The Waterford senior hurling semi-finals are on soon, and there are some surprising participants if you’re used to the Mount Sion-Ballygunner dominance of recent years.

Waterford SHC quarter-finals

Three time county champions De La Salle face a relegation play-off to keep their Waterford SHC senior status intact after Fourmilewater dumped them out of the race for the News & Star trophy on Saturday evening at Fraher Field.

Three-time champions De La Salle fended off a second-half revival from Ballygunner to collect their first win of the season in the Waterford SHC Round 3 at Walsh Park last night.

Tallow 2-15 Ballyduff Upper 1-13: Tallow backed up last week’s draw against De La Salle with a win over neighbours Ballyduff Upper in a fiercely disputed Western derby at Lismore last night.

Waterford manager Derek McGrath has backed Pauric Mahony to show resilience and make a full recovery from a season-ending injury.

The Hurling 2020 committee is expected to recommend penalties be changed from the current one forward versus three defenders on the goal-line to one forward versus the goalkeeper.

Waterford SHC, Round 4

Tallow 1-13 Ballyduff Upper 0-15

Advancing the notion that trap is more important than trip, Laurels Consolation winner Tyford Tip made all the running from his preferred draw along the fence when taking Saturday night’s second heat of the Two Wheel Training A1 525 at Curraheen Park.

Passage manager Peter Queally was last night interviewed for the vacant Waterford senior hurling job — but Derek McGrath remains a live contender for the position.

“The years don’t be long going.”

While the drawn Munster minor final nine days ago took place in the Gaelic Grounds, Waterford manager Seán Power never expected his side to have home advantage for tonight’s replay with Limerick (Semple Stadium, 7.30pm).

Reigning champions De La Salle blitzed An Rinn 4-17 to 0-11 in the Waterford SHC on Saturday, with Jake Dillon rattling home 3-6, as Derek McGrath’s men secured their second win of the Group 1 campaign.

Reigning Munster and All-Ireland champions Tipperary can call upon just three starters from last year’s All-Ireland final replay win over Dublin as they begin their Munster MHC campaign with a quarter-final against Waterford at Walsh Park tonight (throw-in 7pm).

Shane O'Sullivan will be a notable absentee for Waterford when they meet Clare in their Munster SHC semi-final showdown on June 17.

THE gravity of the overall financial situation in Waterford was starkly spelled out by the Western Board divisional chairman, Eddie Cunningham, in his address to the board’s annual GAA convention in Dungarvan last night.

IT’S an unusual pairing in the south-east tomorrow — Ballygunner are frequent participants in the Waterford senior hurling final, but Tallow, from the west of the county, have surprised the pundits by making it to the big day for the first time since they won the title back in 1985.

ALTHOUGH Passage bagged a brace of goals in the closing seven minutes of their Waterford SHC quarter-final against holders De La Salle at Walsh Park on Saturday, the 2-18 to 3-12 scoreline doesn’t nearly mirror the measure of the champions’ dominance.

ON a weekend when all the qualification and relegation issues in the Waterford SHC were determined, pride of place goes to Mount Sion who brought Ballygunner’s hitherto unbeaten group stage run to a shuddering halt at a fiery Walsh Park encounter on Saturday evening.

WATERFORD GAA chiefs are hopeful of breaking even by year’s end despite the downturn in the economy.

MOUNT SION completed the Waterford SHC quarter-final line up after defeating last year’s intermediate champions Dungarvan in the concluding round of the group stages at Walsh Park yesterday (2-18 to 0-17).

WATERFORD face Cork in a senior hurling challenge with a difference on Bank Holiday Monday (6.30pm).

THE 2010 Waterford senior hurling championship kicks off tomorrow with eight teams in group stage action.

THE champions of the past three years — Ballygunner, De La Salle and Ballyduff Upper — have been drawn together in the same group for this year’s Waterford senior hurling championship. Abbeyside, beaten finalists two years ago, along with Fourmilewater and Stradbally complete the six-team section.

Waterford 1-17 Clare 0-8, Ballyduff Upper

HISTORY will weigh heavily on Lismore ahead of tomorrow’s Waterford SHC decider against Ballygunner at Walsh Park (3.30pm).

WATERFORD GAA chiefs have appointed former Tipperary star John Owens as senior football manager.

CORK boss Johnny Keane has made two changes for tonight’s Munster IHC decider against Waterford (Páirc Uí Chaoimh, throw-in 7.30pm).

Stephen Molumphy has been named at centre-forward in the Waterford team to face Tipperary in Sunday's Munster SHC final (Semple Stadium, throw-in 4pm), although doubts remain over the Ballyduff Upper clubman's fitness.

WATERFORD last night received a major boost for Sunday’s Munster SHC final against Tipperary at Semple Stadium when co-captain Stephen Molumphy was named to lead the attack in a sector notable again for the exclusion of 2007 Hurler of The Year Dan Shanahan.

HAVING already unluckily lost two group games in the Waterford SHC against Ballyduff Upper and Mount Sion, it was a case of the same old story for Fourmilewater at Fraher Field, Dungarvan, on Saturday evening when Lismore edged them out with a late point for a 0-18 to 1-14 victory.

WATERFORD’S Dave Bennett and Tom Feeney have retired from inter-county hurling.

THE Waterford SHC semi-final draw was made last night, with holders Ballyduff Upper or Lismore meeting Abbeyside, and Tallow playing De la Salle.

WATERFORD hurling begins the post All-Ireland healing process with a return to domestic championship action this weekend.

Stephen Molumphy certainly belies his years.

WATERFORD senior hurling champions Ballyduff Upper are still in contention to retain their crown — but only just.

NEW Clare senior hurling coach Mike McNamara is convinced tiny Tulla can win the Munster Club championship and make a bold bid for All-Ireland honours next St. Patrick’s Day.

Portumna have claimed the Connacht Hurling Championship, thrashing Mayo's Ballina James Stephens 6-23 to 0-07 at Athleague.