Kilkenny continue the policy of rotation for tomorrow’s Allianz Hurling League Division 1 final in Semple Stadium (throw-in 3.30pm).

Galway footballers have suffered a massive blow with the news that Michael Meehan will not feature in this year’s championship.

“Every game is an All-Ireland” is Kilkenny captain Brian Kennedy’s mantra as he leads the county into this evening’s Bord Gais Energy Leinster U21 final against Wexford at Wexford Park (7.30pm).

Cork have named the same side that beat Clare in the Munster SFC semi-final for Sunday’s provincial decider against Kerry.

Tyrone manager Mickey Harte will give debuts to three players in tomorrow’s All-Ireland SFC qualifier clash with Offaly in O’Connor Park in Tullamore (3pm).

The end came with a telephone conversation on Friday evening.

There was good news for Kilkenny fans as JJ Delaney and Michael Fennelly returned to action, but it was Eoin Larkin who grabbed the headlines in the latest round of the Kilkenny senior hurling league.

IT WAS a bad weekend for the 2010 county finalists as both O’Loughlin Gaels and Carrickshock suffered defeat in the fourth round of the Kilkenny senior hurling league.

BEATEN All-Ireland finalists O’Loughlin-Gaels are the only team with a 100% record in the two groups of the Kilkenny Senior League after three rounds.

Ballyhale Shamrocks, the All-Ireland club hurling champions and five in-a-row championship chasers in Kilkenny, got a sharp reminder of how difficult life will be without Henry Shefflin when they crashed to defeat against great rivals James Stephens in the SHL final.

Eddie Brennan bagged two goals and a point as Kilkenny got the better of Offaly, winning 2-13 to 0-15, to qualify for the 2007 Walsh Cup final today.

All-Ireland SHC champions Kilkenny got their competitive season off to a winning start as they easily brushed aside the challenge of UCD at Thomastown.

IT’S little and large in the Leinster club hurling final this Sunday with Birr, big town aristocrats, facing the challenge of small parish heroes Young Irelands at Portlaoise, as once again the All-Ireland club hurling championship defies the old conventions.

TO SAY that this Kilkenny SHC final at Nowlan Park yesterday was the DJ Carey show would be unfair on what was a magnificent team effort by the whole of Young Irelands. And yet........

ONE of the most enticing hurling games this weekend has to be Young Irelands against Dunnamaggin in the Kilkenny county senior hurling final at Nowlan Park tomorrow (3.30pm).