Brian Cody’s 21st championship campaign got off to a winning start thanks to an inspirational display by captain TJ Reid.

Páirc Uí Chaoimh stadium director Bob Ryan says “there’ll be no issue with the pitch” for tomorrow week’s Munster SHC opener between Cork and Clare at the venue.

Meanwhile, Tipperary hurling manager Michael Ryan has handed a first league start to corner-forward Cian Darcy.

Cork have made two changes in personnel and several positional switches for Sunday’s Munster SHC final clash with Limerick at the Gaelic Grounds from the side that beat Clare in the semi-final.

Wexford 1-21 Kilkenny 0-21 (after extra time)

Wexford 1-21 Kilkenny 0-21(after extra-time)

“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).

Kilkenny 0-20 Tipperary 1-14

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).

Offaly 1-13 Kilkenny 1-19

Limerick 1-25 Kilkenny 1-20

Reigning All-Ireland and Allianz Hurling League champions Kilkenny make several changes from the side that scraped past Clare last Sunday for tomorrow’s winner-take-all clash with Cork in Nowlan Park.

Clare 1-15 Kilkenny 3-10,

Michael Rice will make his first start for Kilkenny tomorrow since suffering a horror hand injury in last year’s All-Ireland SHC semi-final victory over Tipperary.

Kilkenny 2-15 Waterford 0-16

Tipperary 2-17 Kilkenny 1-19

Wexford 2-18 Kilkenny 0-16

Clare 2-17 Kilkenny 2-11

Both Clare and Kilkenny have named unchanged line-ups for tomorrow’s Bord Gáis All-Ireland U-21 hurling championship final in Thurles (7pm) from the teams that defeated Antrim and Galway respectively in the All-Ireland semi-finals.

Tipperary 3-13 Kilkenny 1-17

Kilkenny 4-16 Galway 2-15

2012 has already been a marquee year for Kilkenny’s Cillian Buckley, the year he made the breakthrough to senior.

Paddy Kelly has earned a recall to the Cork starting line-up for next Sunday’s All-Ireland SFC semi-final against Donegal at Croke Park.

In the pursuit of excellence, sportspeople make extraordinary sacrifices.

The sun shone and the rain fell in intermittent waves but there was no sign of lightning striking twice in Portlaoise last night as Kilkenny made short work of an outclassed Laois side in this Bord Gáis Leinster U21 final.

Laois may have accounted for initial favourites Dublin in the first round, but very few outside their own camp are giving them any chance of overcoming Kilkenny.

Clare senior football manager Micheal McDermott has spoken out against proposals to resume seeding the Munster SFC.

Kilkenny slowly but surely ran through the gears, and when they did they simply motored to victory over Wexford on their way to a provincial final showdown against Laois.

A great opportunity beckons for Laois and Carlow as they clash in the Bord Gáis Energy Leinster U21 hurling semi-final at Dr Cullen Park tonight (7.30pm).

Brian Cody welcomed John Tennyson back for his first game in a Kilkenny jersey since the 2010 All-Ireland final as they annihilated Offaly in a challenge last evening to mark the official opening of Clara’s impressive new facilities.

CORK senior hurling selector Ger Cunningham remains on course to manage UCC to a third successive All-Ireland Freshers (1) hurling title but his players had to withstand a fierce challenge from Cork IT before triumphing after extra-time in a thrilling quarter-final tie at the Mardyke yesterday afternoon.

Star performer John Power produced four points during the closing five minutes, and boosted by another from Ger Aylward, 14-man Kilkenny cobbled together a battling victory over Westmeath yesterday.

It may have been a senior development squad team on duty, but the New Year began as the old one finished for Kilkenny — a victory, albeit a hard-earned one.

CLARE’S Tony Carmody scored a first-half goal, went off injured minutes later but raised the rafters at the end of this final when he lifted the All-Ireland IHC trophy.

AN Emmet Kent free in the 61st minute saw Wexford emerge with the narrowest of victories over arch rivals Kilkenny in an enthralling Leinster Under 21 hurling championship quarter-final at Wexford Park last night.

THE primary focus in Kilkenny hurling this week may be on Brian Cody’s trip with his senior team to the south-east next Saturday night for their provincial battle with Wexford but before that, their U21 counterparts get set for a similar journey tonight.

WEXFORD boss Tony Dempsey has named ten of last year’s starting U21 team for tomorrow night’s Bord Gáis Energy Leinster U21HC tie against Kilkenny at Wexford Park.

Kilkenny 3-16 NUI Galway 2-12

IT was not as facile as their runaway last four win over Galway, but after a white knuckle ride at Croke Park yesterday Kilkenny were crowned All-Ireland minor hurling champions.

Kilkenny 2-10 Clare 0-14

Kilkenny 5-19 Galway 0-15

DUBLIN have the perfect opportunity for revenge presented to them when they face off against Kilkenny in tomorrow afternoon’s ESB Leinster MHC final in Croke Park at 2pm.