THE gathering in Portlaoise at the weekend of elite hurlers and footballers who adorned the Leinster championships over the past quarter of a century was noteworthy for the imbalance in the number of All-Ireland medal-winners between the two teams.

CORK are restricted to just two representatives - Ronan Curran and Joe Deane - on the Munster team to face Leinster in the M. Donnelly Interprovincial hurling semi-final in Croke Park on Sunday (12.15pm).

A goal in the dying seconds of injury time from right corner-forward Kieran Murphy of Sarsfields dramatically preserved Cork’s unbeaten run in Division 1 ‘B’ of the Allianz National Hurling League at Páirc Uí Chaoimh yesterday.

ALL-IRELAND champions Kilkenny hit trouble at the double last night when the local senior hurling league semi-finals were played.

Birr 0-15 Athenry 0-6