Kilruane MacDonagh's ruthlessly ended Clonoulty-Rossmore's reign as Tipperary SHC champions this afternoon, but they may well have lost two of their county stars in the process.

A Jack Downey 45 in the fourth minute of second-half stoppages handed victory to Limerick in this Munster U20 football quarter-final.

UCD were indebted to a brace of late frees from Ronan Hayes as they recued a share of the spoils with NUIG after their entertaining Fitzgibbon Cup Group A encounter at David Billings Park.

Given next Sunday’s Munster Club semi-final against St Finbarr’s will be their third game in 14 days, Dr Crokes were quietly thankful for the straightforward nature of this trip to Tipp.

If John Evans didn’t know he achieved something special with Ardfinnan, he realised it when a one-armed Babs Keating, the club’s most famous son, channeled his inner David Pleat and invaded the Holycross pitch after the club’s county semi-final win over Loughmore-Castleiney.

Sean Carey was the toast of Moyle Rovers as his injury-time goal knocked arch-rivals and holders Clonmel Commercials out of the county senior football championship in a thrilling semi-final at Cahir — Rovers won 2-7 to 0-11.

Two goals in the opening quarter were decisive as Nenagh Éire Óg ended the SHC challenge of Loughmore-Castleiney with a 2-17 to 0-18 win at Dolla yesterday.

Kerry 7-5 Tipperary 3-9: Kerry U14 ladies football manager John Doona raced over to the main stand at the final whistle and said to the Kingdom supporters, “that’s for ye, that’s for ye”.

There were no major shocks as the Tipperary SFC got underway, with holders Clonmel Commercials and leading rivals Loughmore-Castleiney among those recording first round victories.

The evenings are that bit brighter, all the hurt and disappointment of last year is long forgotten, hope is back in the hearts of supporters in every corner of the country. There is a road to some kind of glory for everyone. This could be the year.

Limerick fired an early warning shot that they are one of the leading contenders for All-Ireland U21 glory with this comprehensive 12-point Munster quarter-final dismissal of Tipperary.

This Limerick U21 team carries shades of last year’s Waterford class.

Cathal Barrett has been dropped from the Tipperary panel. The All-Star defender, who is currently recovering from a knee injury, is believed to have been omitted for a disciplinary breach.

For Cork, this Munster minor quarter-final had dwarfed to a futile exercise long before the finish.

Tipp football boss Liam Kearns is sweating on the availability of young star Emmet Moloney for tomorrow’s winner-takes-all Division 3 promotion shoot-out with Armagh at the Athletic Grounds.

Loughmore-Castleiney 1-9 Moyle Rovers 1-6: Sometimes it’s how you respond to setbacks that defines you and that proved to be the case yesterday for Loughmore-Castleiney as they took their third Tipperary senior football title in four years.

Two-time All-Star Declan Browne will be confirmed as Tipperary’s new U21 football team manager this evening.

Tipperary’s historic Munster semi-final win over Cork last month will see them awarded with a last four bye next year but Peter Acheson still has a problem with the provincial structure.

Cork IT 1-11 Newcestown 0-12: A Newcestown comeback fell short as Peter Kelleher and Anthony Casey led Cork IT to an opening county SFC victory at Páirc Uí Rinn yesterday.

Children take the world as they find it. Tom Hunt died six weeks ago, on March 18.

Cork 1-14 Tipperary 1-11: A sharper Cork side, spearheaded by the impressive Damien Gore and Mark Buckley up front, had a touch too much class for Tipperary in this Munster MFC quarter-final last night in Páirc Uí Rinn.

A look ahead to tonight’s three games...

Ryan Price would appear to have put himself in pole position to be Cork’s starting goalkeeper for the championship after he was named in the side for tomorrow’s Allianz FL Division 1 clash with Kerry in Tralee (2pm).

St Brendan’s, Killarney 5-21 High School Clonmel 0-7

CBS HS Clonmel (Tipperary) 1-10 St Francis College, Rochestown (Cork) 0-7: Football in Clonmel is enjoying something of a golden age, and the prospect of a dream-like spring remains a reality after Saturday’s Corn Uí Mhuirí semi-final in Fermoy.

Many a campaign was plotted in the front room of John and Maureen McNamara’s house on Shamrock Hill in Clonmel, many a victory celebrated, many a defeat mourned, many a cup of tea shared over the years on good footballing days and bad.

Clonmel Commercials are furious after a Tipperary county minor A hurling final involving two of their players was fixed for Saturday — a day before they face St Joseph’s Milltown-Malbay in the AIB Munster senior club football semi-final.

Tipperary star Michael Quinlivan admits Clonmel Commercials did “everything in their power” to throw away the chance of claiming county senior football glory on Sunday.

Clonmel Commercials 1-12 Moyle Rovers 3-5: Hot favourites Clonmel Commercials had to draw on all their reserves of self-belief to regain the Tipperary SFC title after a three-year gap when defeating neighbours Moyle Rovers in a thriller at Semple Stadium, Thurles.