Plans to increase Walsh Park’s capacity to 16,000 remain on course despite neither of Waterford’s two home games in the Munster senior hurling championship this summer selling out.

Ian Galvin has returned to contact training giving Clare joint managers Donal Moloney and Gerry O’Connor an extra option in attack for Sunday’s Munster senior hurling championship tie with Tipperary in Cusack Park.

Attendances for the opening two rounds of the Munster senior hurling championship are up over 15% on last year’s corresponding four fixtures.

The last time there was a big Munster senior hurling championship game in Waterford, back in 1996, Ken McGrath was still a minor.

It’s coming home, it’s coming home, hurling’s finally coming home. Or at least it’s giving Waterford a game where they can call home.

The Munster Council is confident that Páirc Uí Chaoimh will be fit for purpose for the opening round of the Munster senior hurling championship between Cork and Tipperary on May 12.

It’s hard to believe it’s seven years since Darren Sweetnam made his senior hurling championship debut for Cork as a 19-year old, but his sole focus now is trying to end Munster’s barren spell without silverware.

Clare’s Jamie Shanahan has been ruled out of the Munster senior hurling championship after undergoing surgery to alleviate a long-standing back issue.

Ten, if not all 11, Munster senior hurling championship games are in line to be televised live across May and June.

A second April intended for club-only weekend games is almost upon us and the question remains why. Why the need for such a token gesture when it’s blatantly obvious that the county and club

Waterford manager Páraic Fanning says the county will now enter the Munster senior hurling championship on the same terms as the four other counties after yesterday’s confirmation that Walsh Park will be their home venue in 2019.

Páirc Uí Chaoimh’s pitch problems may prevent the venue from hosting concerts next year and put it out of the running for an International Rules game later this season.

Outgoing Cork County Board secretary Frank Murphy has expressed concerns regarding the running of county championships in the current landscape of expanded inter-county competitions.

Clare and Tipperary are set to clash over the schedule of next year’s Munster senior hurling championship.

Here are all the latest headlines this lunchtime...

As we wave goodbye to the inaugural Munster senior hurling championship round robin this weekend, John Fogarty makes some observations on the old and the new in Sunday’s final round.

So here’s a thing: There are three counties left in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship and three counties from the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship are still in contention to win the All-Ireland.

Cork is set to host thousands of visitors this weekend with a large number of events taking place across the city and county.

While Clare were sharp, Derek McGrath’s team were blunt. And surprisingly and disappointedly, undisciplined.

Limerick manager John Kiely admits to “a certain amount of trepidation” ahead of the new-look Munster senior hurling championship.

Tipperary’s three-time hurler of the year nominee Seamus Callanan made his long-awaited return to training in Thurles on Tuesday evening.

Next month’s Munster senior hurling championship will place huge demands on players but Austin Gleeson believes pay for play would spoil inter-county Gaelic games.

Stand tickets will be as low as €20 for this summer’s Munster senior hurling championship round games, the Irish Examiner has learned.

Cork manager Kieran Kingston has a clear message for his players, writes Jackie Cahill, ahead of next Sunday’s Munster senior hurling championship quarter-final against Tipperary: ‘Make us proud.’

New Kerry senior hurling manager Fintan O’Connor has confirmed that Tipperary legend Brendan Cummins is returning to the Kingdom as goalkeeping coach.

Here’s a briefing on some of the stories and issues highlighted on irishexaminer.com today.

Galway hurling PRO Jarlath Cloonan has raised the possibility of the county negotiating a return to the Munster senior hurling championship if the Leinster Council continue to refuse them home games and entry to their underage competitions.

Munster Council chairman Jer O’Sullivan has played down the disappointing 19,715 crowd for Sunday’s Munster SHC semi-final in Thurles.

Combining their development of Citroen’s 2017 WR Car with competitive outings in the World Rally Championship the Irish crew of Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle tackle Rally de Portugal this weekend as part of a triple assault by the Abu Dhabi Total World Rally Team.

Munster chairman Jerry O’Sullivan believes there is no political agenda behind the appearance of the confederate flag at Cork matches.

The Munster Council will easily break the €4m mark in gate receipts as they expect attendance figures to be up by at least 20% on the 2014 figures.

Welcome to your Friday morning briefing. Let us ensure you’re up to speed on what’s happening and are prepared for the day ahead.

For the first time since 2008, Clare and Limerick will meet each other in the Munster senior hurling championship next season.

Cork GAA chiefs do not expect private security firms to be engaged for future Munster senior football and hurling finals.

Cork hurling manager Jimmy Barry-Murphy admits that sluggish starts have "become a problem" for Cork, having had to reel in a nine-point Waterford lead in their Munster senior hurling championship opener.

Tipperary 2-16 Limerick 2-18