It’ll be the wrecking ball for Cork soon enough as the bulldozers move into Páirc Uí Chaoimh. But it was county secretary Frank Murphy who was constructive, namely hitting the nail on the head when he spoke against plans to end the St Patrick’s Day All-Ireland Club senior finals.

Kilkenny goalkeeper Eoin Murphy posted two pictures on Twitter yesterday, both of him with Henry Shefflin.

Welcome to your Tuesday morning briefing. Let us ensure you’re up to speed on what’s happening and are prepared for the day ahead.

His manager was uncharacteristically lyrical when discussing Henry Shefflin on Saturday night in Croke Park.

Never has a last chance saloon looked as appealing as tomorrow’s All-Ireland final – potentially the last time we will see some of the game’s greatest exponents of the last 15 years in action.

In a repeat of the 1973 and 2007 All-Ireland finals, Kilkenny and Limerick again go to into battle this afternoon with a place in another September showpiece up for grabs.

On the way to the Gaelic Grounds yesterday, the fine weather, fellas having tea and sandwiches from the boot of the car, it made you crave for summer hurling.

All week now, the Ireland coaches and players have been running around their team base in Kildare with the metaphorical fire extinguishers, dousing any talk of Triple Crowns or, heaven forbid, a Grand Slam.

Kilkenny’s Paul O’Hara crashed a young man’s party at Lahinch yesterday by winning two fine matches against Ulster duo Stephen Coulter and Nicky Grant to qualify for this morning’s first semi-final of the South of Ireland Championship against 20-year-old Ryan McKinstry (Cairndhu).

Kilkenny 0-20 Tipperary 1-14

Former Ballyhale Shamrocks player and manager Maurice Aylward does not believe the current squad is as strong as the 2007 and 2010 versions which claimed All-Irelands.

Looking for something creatively creepy to do this Halloween? Pól Ó Conghaile scours the country for a round-up of mid-term’s most macabre events...

Henry Shefflin admitted winning a record ninth All-Ireland SHC medal was 'a special feeling' as yesterday's 11-point replay win over Galway sunk in for the Kilkenny forward.

In the last 10 minutes of yesterday’s All-Ireland final replay, Henry Shefflin went into the corner.

Galway manager Anthony Cunningham last night moved to defuse any ill-feeling there might be in Kilkenny over a remark passed by Joe Canning last week in relation to Henry Shefflin, the Irish Examiner has reported.

Galway manager Anthony Cunningham last night moved to defuse any ill-feeling there might be in Kilkenny over a remark passed by Joe Canning last week in relation to Henry Shefflin.

Before I talk about the game I want to compliment the GAA on the whole package yesterday.

Let’s get one thing very clear — the King is not dead, in fact King Henry is very much alive and kicking and going, for his record ninth All-Ireland senior hurling medal this Sunday.

After Kilkenny’s destruction of Dublin in the Leinster senior hurling semi-final, a very pertinent question — have they discovered the secret of cloning hurlers in Kilkenny?

STRIKER Thierry Henry will this weekend complete his return to Arsenal in a short-term deal.

ARSENE WENGER feels the presence of Arsenal legend Thierry Henry at the club’s training ground this week can help “lift” his players as they look to maintain their resurgence at Norwich tomorrow.

HOW GOOD is Henry Shefflin? Where does he stand in the pantheon of the hurling greats? For a cross-section of opinions we asked nine players for their assessments of the man simply called King Henry.

AFTER an enforced injury lay-off of almost nine months, King Henry is back — and triumphant too.

Tipperary 4-17 Kilkenny 1-18

“POP!” is the sound which can often be heard by both the victim and those nearby when the anterior cruciate ligament buried deeply inside the knee snaps under stress or collision.

BRIAN CODY is rarely one to indulge in hyperbole so his typically understated response to Henry Shefflin’s latest historic feat shouldn’t perhaps have surprised.

HOW good must it feel in the skin of Henry Shefflin these days? Forget, for a moment, all the honours won, the nine All-Star awards, seven All-Ireland senior inter-county medals, five National Hurling Leagues, three Railway Cups, two All-Ireland club senior titles, twice named hurler of the year (on the treble – Vodafone, GPA and Texaco), and Sports Person Of The Year In 2006.

WHAT a difference 12 months make.

VERY little separates Henry Shefflin and Eoin Kelly.

ANOTHER YEAR, another final.

Kilkenny 2-23 Waterford 3-15

THIS week Kilkenny manager Brian Cody commented on the fact that teams had actually outmuscled them in their last two matches – the Leinster semi-final win over Galway and the National League final win over Tipperary.

A run of good period dramas in recent years has rather spoiled viewers, so no surprises then that we have yet another.

Kilkenny 2-24 Offaly 0-12

YESTERDAY morning, if you were of a gambling bent, you could have had 9/4 that Kilkenny’s Henry Shefflin would outscore Wexford on his own in this All-Ireland semi-final.

For many with a deep-rooted enthusiasm for Flat racing, there can only be one winner of this year’s Vodafone Oaks.

Brian Cody has made two changes to his Kilkenny side for tomorrow's Guinness All-Ireland SHC final against reigning champions Cork (Croke Park, throw-in 3.30pm).

ARSENAL captain Thierry Henry has lauded the club’s young guns for their magnificence in Madrid - whether he will be there to guide them next season remains unclear, says Tony Leen in Madrid.

THIERRY HENRY impressed his former Highbury colleague Patrick Vieira by inspiring Arsenal back to their best form in Wednesday’s four-goal demolition of Portsmouth.

IT may not be Rome in October, but Munster’s hurlers are intent on making up for recent heartaches when they take on Connacht in the M Donnelly Inter-provincial final in Pearse Park tomorrow.