MOTHER’S DAY yesterday in sunny Salthill, and many of Galway’s matrons took the opportunity to head for Pearse Stadium in hopes of seeing their hurlers bring down the All-Ireland champions, and in the process secure their place in this year’s Allianz Hurling League final.

FOR the thousands who went to Galway yesterday in hopes of a hurling contest there was one consolation – it was a beautiful day in scenic Salthill.

Galway 1-14 Tipperary 4-23, Pearse Stadium, Allianz Hurling League

CAN you imagine the following two things happening within five days of one another — Kilkenny being ahead in a National League game by nine points and losing by four; their senior hurling club champions, O’Loughlin Gaels, being up by five points with only a few minutes to go in the first half of an All-Ireland final, and losing by 12?

Clarinbridge 2-18 O'Loughlin Gaels 0-12

THERE may be a tendency in the GAA to liberally bestow classic status on games, but the rush to throw garlands on this All-Ireland Club SHC semi-final is wholly justified.

I’D like to start by going back to Saturday, andnot to the inter-county scene either.

Clarinbridge (Galway) 3-22 De La Salle (Waterford) 1-27

COUNTY player Aonghus Callanan hit 0-5 from play as city side Liam Mellows, who won the last of their seven Galway SHC titles back in 1970, advanced to the quarter-finals at Athenry yesterday, seeing off Sarsfields 0-13 to 0-11.

Galway manager Anthony Cunningham has kept faith with the team that beat Dublin for tonight's All-Ireland U-21 Hurling Championship final against Tipperary in Thurles (throw-in 7pm).

THE contentious choice of venue for tonight’s All-Ireland U21 decider has dominated the headlines this week but irrespective of where this game was played, Tipperary were always likely to be installed as strong favourites.

SATURDAY evening in Tullamore provided further irrefutable evidence of how these counties operate at underage hurling level.

All-Ireland U-21 HC semi-final

DUBLIN boss Richie Stakelum has drafted David Quinn and Ciaran Brennan into his team for tomorrow’s Bord Gais Energy All-Ireland U21HC semi-final against Galway in Tullamore.

REIGNING champions Portumna sealed a place in the quarter-finals of the Galway senior hurling championship when they defeated Kinvara by 2-22 to 1-10 in a repeat of the 2007 county final.

IN a Premier Division season dominated by Dublin derbies, the most high-octane of them all takes place at Tallaght this evening when Shamrock Rovers host Bohemians (7.45pm, RTÉ 2).

Cork City FORAS Co-op make the long trek to the Brandywell for the opening game of the 2010 League of Ireland season tomorrow night.

CILLIAN LORDAN will have the honour of being be the first captain of the newly-formed Cork City Foras, it was confirmed last night.

Cork City FORAS Co-op today announced the signings of Eoin Forde, Davin O’Neill, John Dineen and Willie Heffernan.

GALWAY hurling boss John McIntyre has wielded the axe and drafted nine players into his squad for next season.

Clare 3-23 Galway 5-15 (after extra-time)

Senior squad members Joe Canning, James Skehill and Eoin Forde have been included in Galway's starting 15 for tomorrow's Bord Gais Energy All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship semi-final against Clare at Semple Stadium (throw-in 2.30pm).

LAOIS duo Colm Parkinson and Darren Rooney played a telling role in Parnells 0-12 to 0-11 win over St Mark’s Tallaght in round three of the Dublin SFC in O’Toole Park last night.

Cork 1-11 Galway 4-16

A YOUNG footballer, Micheal Roche, from the Glynn-Barntown club, has successfully appealed against a 48-week ban for an alleged assault on a referee in a minor club game in Wexford.

KILKENNY will be short ten of their All-Ireland winning squad for their opening Allianz NHL game against Galway at Pearse Stadium on Sunday.

TYRONE manager Mickey Harte introduces one newcomer for tomorrow’s floodlit NFL opener against Dublin at Croke Park.

THE 2008 Cork panel met last night to settle on a time and place for their upcoming press conference.

IN the opening round of the Corn Uí Mhuirí in October, St Brendan’s crushed champions DLS Macroom by 4-13 to 0-7 and few gave them any chance of figuring in the knock-out stages.

Coláiste An Spioraid Naoimh 2-8 Coláiste Chríost Rí 1-7

Tipperary 2-18 Galway 2-7

Dingle CBS 0-14 Coláiste An Spioraid Naoimh 2-6