Galway advanced to the semi-finals of the Allianz League thanks to an impressive display in the second-half when they were playing against the wind at Pearse Stadium.

Kerry champions Lixnaw have been dealt a major blow ahead of their Munster Intermediate club hurling semi-final with Cork champions Charleville with news that talisman John ‘Tweek’ Griffin will miss the game with a broken hand.

If you were taking the season as a whole, not just the championship, Lynch was definitely Limerick’s most important performer, writes Peter McNamara.

I’m so pleased for Limerick.

When it comes to back-to-back success, Kilkenny, to the surprise of absolutely nobody, are the market leaders. Seven times a Kilkenny team has successfully defended Liam MacCarthy in the 30 years since Galway managed this feat.

YESTERDAY’S events in Thurles told us more about a man who wasn’t on the field than one who was. If anybody was in doubt about the Westmeath man taking charge of the All-Ireland final, they aren’t now.

Corner-back on Clare’s all-conquering teams in 1995 and 1997, but now resident across the border in Oranmore, home of Galway centre-back Gearóid McInerney, Frank Lohan is well-placed to tackle the main questions heading into tomorrow’s All-Ireland semi-final replay between the two counties.

If a hurler of the year was picked today, John Conlon would be edging Galway’s Pádraic Mannion for the title and his co-manager Donal Moloney has commended the leadership shown by the Clonlara man.

Call it as it was. Last day out against Galway, Kilkenny were pretty much crushed, writes PM O’Sullivan.

WEXFORD 0-17 GALWAY 1-23: The Union Jack fluttering by the roadside on the way up to Wexford on Saturday evening was no doubt linked to a polo match going on in the field beyond, and when your correspondent was coming home later in the evening it was still waving, while in the middle distance figures milled around a marquee, no doubt analysing the . . . I want to use the word ‘chukka’ . . . just ended.

As they look to bring their winning championship run to eight matches in Wexford this Saturday, Pádraic Mannion says Galway are comfortable wearing the tag of All-Ireland champions.

All-Star Galway defender Padraic Mannion has confirmed that All-Ireland winning colleague Jonathan Glynn will be available for their defence of the Liam MacCarthy Cup.

The two-point sideline cut still features prominently on the wishlist of inter-county hurlers.

All-Ireland winning captain David Burke and Joe Canning both earn their fourth All Star.

Waterford went a point up ten minutes into the second half. It had been tit for tat in the second period, but from that point on Galway had the scoring power to creep ahead and the experience to see out the game.

As Galway v Tipperary games go, Anthony Daly felt yesterday’s was on another level.

Galway have shown to date that when they are tuned and ready, they are capable of wrecking teams, writes Anthony Daly.

Uncle Mo and Ian — a little bit of literary licence is required with Ian, who I’ll get to later — are two impostors that will have a bearing on the semi-final tomorrow, writes Donal O’Grady.

Leinster SHC Final Galway 0-29 Wexford 1-17 

After Clare were well beaten by Cork in the 1998 league semi-final in Thurles, myself, Fergie Tuohy, and ‘Sparrow’ O’Loughlin went back to Powers in Clarecastle.

Former Galway All-Star nominee Pádraic Mannion says playing hurling in Division 1B won’t put the Tribesmen at any disadvantage heading into the championship.

Ten minutes into the second-half in Croke Park yesterday, there was a sense that there was something different about Galway this year.

Galway hurling manager Micheál Donoghue is confident of having three members of the starting team from last year’s All-Ireland final back from injury for the county’s Allianz League relegation play-off with Cork.

Experienced defender Fergal Moore says Galway must learn from the mistakes of previous All-Ireland final losses if they are to bounce back in 2016.

Galway 1-21 Dublin 1-12

GALWAY minor boss Mattie Murphy has rewarded Dean Higgins and Jack Carr for their dazzling showings when introduced as substitutes in their semi-final win over Clare, by naming them in his starting 15 for tomorrow afternoon’s All-Ireland final against Dublin.