Cork’s 2010 All-Ireland winning defender Michael Shields has informed Ronan McCarthy of his inter-county retirement.

Gerry Burke, father of All-Star Galway hurler Daithí, was 39 years young when Corofin landed the All-Ireland club title in 1998. Kieran Fitzgerald turns 37 in January. Fitzgerald is unsure if the legs will allow him match the longevity of that other Corofin stalwart. As it is, he’s plenty mileage on the clock.

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more.

Good afternoon. Here’s all the news you need to know this lunchtime.

The Galway hurlers have matured this summer, selector Damian Curley believes.

Week 9 (May 28th, 2014) When I started playing GAA at under nines and under tens game day, for me, meant a thirty minute trip in the back of my parents’ Honda Civic into Waterford City, a short spin to one of the nearby parishes or a stroll over to the local field at Dunhill GAA Club.

Win or lose, both Cork and Clare are planning big homecoming bashes after the two counties do battle again today in the replay of the All-Ireland hurling final.

Despite all his success, Heffo was as modest a man as you could wish to meet

Louth team advisor Brian McEniff has wholeheartedly endorsed Peter Fitzpatrick’s assessment of Dublin as “a machine“.

Galway football manager Alan Mulholland received another boost as both Padraic Joyce and Michael Meehan showed great form and kicked their clubs into the third round of the county SFC.

Ardscoil Rís ambitions of claiming a three Harty Cups in-a-row are still intact but those hopes came desperately close to being extinguished in a dramatic semi-final clash in Tipperary Town yesterday afternoon.

Kerry 3-11 Mayo 0-10

IT WILL be no surprise if the same basic conclusions are drawn from this Saturday’s Ulster championship clash in Armagh and the Champions League final in London.

THERE’S roughly 137 miles separating Liam McHale’s home in Ballina in north Mayo and the village of Cooraclare in the west of Clare. In the winter he embarks on that route two nights every week to the pitch which is the epicentre for the Banner county’s football preparations.

IT’S only the early stages of the GAA season but already Michael McDermott is a busy man.

COLM COOPER has echoed Jack O’Connor’s claim that teams are training too much and not playing enough games during the championship season.

Martin Donnelly has been ploughing a lonely furrow for the GAA, sponsoring what were the Railway Cup competitions. He warned Michael Moynihan of hard times ahead, however.

2007 All-Star defender Barry Cahill is to miss the opening two games of Dublin's National Football League campaign following confirmation that he has a sustained a medial ligament tear.

Tyrone's grip on the Gaelic Life Dr McKenna Cup was loosened somewhat at Omagh this afternoon as a hungry UUJ side handed the Red Hands their first defeat in the competition in five years.

Armagh's 2002 All-Ireland winning captain Kieran McGeeney has welcomed the appointment of Peter McDonnell as the county's new senior football manager.

Tipperary 0-13 Kilkenny 1-8

St Gall’s 0-10 Nemo Rangers 1-6

1999 All-Ireland winning captain Graham Geraghty made his first start for 18 months, but ended up on the losing side in today’s O’Byrne Cup quarter final as Kildare saw off Meath 2-11 to 1-11 in Newbridge.

One of hurling's great names of the past twenty years looks set to come out

Tipperary corner-back, Thomas Costello, has warned his team-mates that Wexford will be no pushover in Sunday's Guinness all-Ireland senior hurling semi-final.