The Kilmacud Crokes-Craobh Chiaráin Dublin league game threw in yesterday morning at 10.30am.

Springtime may not have landed in Nowlan Park quite yet, given the chill in the Kilkenny venue yesterday, but the virtues and habits of the men in the striped jerseys remain evergreen.

Any time I’m on the road on a Saturday evening, I always tune into Céilí House, one of RTÉ Radio’s most popular programmes of traditional Irish music and song, writes Anthony Daly.

Mallow in early January will never be mistaken for Broadway, and the chill in the north Cork evening made it a testing venture for the 2,021 spectators in attendance for Cork and Waterford in last night’s Co-Op Superstores Munster SHL clash.

It started as a puck-around and ended with managers tangling on the sideline, the kind of pre-season game that picks up momentum before a breathless finish.

A goal three minutes into injury-time by Glen Rovers’ David Cunningham saved the Cork SHC champions in an epic Saturday night tussle with old rivals St Finbarr’s at Páirc Uí Rinn.

The consensus was almost instant a couple of Saturdays ago.

Cork manager Kieran Kingston has urged his players to eradicate costly lapses in concentration at key moments in big games — and he’s demanding a full 70- minute performance against Waterford at Walsh Park.

Following their shock Allianz League defeat to Clare in Ennis at the weekend, the Cork senior football management met for a crisis meeting at a Cork city hotel on Monday evening.

A savage amount of rain has fallen in the last week and I just wonder did the underfoot conditions contribute to so many injuries in Semple Stadium and Nowlan Park yesterday?

Cork 0-19 Clare 0-15: Cork’s fourth win of the Co-Op Superstores.ie Munster SHL denied Clare a place in this Sunday’s decider.

CBC, Cork 3-18 St Francis College, Rochestown 3-12: It says much about the second-half turnaround by CBC in this Dr Harty Cup last-16 clash at Church Road yesterday that the six-point winning margin flattered their opponents more than themselves.

That the final winning margin was 14 points doesn’t really do justice to what was an at-times thrilling Carrigaline Court Hotel Rebel Óg Premier 1 MHC decider at Páirc Uí Rinn last night.

Imokilly 3-20 UCC 1-11: Séamus Harnedy starred as Imokilly put together a fine all-round performance to better UCC at Riverstown in the opening round of the Cork SHC last night.

Cork 1-26 Clare 1-13: A comfortable win for Cork in this senior hurling challenge game against Clare was marred by a concussion injury suffered by defender Cormac Murphy in the second half. 

Cork hurling manager Kieran Kingston has paid a glowing tribute to the players released from the Rebels’ senior hurling panel this week, describing them as giving “massive commitment” to county hurling side over recent years.

There was victory and Division 1A status for Cork in this relegation play-off in Pearse Stadium Galway.

This was a superb contest last Saturday night. Cork were six points up and it looked as if they were going to hold out for a much needed win with five minutes remaining in normal time.

A substitute was the hero for the winning side.

The Roscommon footballers have been forced to concede home advantage for Sunday’s league fixture against Down owing to an unplayable pitch at Hyde Park and a Croke Park ruling the game could not be staged at Kiltoom.

There are five changes in personnel, as well as a number of positional alterations, to the Cork side that will face Waterford in the Allianz Hurling League Division 1A at Páirc Uí Rinn tomorrow night (throw-in 7pm).

Galway 1-27 Cork 1-21: A fine spring day in Salthill yesterday, the home side making the most of the sunshine, romping to a comfortable win over visiting Cork.

UCC have crashed out of the Fitzgibbon Cup at the group stages for a second successive year.

Recalls are the story of Kieran Kingston’s first Cork League panel which sees Cian McCarthy, Conor O’Sullivan and William Egan returning to the group.

Cork hurling manager Kieran Kingston has continued his policy of rotation for tomorrow night’s Munster SHL clash with Waterford in Mallow (7.30pm).

Newcestown 1-18 Mallow 1-16: Intense and exciting throughout, this memorable Cork Premier IHC semi-final at Páirc Uí Rinn on Saturday night ended with fans on both sides having palpitations as Mallow threw everything at last year’s beaten finalists in a bid to grab a final place.

Mallow 0-18 Cloyne 2-9: Goal-hungry Cloyne came close but Mallow held on in a rousing finish to last night’s exciting Cork Premier IHC quarter final at Páirc Uí Rinn.

The stats from Sunday’s semi-final loss to Galway will offer few crumbs of comfort for Jimmy Barry-Murphy and his management team. 

As Jimmy Barry Murphy and his management team prepare for Sunday week’s All-Ireland quarter-final clash with Galway, they will have plenty to ponder after a victory against the odds over Clare in Thurles on Saturday evening.