CORK hurler Aisake O hAilpín has returned to Australia with his older brother Setanta and is unlikely to figure for the Rebel hurlers next season.

TIPPERARY has been engulfed in a giddy and happy atmosphere all week but by Tuesday night it was time for Padraic Maher and seven of his senior colleagues to take a step back from the celebrations.

SEVEN All-Ireland medals down. Another on the horizon. Noel Hickey of Kilkenny has put down another long season of drudgery and effort in the Kilkenny cause, sacrifice and denial.

MIDLETON’S excellent progress in the Evening Echo Cork SHC continues unabated after they garnered another splendid triumph in Saturday night’s fourth round tie in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

MIDLETON’S excellent progress in the Evening Echo Cork SHC continues unabated after they garnered another splendid triumph in Saturday night’s fourth round tie in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

CORK boss Denis Walsh last night made three changes for Sunday’s All-Ireland SHC semi-final against Kilkenny from the team that defeated Antrim in last month’s quarter-final tie.

CORK’S victory at Croke Park was never in doubt yesterday.

MISSION accomplished for Cork, as they eased past Antrim in yesterday’s All-Ireland SHC quarter-final, but the Leesiders didn’t have it all their own way for long periods in Croke Park.

1. Strength in depth.

SINCE his debut senior season in 1991, Tony Browne has starred in many big occasions for Waterford hurlers.

All-Ireland SHC Munster final replay

Munster SHC Final Replay

IS there no separating these two magnificent hurling teams?

THE main talking point from yesterday’s Muster final was the crucial decision to award Waterford a 20-metre free in the closing stages of a very competitive second-half.

The replay? I’m really looking forward to that, though I doubt we’ll see the same two starting line-ups the next day.

WELL, we should have known. After a week of trumpeting the approach of a Munster hurling final — a Munster final between Cork and Waterford, no less — we’d ourselves set up for a fall.

Cork 2-15 Waterford 2-15

EOIN MURPHY has been here before, looking down the barrel of a Cork-Waterford Munster hurling final.

WATERFORD manager Davy Fitzgerald is not looking ahead to the All-Ireland series, insisting he is totally focused on this weekend’s Munster final clash with Cork.

JOHN GARDINER has described criticisms of Séan Óg O hAilpín earlier this season as laughable.

CORK’S John Gardiner expects a “great battle” against Waterford in the Munster hurling final following his side’s expected defeat of Limerick in Sunday’s Munster Senior Hurling Championship semi-final.

Cork 2-19 Limerick 0-12

Cork manager Denis Walsh has announced an unchanged starting line-up for Sunday's Munster SHC semi-final against Limerick at Pairc Ui Chaoimh (throw-in 4pm).

THE medical experts may fret over him succumbing to the scourge of burnout and Cork supporters may worry about his ability to sustain a summer starring in both codes, but Eoin Cadogan’s approach to his incessant intercounty activities is calm and composed.

THE CORNER of the hotel lobby wasn’t nearly dark enough to hide in, and the elderly chap strolling through spotted a familiar figure folded into a distant seat.

NA PIARSAIGH claimed local bragging rights after crushing neighbours Glen Rovers in the opening round of the Evening Echo Cork senior hurling championship at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday night.

TIPPERARY County Board President Tommy Barrett has slammed referee Barry Kelly for his handling of last Sunday’s Munster SHC quarter-final against Cork and claimed that he has “never liked” the Westmeath official.

AISAKE O hAILPÍN may be the toast of Leeside this week but the Cork full-forward will not be representing his country in the International Rules series later this year, according to Irish manager Anthony Tohill.

Former Tipperary manager Michael 'Babs' Keating is not unfamiliar with launching post-match broadsides, and he unsurprisingly decided to shoot from the hip when reviewing Sunday's Munster SHC quarter-final defeat to Cork.

CORK’S two-goal hero Patrick Horgan says the delay to Sunday’s Munster SHC game was a help rather than a hindrance.

TIPPERARY manager Liam Sheedy admitted the character of his team will be severely tested in the coming weeks as the dethroned Munster champions look to revive their championship challenge in the qualifiers.

When a player in the mould of Jerry O’Connor lines out at centre-forward, it’s obvious that the game plan will be linked through him, rather than by sending long balls down the middle.

I was one of the many who would have liked to have seen one or two more changes to the Cork starting 15, but I did wonder if those players were out there, if Cork did in fact have anything better.

ASSUMPTIONS.

IT BEGAN inauspiciously, a delayed start due to events elsewhere, then a two-point advantage conceded to Tipperary in the opening eight minutes – it could even have been more but for a save by Donal Óg Cusack from Lar Corbett that went out for a 65, converted by Eoin Kelly.

Cork 3-15 Tipperary 0-14

Eoin Cadogan and Tom Kenny are on course to start for Cork in Sunday's much-anticipated Munster SHC quarter-final against Tipperary at Pairc Ui Chaoimh (throw-in 4pm).

IN the final minute of last night’s final, Cork came forward and drove though the middle but failed to finish.

GALWAY boss John McIntyre declared himself ‘thrilled’ with his side’s performance in last night’s Allianz NHL Division 1 final at Semple Stadium.

Galway 2-22 Cork 1-17

Milford clubman Eoin Dillon has been named at full-back in the Cork team for Sunday's Allianz NHL Division 1 final against Galway at Semple Stadium (throw-in 7pm).

AISAKE O hAILPÍN has predicted that his brother Setanta will follow Tadhg Kennelly’s footsteps by returning from Australia to play for his native county before the end of his career.

Donal O’Grady picks over the bones of the Allianz Hurling League for summer indicators

DAVID CUNNINGHAM, Glen Rovers, takes over the full back slot left vacant by the injury to Eoin Cadogan for Cork’s last game in the preliminary rounds of the Allianz NHL against Galway at Pearse Stadium on Sunday.