When Cork finally hit a rhythm and a groove in the second quarter yesterday, everybody around me was probably thinking the same as the entire hurling community. ‘Yeah, Cork have finally got it together now. They’ve weathered the storm. They’ll drive on. They’ll win this handy.’ And the Cork players certainly seemed to think the same.

First off, Tipperary won’t be as deficient as they were in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Similarly, Cork’s collective output won’t be at the same untouchable level that it was at on July 4. What you’ll find materialising will be somewhere in the middle.

The discussion in the staff room at Our Lady’s, Templemore on Wednesday morning centred on the long list of household names who passed through their doors without ever pocketing a Harty Cup medal.

Our Lady’s, Templemore (Tipperary) 0-24 Kilkenny CBS 2-15: Our Lady’s Templemore manager Tom Byrnes is relishing a crack at competition kingpins St Kieran’s in the Croke Cup final on Saturday week.

Jackie Cahill looks at five ways in which Michael Ryan’s Tipperary are emulating Brian Cody’s Cats.

Dr Harty Cup final

Our Lady’s Templemore 3-14 Thurles CBS 1-10: Our Lady’s Templemore haven’t tasted Harty Cup glory since winning the competition for the one and only time in the school’s history back in 1978.

LAST year’s runners up Our Lady’s Templemore eased into the last four of the Harty Cup with a ten-point victory over local rivals Thurles CBS in front of a huge crowd at The Ragg this afternoon.

It’s been nine years since Thurles CBS and Our Lady’s Templemore met at the quarter-final stage of the Harty Cup. This afternoon’s clash would do well to reach the heights of the drawn and replayed fixtures from 2008.

Dr Crokes (Kerry) 1-12 Loughmore-Castleiney (Tipperary) 0-9: No energy, no urgency, no composure, poor decision-making, sloppy with ball in hand and wasteful in front of goal.

Tipperary 1-21, Limerick 0-17: Of course it was unfair to expect Tipperary to click for a third consecutive game.

Tipperary 7-12 Galway 2-12

A number of teams getting into championship gear this weekend...

Tipperary minor hurling manager Liam Cahill has given players the ultimatum of picking hurling or football this year but not both.

Ardscoil Rís 0-11 Our Lady’s Templemore 0-8: Eighteen sides have won the Dr Harty Cup since its inception, 92 years ago.

Josh Beausang’s late point earned Midleton CBS a draw against Blackwater CS at Waterford IT yesterday, but the east Cork school’s hopes of qualification to the Harty Cup quarter-finals rest on today’s game between Ardscoil Rís and Waterford’s De La Salle.

Kerry 4-14 Tipperary 0-6: Of the 21 All-Ireland winning teams Jack O’Connor has been involved with, he described this latest Kerry minor batch as the most complete of the lot.

Nine of the Tipperary players in Sunday’s All-Ireland minor final panel also featured this year for the county minor hurlers.

Galway 4-13 Tipperary 1-16: Jeffrey Lynskey was told last December when he interviewed for the position of county minor manager that he would be taking charge of one of the worst Galway teams in recent decades.

Liam Cahill hurled for three years as a Tipperary minor.

They’re winning, and that’s the most important point, reasons Tipperary minor hurling manager Liam Cahill.

The gates of Cusack Park could be reopened later this month to stage the third round of Clare SHC games.

Tipperary 0-16 Clare 2-9: Brendan Martin shattered Clare’s dreams of a first Electric Ireland Munster Minor football final appearance in 21 years at Semple Stadium last night.

Tipperary 1-14 Waterford 0-16: Despite registering just 1-3 from play, Liam Cahill’s Tipperary did just about enough to book their place in the semi-finals of the Electric Ireland Munster minor hurling championship last night.

Dean Ryan Cup final

Midleton CBS 4-8St. Flannan’s 3-8

A woman has been handed an 18-month prison sentence for helping to dispose of her husband's body in Co. Westmeath in 1987.

Limerick begin the defence of their Munster MHC title at the Gaelic Grounds tonight (7pm) against Tipperary, the county they beat in last year’s semi-final (1-17 to 0-17) en-route to claiming a first minor provincial crown since 1984.

Our Lady’s Templemore 1-15 CBS High School, Clonmel 0-9

THE last three Dr Harty Cup quarter-finalists will be determined today with crunch games in Ardmore, Clonmel, Tipperary Town and Cahir.