Not only had Borris-Illeigh manager Johnny Kelly worked in the past with opponents Kiladangan, an old clubmate Seán Treacy was his opposite number in yesterday’s Tipperary county final.

A Tommy Larkins side who won their only Galway SHC title back in 1971 will bid to dethrone the reigning champions St Thomas’ in the quarter-finals of this year’s title race.

Darkness halted play in the AIG Ladies Cup and Shields Finals where the destiny all six green pennants will be decided on what promises to be a Super Saturday at Knightsbrook Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort.

Great players hit great shots under pressure and Joe Lyons was thrilled to rifle a beauty to Westport’s 18th to give Galway AIG Senior Cup victory over Carton House.

Joe Canning has admitted he was aware some thought his litany of serious injury setbacks might end his career and that he took satisfaction from proving them wrong.

Joe Canning has no problem findings targets.

Galway boss Micheal Donoghue will face a sweat over the fitness of another All Star as Conor Cooney left the field on crutches, on an awful weekend for St Thomas’.

Fears about Joe Canning suffering a long-term injury in Sunday’s Division 1 semi-final have been allayed.

What a dire weekend for GAA attendances. Kerry-Mayo in Austin Stack Park was obviously an exception but across the country there was evidence of supporters preferring to do something else with their Bank Holiday weekend.

I met Nickey Brennan in the lift on the way out of Croke Park yesterday. “If ever a system needed to be redressed,” I said to him, “the set-up with the Galway club champions has to change.”

“Whatever it was, I wish we could have bottled it,” Liam Fennelly says.

At 28, Ger Farragher was cut adrift from the Galway squad.

Galway 5-18 Offaly 2-15

THERE’S luck and there’s talent, and in rough-and-tumble contact sports one often depends on the other. But for All-Star winning hurler Ollie Canning it’s all down to luck.

Ollie Canning believes Galway are even stronger this year and have grown in confidence as a result of winning the All-Ireland title.

Conor Kavanagh scored two goals for reigning champions Liam Mellows as they beat Castlegar 3-15 to 2-13 in the big city derby in Group 1 of the Galway SHC at Pearse Stadium.

CUALA (Dublin) 2-17 NA PIARSAIGH (Limerick) 1-17: Cuala captain Paul Schutte reckons the south Dubliners deserve to be classed among club hurling’s greats after joining an elite group by capturing back-to-back AIB All-Ireland titles.

A challenging 2017 for Irish golf demanded innovation on the course — and in the clubhouse. Kevin Markham canvassed nine clubs for their yearly report card.

A breakthrough is expected this week in the impasse which has held up the Galway SHC championship in a row over the eligibility of a player

Thurles Golf Club celebrated a third Pierce Purcell Shield All Ireland title and a second in three years as team captain Jimmy Ryan praised his players’ battling qualities and work ethic.

Ballybunion moved a step closer to regaining the AIG Junior Cup for the first time since 2013 but it needed a 20th hole victory in the defining singles match at Carton House to edge their semi-final against Loughrea.

As one of 20 teams still standing from a starting field of 1,800, Thurles Golf Club have plenty reason to be proud heading into this week’s AIG Cups and Shields finals at Carton House.

One of the things that never ceases to amaze me is the drive and the creativity of people living and working in rural Ireland, writes Fergus Finlay

After a series of outstanding matches throughout the provinces, the way has now been largely paved for the national finals of the AIG Irish Cups and Shields at the O’Meara Course, Carton House, Kildare next month, (September 20-23).

Lacking immediate inter-county action to contemplate, I got thinking about tangles subsumed under the heading ‘tactics’. 

Kevin Markham selects Ireland’s Top 20 value courses...

Three popular beaches have been forced to lower their coveted Blue Flag.

Former Galway hurler Damien Hayes says he’ll be “shocked” if the Tribesmen don’t overcome Limerick in Sunday’s Allianz HL semi-final.

I love team environments. I love the competitiveness when you come up against your opponent.

Joe Canning is confident the knee problem which forced him to miss his first game for Portumna through injury since he made his debut 12 years ago will not be a factor for Galway’s opening game in the championship in just over five weeks.

‘Blondes or brunettes?’ It’s not something you get asked every day at a golf course, especially by the general manager, but Mike Corry’s question referred to links and parklands, not the fairer sex.