The coveted Gain Mares’ Final occupied centre stage at yesterday’s well-attended Ballynoe point-to-point fixture, staged under the auspices of the United Hunt at Garryane, Killavorilla and Kilclare.

Gort 2-13 Portumna 1-10

Goals from Joe Canning and young Ronan O’Meara saw Portumna past Athenry and set up a rematch of last year’s Galway SHC final with Loughrea at the quarter- final stage.

An energy developer is offering up to €5,000 to each family living within 1km of a proposed new windfarm in north Meath.

Portumna yesterday overcame Mount Leinster Rangers to claim their fourth All-Ireland Club Hurling title at Croke Park.

Portumna (Galway) 0-19 Mount Leinster Rangers (Carlow) 0-11

Portumna fended off the challenge of outsiders Mount Leinster Rangers to win their fourth All-Ireland Club Hurling title at Croke Park.

AIB ALL-IRELAND CLUB SHC SEMI-FINAL:

FULLEN GAELS, who are they? Even to Charleville they’re a bit of a mystery.

Douglas 1-8St Finbarr’s 0-11

A CROWD of close on 10,000 witnessed an enthralling conclusion to this tense Galway SHC semi-final as Portumna looked to have let a winning hand slip before salvaging a draw in the seventh minute of stoppage time.

THEY may have been impossible to separate last Sunday, but Cork and Kerry have enjoyed very different fortunes this week with Jack O’Connor forced to delay naming his starting 15 until hours before Sunday’s game.

GER FARRAGHER has described Andy Smith as ‘a big loss’ to the Galway hurlers ahead of their Leinster semi-final with Offaly but the midfielder is adamant the westerners have capable replacements.

The Galway hurlers might have to begin their Leinster SHC bid without veteran defender Ollie Canning, who is currently nursing an ankle injury.

An unprecedented number of injuries forced manager John McIntyre to postpone last night's training session for the Galway Senior hurlers.

THE Derry County Board has branded comments made by Joe Brolly about an U21 footballer as “harmful and unmerited”.

NHL DIVISION 1:

Ballyhale Shamrocks 1-19 Portumna 0-17

PORTUMNA are now just 60 minutes from completing an historic three-peat of All-Ireland club titles after this win in the capital yesterday afternoon.

CAPTAIN Shane Kavanagh claimed the Walsh Cup for the first time on Galway’s behalf and then declared the Tribesmen want to stay in Leinster permanently.

THE bookmakers have installed them as heavy favourites, their whole side is dripping with talent, yet Portumna will approach tomorrow’s All-Ireland Club SHC semi-final against Dunloy with a degree of wariness.

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

THE fallout from their controversial meeting in the decider three years ago has finally been consigned to history after Portumna and Loughrea played out a game in Pearse Stadium yesterday that was relatively incident-free – apart from the issuing of one red card.

IN THE gloom outside Semple Stadium late last Saturday evening, the two buses were being boarded. A small group of enthusiastic Galway fans on one side cheering on their heroes, and knots of quiet Cork supporters on the other, watching their hurlers troop out of the ground.

AN era ended in showery Semple Stadium on Saturday evening, but could it be that another era has begun?

TONY BROWNE is named at midfield on the Waterford team for tomorrow’s Munster SHC semi-final replay against Limerick at Semple Stadium, the veteran Mount Sion clubman’s first championship start since last year’s All-Ireland final.

Kilkenny manager Brian Cody and his Galway counterpart John McIntyre have revealed their starting line-ups, ahead of Saturday evening's historic Leinster Senior Hurling semi-final at O'Connor Park, Tullamore.

Galway 5-29 Laois 0-17

FORMER U21 All-Ireland winning captain Kevin Hynes makes his championship debut for Galway on Sunday when they take on Laois in the Leinster SHC at Portlaoise.

JAMES ‘Cha’ Fitzpatrick is facing a race against time to play any part in Kilkenny’s remaining divisional games in the National Hurling League.

JIMMY Barry-Murphy’s late father, John Barry, or John B as he was affectionately known in his club St Finbarr’s, had a saying when describing heavy defeats suffered by his club: “They were too numerous for us.”

GER LOUGHNANE and John McIntyre are two men who know a thing or two about making headlines.

SOME houses look their size, and shout their wares. Others are more subtle, and this Waterfall, Co Cork home fits that low-key description.

Teenage sensation Joe Canning is to train with the Galway senior hurling panel later this week.

Birr (Offaly) 3-9 Portumna (Galway) 3-19

ERIN’S OWN collected the AIB Kilmacud Crokes Hurling Sevens crown at Glenalbyn on Saturday, defeating a powerful Portumna (Galway) outfit in a tightly-contested final.

Cork club Erin's Own collected the AIB Kilmacud Crokes Hurling Sevens crown at Glenalbyn last night, beating Portumna of Galway in a tightly-contested final.

WISER, more experienced and not exactly lacking in confidence - that is Portumna's approach to Sunday's AIB All-Ireland club hurling semi-final against holders James Stephens in Semple Stadium.

GALWAY’S top scorer Ger Farragher could miss Sunday’s All-Ireland SHC semi-final against Kilkenny.

Alan Kerins, an Under-21 All-Ireland winner in 1996, has returned to the Galway line-up for Sunday's All-Ireland SHC quarter-final tie with Tipperary (Croke Park, throw-in 2pm).

DUAL STAR Alan Kearns returns to the Galway hurling team for Sunday’s Guinness All-Ireland quarter-final clash with Tipperary at Croke Park.