Next year’s Division 3 football counties are still awaiting word on whether they will have two ways of avoiding the proposed second tier championship.

Eoghan Cormican looks at the contenders to succeed John Meyler as Cork senior hurling manager.

John Meyler’s departure after two years as Cork senior hurling manager means the county is once again on the look-out for leadership.

Charleville proved too strong for 14-man Mallow in the RedFM Division 2 HL final in Buttevant today.

A pair of winning points of real quality from Darragh Fitzgibbon, at the end of the second period of extra-time, finally put daylight between these two teams after a pulsating and fiercely contested Cork SHC first round at Páirc Uí Rinn on Saturday.

Rockwell College held on for an impressive Clayton Hotels Munster Schools Junior Cup win over Presentation Brothers College, beating the Cork men 16-13 in Musgrave Park.

Cork champions Charleville had too much pace and firepower for a depleted Lixnaw side in Saturday’s AIB Munster Club IHC semi-final.

The red-and-white colours on show in Charleville aren’t left over from Cork’s journey in the championship.

If it’s All-Ireland final memories you’re looking for, Niall Healy has a plentiful supply. Regrets, too. Plenty of them.

It was a strange 24 hours, or maybe 36 hours, for Cork GAA, writes Michael Moynihan.

Cork and Waterford are known as two of the most goal-shy teams around but don’t let that fool you. 

It holds the record as having the highest GAA pitch in Ireland and can now add hosting the biggest hurling match in history to its credits.

Oulart the Ballagh 0-20 Clara 2-11

Oulart-the-Ballagh 3-12 Ferns St Aidan’s 1-16

Consider yourself a self-respecting Rebel die-hard? Not unless you meet these criteria.

The clash of the ash reverberated out from a North Cork village and onto the world stage as 916 people aged from four to 88 years took part in an extraordinary game of hurling.

Oulart-Ballagh 1-11 Ballyhale Shamrocks 1-10

Having been such a dominant hurling force in both the Munster and All-Ireland Championships for so long, the Cork hurlers have had to endure seven trophy-less years, and midfielder Pa Cronin admits that wait is too long.

Oulart-The Ballagh (Wexford) 1-13 Kilmacud Crokes (Dublin) 1-12

Sarsfields 4-13 Blackrock 0-6

An injury-time point by Ben O’Connor earned Newtownshandrum a deserved draw in this entertaining fourth round tie at Mallow on Saturday night.

As John Mullane can testify, All Star awards can provide some succour for beaten All-Ireland semi-finalists.

Sometimes there are moments in sport which seem to define players and what they represent.

For awhile there he’d become hurling’s great forgotten man.

It was, in the words of a local sage, a day borrowed from the weather gods at the Old Head of Kinsale. The water sparkled, the sky stayed blue and the breeze was testing enough to brook no debate about who was boss.

Huge relief for Newtownshandrum at Kilworth on Saturday, heartache though for Killeagh, their Trojan effort to cause a huge Cork SHC upset thwarted in extra-time by two cracking Cathal Naughton goals, leaving them with a tricky backdoor clash with Cloyne.

Huge relief for Newtownshandrum at Kilworth on Saturday, heartache though for Killeagh, their Trojan effort to cause a huge Cork SHC upset thwarted in extra-time by two cracking Cathal Naughton goals, leaving them with a tricky backdoor clash with Cloyne.

March 29th 2012.

Cork star Cathal Naughton yesterday described Ben O’Connor as the greatest hurler he has seen.

Courcey Rovers maintained their good start in the Cork senior hurling league as they lead the RedFM SHL after two games.

This was the best club final I’ve seen since the All-Ireland final was moved to Croke Park in the mid 80s.

Cork star Ben O’Connor retired from inter-county hurling last night.

Cork star Ben O’Connor retired from inter-county hurling last night.

Damien Cahalane will make his senior league debut for Cork in Sunday’s Division 1 clash with Galway in Páirc Uí Chaoimh as manager Jimmy Barry-Murphy makes four changes from the team that defeated Dublin in Croke Park last Sunday.

The announcement last night that Ben O’Connor has retired from inter-county fare marks the end of an era for Cork hurling, the time of the twins.

Cork left Croke Park with their second Allianz HL Division 1A victory yesterday, a win that looked unlikely in a game which Dublin dominated for long periods.

Hurling mentors, your days of rooting around in a dark potato sack for a player’s spare stick are over.

Cork 3-17 Waterford 0-18

He bid farewell to the inter-county game in November 2000, three months after his Cork team had been defeated in the All-Ireland semi-final by Offaly.

A STRONG Cork senior hurling side, which included Seán Óg Ó hAilpín, enjoyed a 0-22 to 0-19 win over UCC in a challenge at the Mardyke on Saturday.

THIS club hurling championship must be one of the strangest competitions around.

Leinster Club SHC final: Oulart-the-Ballagh (Wexford) 1-11 Coolderry (Offaly) 1-15

JIMMY BARRY-MURPHY didn’t dawdle when the call came.