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.

Cold shoulders will be the order of the day in Chadwicks Wexford Park next Sunday as former friends Davy Fitzgerald and Brian Lohan face off for the first time since the latter took over Clare.

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.

Galway officials are to ask Croke Park to conduct a more expansive audit into the county’s finances.

To give an idea of just how glaring Clare’s concession of 15 pointed frees (24 in total) was on Saturday night, it’s one less than the placed balls that have been scored against Limerick across the first three rounds.

There’s silverware on offer tomorrow in the Gaelic Grounds, when Clare and Tipperary face off in the final of the Co-Op Superstores Munster senior hurling league (2pm).

Éamonn Fitzmaurice shipped some criticism last week when he reintroduced Paul Geaney against Monaghan after a disappointing initial foray for the Dingle man.

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

Offaly football manager Stephen Wallace has hit out at the negativity of recently retired inter-county players, accusing them of “throwing stones” at former teammates.

Picking the comparative, up-to-that-stage Hurling XV of the Noughties this time a decade ago was an exercise competed in 30 seconds, if even that.

At this time of year when you’d nearly get the impression that every county player would rather he was anything else, it’s worth bearing in mind that there have been some players that we haven’t heard complain about their plight.

The all-consuming nature of inter-county life finds itself front and centre once more. Burnout tends to dominate GAA discourse this time of year, but the tales of Kieran Bergin and Joe Sheridan have overshadowed however many emerging talents are being pulled here, there and everywhere.

Gerry O’Connor says Clare must make scoring chances count in Championship 2018.

Shane O’Donnell has praised the “absolutely fantastic” influence of former Clare coach Donal Óg Cusack.

Darach Honan has become the fourth member of Clare's 2013 All Ireland-winning panel to announce his retirement from inter-county hurling in recent weeks.

New Dublin senior hurling boss Pat Gilroy should be in a position to name the rest of his management by the end of next week.

David Clifford’s meeting with Éamonn Fitzmaurice does not mean the teenage prodigy will bypass the U20 grade and line out for the Kerry seniors in 2018, board chairman Tim Murphy has insisted.

Brendan Bugler has described Clare’s Munster hurling championship record as ‘cat’ and insisted it’s ‘shit or burst’ time as they begin their latest campaign.

Clare’s victory over Dublin will count for nothing unless it is backed up with a result against Waterford in their final round-robin game, according to Brendan Bugler.

I wrote last Saturday that players are strongly motivated by comments which call their personal courage into question.

That rolling bet between myself and John Mullane is still rolling. I didn’t take the €20 off him yesterday because we are going doubles or quits for the championship match on June 5th.

Maybe it’s because we’re so used to seeing Kilkenny front and centre after most games but it seemed they spent an inordinate amount of time behind their dressing room door on Sunday.

Jackie Tyrrell makes his first since last year’s Leinster final as one of five changes to the Kilkenny side for tomorrow’s Allianz HL Division 1A clash with Galway at Nowlan Park tomorrow (2pm).

In our weekly 'Getting to know you' slot, Clare hurler Brendan Bugler talks Netflix, bad movies, rule changes and one teammate's use of Tinder.

Former Galway manager John McIntyre yesterday revealed captain David Collins, vice-captain Andy Smith and 2014 captain Joe Canning and David Burke as the four players who informed Anthony Cunningham that the squad did not want him to continue as manager.

Diarmuid Connolly is set to be named in the Dublin team to face Mayo tomorrow in the hope he will be allowed to play.

Clare goalkeeper Patrick Kelly has reiterated the county hurling squad’s faith in manager Davy Fitzgerald.

THERE are times when you go into a big game as manager knowing the gun is to your head, when you can almost feel the cold steel pressed against your temple.

It was just his second start in two years. But banging over a point in his first play against Offaly settled Darach Honan and allow him revel in the the Cusack Park mid-summer atmosphere.

An “off the cuff” approach can steer Clare past Cork in Saturday’s sink-or-swim qualifier clash, according to two-time All-Ireland medal-winner Frank Lohan.