For several generations now it has been common for Clare teams to head across the road to the Sherwood Inn in the Ennis Shopping Centre after training or a game in Cusack Park for something to eat.

For our purposes this game should have been played at High Noon, because all week we were hearing that this would be a western classic.

After the Clare-Limerick game yesterday evening, I turned the car for Cork so I could stay the night and be fully refreshed for this morning’s

All-Ireland champions Limerick are all but guaranteed of a top-three finish in Munster after this 18-point thumping of Clare.

The Clare roar was nowhere to be heard yesterday as the relative silence of Cusack Park in the second half was eventually broken by chants of “Tipp, Tipp, Tipp”.

The family of slain 18-year-old Azzam Raguragui said they are “resting” their faith in the Irish justice system to hold the perpetrator of the attack to account.

We are a week into Munster Championship Lent. The 40 days and 40 nights before the start of the Munster SHC on May 12 commenced last Tuesday.

Shane O’Donnell has rejoined the Clare senior hurling panel following his return from Harvard University last week.

Donal Moloney has seen a lot of hurling in his time, but yesterday in Cusack Park represented something of a first for him.

The concerts were announced after Ms O'Sullivan was diagnosed with what friends have described as a 'life-changing illness'.

Aaron Gillane pointed a free in the fifth minute of injury-time to snatch a draw for All-Ireland champions Limerick against the only team to beat them in last year’s championship.

Yesterday in Cusack Park was a pick ‘n’ mix of everything the league can give you. High scores and stirring comebacks, spectacular goals, and lapses in concentration. Something for everyone in the audience.

It wasn’t Seamus Callanan’s goals which were his standout moments on Saturday evening. We’ve seen them before, delightful and all as they are in their delicate craft and deadly execution. What we hadn’t seen was such a relentless work-rate from the no.14.

Where to start with this enthralling weekend? It was unbelievable in so many ways. To have two outstandingly exciting All-Ireland semi-finals one after the other. Referees get just as thrilled about these days too.

Enda McEvoy look at the key takeaways from the weekend's action...

First All-Ireland quarter-final win in five years. First time heading back to Croke Park in five years. Redemption for a Munster final that didn’t go to plan. Visible progress — at long, long last.

While soccer, courtesy of Croatia, is no longer winging home, hurling truths are dropping towards a roost.

Yesterday was a day for hurling referees to step up to the mark and both James McGrath and Fergal Horgan did just that, in Semple Stadium and Croke Park.

David Reidy is also named to start having had his controversial red card from the Limerick game rescinded.

Of all the days I have been with RTÉ, yesterday was definitely the toughest, writes Anthony Daly.

Tipperary 1-21 Clare 1-23

The Munster SHC will boil down to whichever team has put in place the most effective recovery programme for between games, Clare joint-manager Gerry O’Connor has insisted.

Limerick 4-21 Clare 0-33 (Limerick win 7-6 on frees AET)

Limerick’s Colin Ryan was the hero at the end of a contest that almost ran for three hours.

Clare 0-23 Cork 0-19: First of all, disregard the scoreline. This was anything but a four-point contest.

January being the month of experimentation, Conor Cleary finds himself in the unfamiliar environs of the Clare full-back line.

Further experimentation, further opportunity to impress.

Clare joint-manager Donal Moloney is pleased that Sunday week’s Munster SHC final against Cork is taking place in Semple Stadium and not Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Given my Clare loyalty and my Limerick connections to their underage Academy, I stole into Thurles yesterday like a thief in the night; head down, baseball cap pulled tightly down over my eyes, plain clothes, biro and notepad in my hand.

Nobody knows our troubles but God. Not exactly the words of Clare co-manager Gerry O’Connor after this game but close enough.

Clare 3-18 Dublin 0-19

Waterford 5-15 Galway 0-14: A coronation they wanted. A coronation they received.

Ger Loughnane, being the bould Ger that he is, just can’t help himself sometimes. Cutting loose, slashing and burning and razing Galway, Micheal Donoghue and Joe Canning is nothing new but the timing of his comments, with Clare now in the other corner, could turn on his own county like a backdraft.

Cork senior administrator Diarmuid O’Donovan has welcomed the GAA’s decision to schedule the county’s hurling and football qualifier clashes on one bill this Saturday.