mellows will take on Cappataggle following the quarter-finals at the weekend.

Champions St Joseph’s are 60 minutes away from retaining their title after a semi-final victory over Doonbeg at Cusack Park on Saturday.

There has been no wielding of the axe by the Clare management in the wake of last weekend’s 13-point hammering at the hands of Tipperary, with the team named for tomorrow’s game against Limerick showing just one change in personnel.

Everyone wants to know at what stage of the All-Ireland series Joe Canning will make his return — but has anyone stopped to consider the growing possibility that Galway might not see beyond Leinster, putting paid to any late-summer running of The Joe Show?

A sterling second-half comeback from Wexford earned the visitors to Salthill a share of the spoils in this error-ridden Leinster SHC clash.

Martin Kavanagh fired 11 points for Carlow, but he was unable to get them over the line for victory as Galway claimed the win in their Leinster SHC opener at Pearse Stadium.

The Joe Show, that most popular one-man production which has been enthralling crowds since the middle of the last decade, ain’t running these next two months.

Former Galway captain Ollie Canning has admitted little brother Joe’s groin injury couldn’t have occurred at a worse time.

Galway hurlers have received a timely boost with Joseph Cooney marking his return from Australia by turning in a superb performance for his club Sarsfields at the weekend.

Galway manager Micheál Donoghue has been handed a boost ahead of their Leinster Senior Hurling Championship campaign.

Galway boss Micheal Donoghue will face a sweat over the fitness of another All Star as Conor Cooney left the field on crutches, on an awful weekend for St Thomas’.

Sunday’s league semi-final will tell Galway manager Micheál Donoghue whether the fringe players he has persisted with throughout the spring are capable of making an impact come championship, according to former Galway forward Niall Healy.

Ballyhale Shamrocks are AIB All-Ireland club SHC winners for a record seventh time after a power-packed Croke Park display proved far too much for an overwhelmed St Thomas'.

The Galway senior hurlers will be aiming to lean on Kieran ‘Star’ Donaghy’s basketball expertise as much as his experience of big football days, according to forward Conor Cooney.

In a game like this, the inches all count.

St Thomas’ claimed their third Galway SHC title with the largest winning margin in nine seasons as Darragh Burke inspired them to a memorable victory at Pearse Stadium.

Ballyea 1-21 O’Callaghan’s Mills 1-17

Galway and Limerick have both named their starting lineups ahead of this Sunday's All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final at Croke Park.

Over half a century ago Harold MacMillan reduced all of politics to those four words. Even now it’ll have to do as a description of Galway-Clare on Saturday evening.

Éamonn Fitzmaurice shipped some criticism last week when he reintroduced Paul Geaney against Monaghan after a disappointing initial foray for the Dingle man.

Some of the talking points from this weekend's GAA action.

Over the last while, I’ve been listening to Alan O’Mara’s excellent podcast ‘Real Talks’.

Let’s get the moany bits, all the more relevant after the week that was in it, out of the way quickly.

Galway 1-22 Kilkenny 2-11

Micheál Donoghue believes there is no need to rethink the weight of the sliotar in light of his Galway team’s achievement in claiming last year’s All-Ireland title without finding the net in their last four championship games.

An eight-point interval deficit overturned to end eight years mired in Division 1B. For a young Limerick team, this was a watershed result.

Galway 1-19 Antrim 1-16: After an hour of average hurling Micheál Donoghue’s Galway finally showed their class to launch the defence of their league and championship titles with victory over Antrim at Pearse Stadium.

Neal Peden’s Antrim almost landed the first major knock-out blow of the season, but the All-Ireland and league champions Galway finally found their form in the closing minutes to take the points at Pearse Stadium.

It was the Tuesday evening after Galway’s All-Ireland final win that the magnitude of their achievement finally registered with Conor Cooney.

All-Ireland winning captain David Burke and Joe Canning both earn their fourth All Star.

Enda McEvoy is the first to ask ... Who’ll win the 2018 All-Ireland? 

In a TV interview afterwards, David Burke spoke about an incident midway through the second half, where he shouted to Joe Canning, Conor Cooney, and Joseph Cooney.

Another September. Dreams fled away, as Thomas Kinsella used to say.

From a distance, the world looks maroon and white this morning.

Just as he’s on the precipice of winning his first-ever All Ireland at the 10th attempt, Canning is also on the verge of going his first-ever championship without scoring a goal.

Conor Cooney didn’t take 2012 very well.

As Galway v Tipperary games go, Anthony Daly felt yesterday’s was on another level.

David Burke doesn’t do clichés.

With the destination of the Liam MacCarthy Cup wide open, this could prove to be the All-Ireland series from heaven. Here Enda McEvoy looks at seven individuals — not all of them superstars — who’ll have a say in the outcome of the 2017 hurling championship