John Fogarty previews the weekend's GAA fixtures.

Last weekend, Slaughtneil and Tooreen, those oases in the hurling wastelands of Derry and Mayo, emerged from the shadows and into the limelight

On the eve of the roaring twenties, John Fogarty hails the doyens of the last decade in hurling

“He was the difference between the teams today,” declared an ecstatic St Mary’s coach, Dan Shanahan. “His puckouts were good and he hasn’t conceded a goal in four games.”

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

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.

Everyone wants to know at what stage of the All-Ireland series Joe Canning will make his return — but has anyone stopped to consider the growing possibility that Galway might not see beyond Leinster, putting paid to any late-summer running of The Joe Show?

A sterling second-half comeback from Wexford earned the visitors to Salthill a share of the spoils in this error-ridden Leinster SHC clash.

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.

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.

Aaron Gillane was the hero as Mary Immaculate College booked their place in this year’s Fitzgibbon Cup final when they held off the NUIG challenge at Cusack Park in Ennis..

NUIG manager Jeff Lynskey was thrilled as the Galway college sent holders UL crashing out of the Fitzgibbon Cup to create a Group A decider against UCC.

Donal O'Shea, son of former Tipperary manager Eamon, is selected at full-forward.

How to feel your age part I: The Good Friday Agreement is a month older than Kyle Hayes.

Fresh from the Department of No Further Ado, the end of season hurling awards. Often copied but never equalled, the jury (Michael Moynihan, alone) has reported in.

The front of the Limerick Leader supplement got the tone pitch-perfect, its message as neatly manicured as one of those deliveries from the half-back line for Aaron Gillane or Seamus Flanagan to feast on.

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

Galway 5-18 Offaly 2-15

When Galway’s hurling star Niall Donoghue died by suicide in 2013, Conor Whelan was just 16 years old, and suffering the loss of his cousin and first role model.

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

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

They were struggling for consistency all through the Munster minor round-robin, but Tipperary finally found it on the big day.

Dublin nearly stunned the All-Ireland champions in Salthill but Paul Winters two second-half goals were not enough to edge victory for Pat Gilroy’s side in Pearse Stadium.

Tipperary 4-15 Cork 1-14: Tipperary blitzed Cork for a crucial first win of the Munster MHC round-robin which keeps alive their hopes of progressing.

Kerry 1-15 Tipperary 0-4

From the Limerick team that lined out at Pearse Stadium, only three — Nicky Quaid, Richie McCarthy, and Paul Browne — have been exposed to top-tier league hurling. That’s a damning indictment of the county’s spring form over the past eight years.

Eoghan Cormican previews the Fitzgibbon Cup Group D, Group B and Group C.

What’s another year? That is the rhetorical question the GAA hierarchy are asking as a motion to change the U21 All-Ireland hurling championship to U20 to fall into line with Gaelic football is being prepared.

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

Mark Coleman, though still a teenager, has developed a penchant for making history.

All-Ireland winning captain David Burke and Joe Canning both earn their fourth All Star.

Hurling Development Committee (HDC) chairman Paudie O’Neill feels attitudes from both managers and officials towards the Allianz Hurling League will change in the wake of Saturday’s historic All-Ireland SHC vote.

The depth of affection for the late Tony Keady far beyond Galway’s borders was underlined again on Saturday when a deputation from Cork visited Oranmore to make a presentation of Cork hurling memorabilia to the Keady family, writes Larry Ryan of the Irish Examiner.

Cyril Farrell has tipped Joe Canning to win hurler of the year — but believes Galway’s Gearóid McInerney should have been one of the three players nominated.

As David Burke’s acceptance speech extended on Sunday, Peter Canavan’s victorious address 14 years previous came to mind. “I’m not finished yet,” the Tyrone great told the masses in front of him. “It took me a long time to get here.”

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