THERE were two close calls but no upsets in the weekend’s Tipperary senior hurling championship.

THE FAI have announced that its finance director, Mark O’Leary, is today leaving the association to return to work in industry and commerce after five years in the job.

TIPPERARY boss Mark O’Leary has made four changes to his starting line-up from the side beaten by Cork for tonight’s Munster MHC play-off against Clare in Ennis (6.30pm).

LAST June they played out a wondrous game of hurling in Páirc Uí Chaoimh that reached the dizzying scoring heights of 5-17 apiece and that is the backdrop which tonight this year’s Cork and Tipperary minor hurlers meet in the ESB Munster MHC quarter-final in the same venue at 6.30pm.

THE ability to react to danger is an innate characteristic of a Kilkenny hurler – no matter how young.

AFTER a lifetime of service on the playing fields, Brian Lohan has turned his attention to management.

Galway 0-17 Tipperary 3-16

Cork and Kilkenny face off today in the second phase of the National Hurling League – and Cork are without several key players as they host the Cats in a repeat of last year’s All-Ireland final at Páirc Ui Chaoimh.

LIMERICK football boss Liam Kearns has released Stephen Lucey and Conor Fitzgerald from his panel to line out for the county hurlers in their NHL phase two clash with Waterford at the Gaelic Grounds on Sunday.

THE Cork selectors ended speculation of a major shake-up by making just one change in personnel from the team that lost to Waterford in the Munster final for Saturday’s All-Ireland SHC qualifier with Tipperary in Killarney.

WITH his side already through to the knockout stages of the Allianz NHL, Tipperary manager Ken Hogan has rested a number of first choice players for Sunday’s clash with Cork at Pairc Uí Chaoimh.

DATAPAC FITZGIBBON CUP FINAL:

UCC 0-19, Limerick IT 1-11

UCC 0-19 Limerick IT 1-11

CHAMPIONS Waterford IT are at full strength for this afternoon’s glamour clash with UL in the Datapac Fitzgibbon Cup quarter-final at Ballygunner (1.45pm).

IT was 3-17 to 2-7, Cork against Wexford, and 3-18 to 0-15, Kilkenny over Tipperary, what can you say?

Up until last season, Tipperary and Offaly had never met in the All-Ireland hurling championship but they clash for the second time in 12 months today.

EAMON CORCORAN and Lar Corbett have been recalled to the Tipperary team for Sunday’s do-or-die Guinness All-Ireland senior hurling championship qualifier with Galway at Pearse Stadium.

FORMER Kilkenny All-Ireland winning captain Denis Byrne has been handed the number 14 jersey on the Tipperary team for Saturday’s qualifier against Laois in Portlaoise.

TIPPERARY have made three changes from the side that defeated Clare last weekend for next Monday’s Allianz National Hurling League final with All-Ireland champions Kilkenny at Croke Park.

Tipperary 0-22

Tipperary make seven changes for their game against Cork in the National Hurling League at Thurles on Saturday from the side that beat Derry last Sunday.

DESPITE the comprehensive win nature of their side’s victory over Offaly in the opening round, the Tipperary selectors have made six changes for next Saturday’s meeting with Munster rivals Limerick in the Allianz NHL at Thurles.

Tipperary Institute 5-13

Under 21 star John Devane is named in the Tipperary team to play Offaly in the National Hurling League at Nenagh on Sunday.

Tipperary showed they had the appetite back as they demolished the Offaly challenge with a devestating second half display in this All-Ireland senior hurling championship qualifier at Portlaoise.

Injury rules out Mark O’Leary for Tipperary’s Munster Senior Hurling championship clash with Clare at Cork on Sunday.

Tipperary hurling corner-back Paul Ormonde has been added to the Premier County’s growing list of injuries following a club football game at the weekend.