Tomorrow morning, a dozen or so of Darragh O’Connell’s closest friends and family will leave Abbeydorney in Kerry and point their cars towards Carlow.

Cuala (Dublin) 3-12 Clara (Kilkenny) 0-17: Galway hurling may be in limbo but, across the country in Dublin, one man is at least putting his hand up as a strong contender to lead them into a brighter future.

Old ally Johnny Kelly has advised Anthony Cunningham to “admit defeat” and depart his position as Galway senior hurling manager.

Ireland’s Rugby World Cup odyssey has caused a headache for the GAA with major disruptions to county final club fixtures nationwide next weekend.

Scenario A. A Kilkenny team versus an Offaly team in the Leinster club hurling final in Portlaoise tomorrow. It may not result in a win for the Offaly crowd but the chances are it’ll be close.

Two of the last six All-Ireland Club hurling finalists will meet at the semi-final stages of the Offaly SHC next month after Kilcormac-Killoughey and Coolderry both eased through their quarter-final ties this weekend.

Michael Cahill is a late injury worry for Tipperary ahead of tomorrow’s All-Ireland quarter-final against Dublin.

Tributes are being paid to Offaly U-21 hurling manager Dermot Hogan, who died yesterday evening following an accident while working at his home.

The Offaly mother of a 15-year-old hurler prevented from lining out for his first club has claimed the GAA are bullying her child.

Kilcormac-Killoughey are odds on favourites to retain the Seán Robbins Cup in Offaly after Coolderry, winners of the Offaly and Leinster championships in 2011, crashed out of the championship at the quarter-final stage for the second year in succession on Saturday evening.

Ollie Baker's spell in charge of the Offaly senior hurlers is over after two years in charge. The former All-Star midfielder from Clare will not be seeking a third year with the Faithful county.

Ollie Baker’s resignation as Offaly senior hurling manager was announced to the county board last night, after the former All-Ireland winning midfielder with Clare and St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield decided not to seek a third term.

Daithí Regan and Johnny Pilkington may have soldiered together for years as midfield partners for both Birr and Offaly, but they’ll be in opposition next weekend when Regan’s Shinrone meet Pilkington’s Birr side in the quarter-finals of the Offaly SHC.

Oulart-the Ballagh (Wexford) 0-11 Kilcormac/Killoughey (Offaly) 1-12

This isn’t a run of the mill story of a GAA club and a final.

In his role as Offaly Council chairman, Kilcormac-Killoughey manager Danny Owens had the opportunity to meet Barack Obama on the US president’s visit to Moneygall last year.

Oulart-Ballagh 1-11 Ballyhale Shamrocks 1-10

Dinny Cahill just ‘loves the buzz’.

Coveted like a neighbour's wife, the Michael Moynihan End of Hurling Season Awards are back for 2012.

Kilkenny last night refused to comment on the appointment of Westmeath’s James McGrath for Sunday week’s All-Ireland SHC final against Galway.

There will new hurling champions in Offaly after All-Ireland club finalists Coolderry were comprehensively brushed aside by impressive St Rynagh’s in the quarter-final yesterday.

Offaly manager Ollie Baker has named an unchanged team to face Galway in Sunday's Leinster SHC semi-final in Portlaoise (throw-in 2pm).

Liam Dunne may have played the game on the edge himself but as Wexford manager he will demand total discipline

Loughgiel Shamrocks star Liam Watson hit out at critics who’ve suggested he and his Antrim clubmates beat a sub-par Coolderry side in last weekend’s All-Ireland Club hurling final.

Hat-trick hero Liam Watson was the toast of Loughgiel this weekend with his 3-7 tally helping to hold off the challenge of hot favourites Coolderry in this All-Ireland club senior hurling final in chilly Croke Park on Saturday.

This was the best club final I’ve seen since the All-Ireland final was moved to Croke Park in the mid 80s.

Loughgiel Shamrocks manager PJ O'Mullan was happy his side proved their doubters wrong by capturing the club's first AIB All-Ireland Club SHC title since 1983.

Coolderry manager Ken Hogan was making no excuses in the wake of his side's AIB All-Ireland Club SHC final defeat to Antrim's Loughgiel Shamrocks at Croke Park yesterday.

Loughgiel (Antrim) 4-13 Coolderry (Offaly) 0-17

Today is the biggest date in the GAA club calendar, with the All-Ireland senior hurling and football finals being held at Croke Park.

Coolderry captain Brendan O'Meara has had to park his wedding date until next month due to the Offaly club's involvement in their first ever All-Ireland Club SHC final tomorrow at Croke Park.

Today was going to be a milestone date in the life of Coolderry’s Brendan O’Meara, a day long in the planning when he would finally walk up the aisle with his beloved, Jessica Kennedy from nearby Lorrha.

The All-Ireland Club championship is a far more even competition than its inter-county counterpart.

Coolderry forward Cathal Parlon has praised his side's collective work ethic as one of the main reasons why the small Offaly club are contesting their first ever AIB All-Ireland Club Senior Hurling final this St. Patrick's Day.

In defying the bookies’ odds by beating Limerick and Munster champions Na Piarsaigh in the All-Ireland Club SHC semi-final at Parnell Park on Saturday, Loughgiel Shamrocks didn’t just win the right to contest the All-Ireland final on St Patrick’s Day, they also won respect for Antrim hurling.

Ken Hogan was extolling the talents of Loughgiel on Saturday when news came through the Antrim side had been taken to extra-time in their All-Ireland Club semi-final with Na Piarsaigh.

Coolderry (Offaly) 3-16 Gort (Galway) 0-17

Loughgiel (Antrim) 0-27 Na Piarsiaigh (Limerick) 2-13 (aet)

Gort chairman Martin Kerins confounds your opener pretty quickly.

EARLY in 1991, Ken Hogan came home from training one evening to find visitors from Offaly who wanted him to coach their team.

Na Piarsaigh’s Shane Dowling has earned the 2012 AIB Munster club player award for hurling.