Retired Bishop of Killaloe Willie Walsh helped coach St Flannan’s College to five Harty Cup and All-Ireland titles and is as passionate as ever about his old alma mater as they bid to win a first Munster Colleges crown in 15 years, writes Joe Ó Muircheartaigh.

Concerns about the fixture proceeding have grown after Met Éireann forecast the arrival of Storm Dennis to Ireland on the day.

With the Corn Uí Mhuirí now at quarter-final stage, Denis Hurley runs the rule over eight talents who have impressed in the campaign.

St Flannans’ crusade for a first Munster A Colleges title since 2005 stayed firmly on track on Wednesday afternoon as they powered to a ten-point victory in a contest that had hurling pulses racing for three-quarters of an hour.

Denis Hurley picks out eight players to watch from Wednesday's Harty Cup quarter-finalists.

In testing conditions, they were forced to play three-quarters of this third round a player down after Jarlath Collins received a straight red card for an altercation with an opposing player in the 18th minute.

St Francis College, Rochestown secured their place in the quarter-final of the Corn Uí Mhuirí after their defeat of Skibbereen Community School at Newcestown.

Rathmore’s Scoil Phobail Sliabh Luachra made a winning return to the Corn Uí Mhuirí, defeating last season’s semi-finalists, Clonakilty Community College, in their Group B opener.

For the first time since 2006, a Cork school will, tomorrow afternoon, begin their defence of the Harty Cup.

On my first year starting on the Clare team in 1990, our manager Tony Kelly dispatched Cyril Lyons, Alan Neville and myself to the Clare Inn to do a TV interview with Michael Lyster.

Laura encouraged people to ‘live the best life you possibly can’

Composure under pressure proved decisive as Midleton CBS secured a first Munster crown in 13 years at Páirc Uí Rinn on Saturday afternoon.

Cork will have two schools in the last four of the Corn Uí Mhuirí after this evening's quarter-final draws threw up two all-Cork pairings.

Former All Star Brendan Bugler will be high in the Cusack Park stand for Clare’s clash with neighbours Limerick tomorrow afternoon. Yes, he’s jealous of the new round-robin format and the home and away system but, for the most part, the Whitegate man is happy to be returning to his club roots, writes Kieran Shannon

Young Irish scientists are heading for the stars as one is to have an asteroid named after him and six others are about to present a project to leading space engineers.

A group of Clare students have come up with an eco-friendly idea to help humans live in space — but they need €13,000 in sponsorship to get their plans to lift-off.

On a day of surprises at the Irish Life Health All-Ireland Schools’ Cross Country Championships, Sarah Healy made light of the mud and hills to make history at the WIT Arena in Carriganore.

I’m sure the majority of wallets were thin after Douvan’s collapse, writes Anthony Daly.

Glengarriff’s Darragh McElhinney’s will be one of the stars at the Irish Life Health All-Ireland Schools Cross-Country Championships in Mallusk, Co Antrim, today.

Gerald Barry’s operatic take on Lewis Carroll’s classic Alice tale is about to get its Irish premiere, writes Cathy Desmond

St Flannan’s College 4-9 Mercy Mounthawk 2-12: A three-goal St Flannan’s, College, Ennis salvo in the opening 10 minutes proved decisive as they had to withstand a tremendous second-half comeback from Mercy Mounthawk, Tralee to hang on for a three-point win, in this gripping Corn Ui Mhuiri quarter-final at Rathkeale.

Skibbereen CS 5-9 Scoil Phobail Sliabh Luachra 1-11: A deluge of goals brought the new Skibbereen CS their first Corn Uí Mhuirí win as they triumphed at Kilmurry yesterday, but it wasn’t enough to prevent their elimination.

Scoil na Tríonóide Naofa of Doon topped Group A of the Dr Harty Cup (Munster PPS U18½AHC) as they overcame CBC Cork by 0-12 to 0-10 at Charleville yesterday.

Gary Brennan seldom gets the chance to showcase his outstanding football talents for a national audience. But the Clare captain has won an army of admirers, including International Rules boss Joe Kernan, as the Banner’s footballers begin to rise again.

Coláiste Chríost Rí 2-10 St Flannan’s College 2-7: Coláiste Chríost Rí had to endure a strong St Flannan’s fightback before finally securing their first Frewen Cup (Munster U16½A Football Championship) in 24 years in Killeedy, Co Limerick yesterday.

Corn Uí Mhuirí (Munster PPS U18½ AFC) semi-finals

The remaining six Corn Uí Mhuirí quarter-final spots will be decided this afternoon, with the final round of group games across the province.

CBC (Cork) 2-7 St Flannan’s College (Ennis) 0-11: A first Dr Harty Cup campaign in almost a century for Cork’s Christian Brothers College will continue into the new year after they booked a quarter-final spot with a battling win over St Flannan’s at Kilmallock yesterday.

Tralee’s Mercy Mounthawk staged a remarkable comeback to overcome Coláiste Choilm of Ballincollig by 2-16 to 3-10 in their Corn Uí Mhuirí Group D clash in Millstreet.

Clare and Limerick? The only differences between us are those little idiosyncrasies, those unique emblems, which distinguish us all as our own separate little tribe in the wider hurling family.

The whizz at Greek grammar, nicknamed ‘Snowball’ by his classmates, yesterday recalled clandestine bets at the bookies, porridge without glucose and compulsory hurling on Wednesdays at his alma mater.

Seamount College, Kinvara 1-5 St Flannan’s College, Ennis 0-6

The Nenagh-Midleton clash was to determine the other qualifiers from Group 4, which Hamilton High School had already won.

St Flannan’s College, Ennis 3-5 St Francis College Rochestown 2-7

St Brendan’s College, Killarney have joined fellow Kerry school Coláiste na Sceilge in qualifying from Group B of the Corn Uí Mhuirí to reach the quarter-finals.

Two late goals earned St Francis College, Rochestown, a draw with St Fachtna’s De La Salle of Skibbereen in their Group C clash at Enniskeane, 2-10 to 3-7.

Ardscoil Rís got their defence of the Dr Harty Cup off to an impressive start as they beat Blackwater CS of Lismore in their Group 1 clash at Cahir yesterday.

TODAY