Patrick Horgan has been shortlisted for 2019 PwC Hurler of the Year award, along with Tipperary and Kilkenny captains Séamus Callanan and TJ Reid.

And then there were two — but how many of the Kilkenny and Tipperary teams are in the driving seat for All-Stars? John Fogarty makes his shouts

Tomorrow’s meeting with Limerick is a chance for Tipp to rest some ‘made men’

Summer certainly hasn’t started temperature-wise but from a refereeing perspective it did yesterday. The games in Cavan and Kilkenny swung the Championship into life.

It was the first time that the Cats were beaten in the Championship on home soil since 1949.

Martin Kavanagh fired 11 points for Carlow, but he was unable to get them over the line for victory as Galway claimed the win in their Leinster SHC opener at Pearse Stadium.

The Joe Show, that most popular one-man production which has been enthralling crowds since the middle of the last decade, ain’t running these next two months.

Three of Mayo’s previous management team have now linked up with rivals of the recently-crowned Division 1 champions.

Galway boss Micheal Donoghue will face a sweat over the fitness of another All Star as Conor Cooney left the field on crutches, on an awful weekend for St Thomas’.

Not exactly get out of jail but Waterford gave Galway the slip thanks to a slack second-half from the Tribesmen in Nowlan Park.

Here’s one thing you knew about Páraic Fanning. He’s Mount Sion and Déise hurling royalty.

Galway advanced to the semi-finals of the Allianz League thanks to an impressive display in the second-half when they were playing against the wind at Pearse Stadium.

A 74th minute strike from Shane Bennett decided a game of two halves in stormy weather at Walsh Park this afternoon.

This was a convincing and routine win for Galway as they easily bettered Dublin to claim both the league points on offer at Pearse Stadium.

Galway and Limerick have both named their starting lineups ahead of this Sunday's All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final at Croke Park.

Some hurling matches resonate far more than others, with a draw doubly eloquent.

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

Kilkenny have had little time to recover and re-energise since last Sunday. Fatigue will be a factor this weekend and it will be easier to defend a lead rather than chase a deficit in the finishing stretch.  

If the drawn final was the game Galway needed, this was the one they wanted.

Over the last while, I’ve been listening to Alan O’Mara’s excellent podcast ‘Real Talks’.

Galway 1-22 Kilkenny 2-11

An eight-point interval deficit overturned to end eight years mired in Division 1B. For a young Limerick team, this was a watershed result.

Jason Flynn's 1-9 haul eased All-Ireland title holders Galway to an anticipated victory at Parnell Park, setting up an Allianz hurling league promotion shoot-out with Limerick next weekend.

Galway 1-19 Antrim 1-16: After an hour of average hurling Micheál Donoghue’s Galway finally showed their class to launch the defence of their league and championship titles with victory over Antrim at Pearse Stadium.

Neal Peden’s Antrim almost landed the first major knock-out blow of the season, but the All-Ireland and league champions Galway finally found their form in the closing minutes to take the points at Pearse Stadium.

Enough is enough.

From a distance, the world looks maroon and white this morning.

Just as he’s on the precipice of winning his first-ever All Ireland at the 10th attempt, Canning is also on the verge of going his first-ever championship without scoring a goal.

Galway have shown to date that when they are tuned and ready, they are capable of wrecking teams, writes Anthony Daly.

One of the more delightful pageants of Irish broadcasting is the Monday hurling draw on Morning Ireland, writes Eimear Ryan.

Galway hurling captain David Burke doesn’t believe any team employing a sweeper will lift Liam MacCarthy and has claimed Waterford could benefit from not having Tadhg De Búrca available for next month’s All-Ireland semi-final against Cork.

John Fogarty looks ahead to the latest instalment of Galway v Tipperary.

With the destination of the Liam MacCarthy Cup wide open, this could prove to be the All-Ireland series from heaven. Here Enda McEvoy looks at seven individuals — not all of them superstars — who’ll have a say in the outcome of the 2017 hurling championship

David Collins might have chosen to step aside just as Galway are now favoured to win a first All-Ireland in 29 years but he is enjoying the watching brief.

Starting as they mean to go on and carrying on where they left off in the league, Galway disposed of Dublin with all the comfort of seasoned assassins.

It’s almost a tradition to rival the lustre of Cork v Tipp; bemoaning the lost lustre of Cork v Tipp. But not in Pádraic Maher’s house.