Kilkenny won the first All-Ireland at the redeveloped Páirc Uí Chaoimh, off the back of a strong second-half showing, writes Eoghan Cormican.

Ajax’s first professional coach was Wicklow native John Kirwan, who allegedly played a key role in choosing the club’s iconic white shirt with a red vertical strip.

The minimum age limit for football and hurling at adult club level could be relaxed, just one year after it was introduced.

Nine-time All-Star winner DJ Carey says he thinks a culture of “play-acting” is creeping into hurling and that GAA officials have destroyed the art of penalty taking.

KILKENNY SHC FINAL:

Jerry Gilson holds her grandfather’s All-Ireland football medal in her hand and suggests the white background of my notepad will help the picture I’m taking comes out right.

University of Limerick 1-20 Waterford 0-18

Aidan Fogarty has been ruled out of contention for Kilkenny's upcoming Allianz Hurling League Division 1 final clash with Cork.

Hurling great DJ Carey is recovering in a Kilkenny hospital after a suspected heart attack.

PETER McDERMOTT, pictured, a star of Meath’s first All-Ireland SFC triumph in 1949, passed away yesterday at the age of 93.

IT’S hardly surprising, given their preeminence in hurling, that Kilkenny supplied the first father-and-son combination in the GAA All Stars scheme.

DJ CAREY insists it would be a mistake for Kilkenny to play an extra defender to combat Tipperary’s forward line tomorrow. Dublin showed just how to curb some of the All-Ireland champions’ attacking threat by crowding out the half-forward line in the All-Ireland semi-final.

KILKENNY senior panellists Richie Doyle and Kieran Joyce have both been named in the starting 15 for the county’s intermediate team that do battle with Wexford in the Leinster IHC final in Nowlan Park tonight at 7.30pm.

DJ CAREY ended a four year layoff from competitive hurling in style yesterday.

PROFESSOR Niall Moyna has claimed October’s International Rules series defeat to Australia proved there are serious flaws in the GAA’s generic training techniques.

CORK and Dublin football fans will be clinging anxiously to betting slips tomorrow after a record amount was wagered on the meeting of the old rivals.

Cork Senior Football manager Conor Counihan has named an unchanged side for Sunday’s All-Ireland SFC Round 3 qualifier against Wexford at Wexford Park (3.30pm).

GAA chiefs yesterday announced that the country’s lesser lights are set to take centre stage in Croke Park on July 4th, with the fixing of the Christy Ring, Nicky Rackard and Lory Meagher Cup deciders.

DJ Carey, arguably the finest hurler of the modern era, has called time on his inter-county career for the second time in eight years.

Nine-time All-Star DJ Carey has not ruled out a possible return to Kilkenny colours for this summer's Guinness Leinster and All-Ireland senior hurling championships.

The oldest All-Ireland football medal known to exist has sold at auction in London for three times its guide price.

Graigue-Ballycallan 3-12 Young Irelands 1-13

Henry Shefflin’s nine point-haul guided Kilkenny through to an All-Ireland SHC semi-final against Galway, after Limerick briefly threatened a comeback in front of a Croke Park attendance of 44,438.

Both Peter Barry and Richie Power have overcome injury to slot into the Kilkenny line-up for Sunday's All-Ireland SHC quarter-final against Limerick.

Jim O’Sullivan

James Stephens 2-16, Young Ireland’s 3-12

JAMES STEPHENS bid to end a 23-year wait for a Kilkenny SHC title against Young Irelands in tomorrow’s county final at Nowlan Park (3pm).

Young Irelands 1-18 Tullaroan 1-9

Kilkenny hero DJ Carey has confirmed that he won't be in contention for a starting place in the first round of the qualifiers on Saturday week.

THOUGH only the middle of February, tomorrow’s meeting of O’Loughlin Gaels and Newtownshandrum, Leinster champions against Munster’s best is whetting the appetite of hurling folk just about anywhere.

O'Loughlin Gaels 2-12 Young Irelands 2-10

O’LOUGHLIN GAELS wing-back Sean Dowling, pointed to centre-back and captain Andy Comerford as the driving force in their victory.

IT’S one of the few remaining games left on the local club hurling scene but tomorrow’s Kilkenny SHC final replay between champions Young Irelands and O’Loughlin Gaels, is a perfect example of reserving the best wine ‘til last.

O’Loughlin Gaels 3-9 Young Irelands (Gowran) 2-12

IT SHOULD have been the sweetest of seasons for Charlie Carter, the perfect inter-county valedictory year. But with a bitter twist, it all went sour.

Kilkenny hero Charlie Carter will line out alongside his former Cats colleagues tomorrow night in the annual GOAL challenge - but he'll be playing for club side Young Irelands.

SEVEN-TIME goalkeeping Allstar and Kilkenny selector Noel Skehan has called for current netminder James McGarry to be named the country’s number one.

OTHER than that both are forwards, about the only thing DJ Carey and Alan Browne have in common is they will captain Kilkenny and Cork in tomorrow's All-Ireland final.

Hurler of the Year Henry Shefflin has confirmed he'll be flying fit for the All-Ireland semi-final clash with Tipperary next month despite picking up a calf injury in a club game.

THE morning after the night before in Birr and even if some of the players are a little under the weather following their massive welcome home as the first club to win four hurling All-Ireland titles, manager Padjoe Whelehan was as clear-headed as ever, reflecting on a job well done.