The tag of raging hot favouritism meant that for Cork this journey into the West Clare night was first and foremost about avoiding any potential banana skins they might encounter along the way.

Also included in the 24-man panel are four members of last year's All-Ireland-winning Cork minor team.

St Finbarr’s started off their defence of the Kelleher Shield with a draw against Clonakilty in Clonakilty yesterday afternoon.

Cork showed that they are in fine shape to defend their U20 All-Ireland title after they defeated Kildare in the John Kerins Cup final.

An off day, that was Nemo manager Paul O’Donovan’s summation of his team’s Ennis endeavours.

On they march, the untouchables from north Galway now just an hour from history.

Tomorrow's All-Ireland SFC club semi-final pits two of the country's best footballing sides into an Ennis bearpit. These three match-ups may decide which emerges, writes John Divilly.

Nemo Rangers manager Paul O’Donovan was full of praise for his defenders’ performance in yesterday’s Munster club final win over Clonmel Commercials.

With one old score comprehensively settled, redemption will again be foremost on Nemo minds when they step into the ring with Corofin early in the New Year.

Nemo Rangers will take on reigning champions Corofin in the All-Ireland club football semi-final after comfortably seeing off Clonmel in today’s Munster decider.

Nemo Rangers cruised into a 19th Munster club football final courtesy of this 18-point demolition of Austin Stacks.

Nemo Rangers are through to the semi-finals of the AIB Munster Club SFC after they held off the challenge of Newcastle West at Mallow on Sunday.

They had to repel a late Gabriel Rangers fightback, but Knocknagree emerged victorious in Saturday night’s Cork IFC final at Páirc Uí Rinn.

Our journalists look at some of the talking points for the weekend's GAA action.

Nemo claimed a 21st county title thanks largely to a devastating ten minute spell in the middle of the first half transforming a draw game into a ten-point half-time lead.

A familiar outcome to the Cork football decider, but the display which gave rise to Barry O’Driscoll holding aloft the Andy Scannell Cup was anything but vintage Nemo.

Nothing new to report here - Douglas remain incapable of bettering Nemo Rangers in the championship, while the latter upheld a very fine semi-final record.

Nemo Rangers breezed past a tame Douglas challenge to set up a Cork SFC final date with Duhallow on Sunday, October 27.

Nemo Rangers upped the ante big time in the second half to send champions St Finbarr’s packing in appalling weather conditions at Páirc Uí Rinn on Saturday. The incessant rain made this Cork SFC quarter-final a real slog before the 2017 champions got the formula right after a sluggish enough opening half.

All-Ireland U20 football winners Cork have seven of the 20 players named as the top performers in this year’s championship.

EirGrid has revealed the top 20 players of this year’s U20 All-Ireland Football Championship.

The ambition as always, according to manager Paul O’Donovan, is for Nemo Rangers to win a county every year, and Cork football’s standard-bearers restarted their seasonal quest with a deserved victory over gallant Dohenys in Brinny on Saturday.

Cork minor manager Bobbie O’Dwyer knows how quickly Cork football’s restorative summer has trickled all the way down to the next generation.

Former Cork footballer Colm O’Neill sees no reason why five or six of the county’s All-Ireland U20 winning team can’t make the step up to senior level in 2020.

Back in January when Cork GAA released their five-year plan for Cork football, one of the first stated targets was for Cork to be “regular All-Ireland contenders of inter-county football, within three to five years”.

Leaning against the wall outside a bouncing Cork dressing-room, happiness and contentment radiating from the broad smile he’s wearing, Cork U20 captain Peter O’Driscoll conveys his hope that this sensational come-from-behind final victory “will be the start of something”.

The Cork U20s overturned an early nine-point deficit to secure the county’s first All-Ireland football title since 2010.

Cork will play Dublin in next weekend’s All-Ireland U20 football final after reeling in a seven-point second-half deficit to overcome 14-man Tyrone.

Cork’s three-year wait for a championship win over Kerry - across senior, U20/21, minor, and junior level - is no more.

Cork U20 football manager Keith Ricken has been “blown away” by the attitude and positivity of his charges.

Superb, controlled football from a rampant Nemo side who turned in their best performance of the season to tear Valley Rovers to pieces in this one-sided Cork SFC opening round tie in Pairc Ui Rinn Saturday night.

Here's your round-up of club action...

For Cork, this Munster minor quarter-final had dwarfed to a futile exercise long before the finish.

Munster Post Primary SAFC semi-final

Coláiste Chríost Rí 1-18 Tralee CBS 1-18 (AET): Coláiste Chríost Rí had to score the final four points at Mallow on Saturday to send this Corn Uí Mhuirí semi-final tie to a replay, but it was difficult to argue against a draw being the fair outcome.

Coláiste Chríost Rí 0-8 St Francis College, Rochestown 0-6: While this southside derby veered more towards the tense than the exhilarating at Church Road in Blackrock yesterday, Coláiste Chríost Rí could yet look back on it as being very beneficial.