To the unknowing passer-by, yesterday might have presented a similar appearance to Munster Final day as crowds streamed into Pairc Ui Chaoimh. Rather than the spectacle of a hurling or football encounter, however, the legendary venue instead hosted the PM Group’s 40th celebration of business in Cork.

Player development will rank above winning for new Cork U20 hurling boss Pat Ryan, who will take the job for the next two seasons.

The Cork hurlers may have struggled to get goals last season, but their county board has, of late, developed a happy knack of hitting the target.

Cusack has been appointed for a one-year term but delegates at last night’s meeting heard Cusack criticised for his support of convicted paedophile Tom Humphries — and for his unflattering commentaries on Cork GAA in the past.

Former Cork captain Shane O’Neill believes the proposed minor hurling management team of Dónal Óg Cusack, Seán Óg Ó hAilpín, and Tom Kelly can only inspire the players in 2020.

Ballinkillen will go before the Leinster Council hearings committee to contest their expulsion from the Carlow SHC.

The return of Dónal Óg Cusack to the Cork fray was never going to run smoothly. And the award for most obvious hurling statement in 2019, beating “Liam Sheedy has the x-factor” and “you can never write off Kilkenny”, goes to...

Donal Óg Cusack is officially back in the Cork GAA fold after County Board chiefs tonight recommended him as the new manager of the county’s minor hurlers.

Next year’s Division 3 football counties are still awaiting word on whether they will have two ways of avoiding the proposed second tier championship.

Patrickswell are through to the Limerick SHC final after an impressive win over Doon in the Gaelic Grounds.

Kieran Kingston’s return as manager is the preferred option of the Cork senior hurling panel in the wake of John Meyler’s departure.

Eoghan Cormican looks at the contenders to succeed John Meyler as Cork senior hurling manager.

Limerick’s strengths are based on ball retention and clever transition from defence through good positioning and support running.

The Kilmacud Crokes-Craobh Chiaráin Dublin league game threw in yesterday morning at 10.30am.

When I took my seat in the stand in Nowlan Park yesterday, near the 45-metre line, I found myself beside a nice man from Clara. He was a quiet fella, who said very little, until he felt like making a point or asking a question. When Limerick made their final substitution in the 69th minute, the gentleman asked me who was the Limerick player being introduced. ‘Gearoid Hegarty,’ I said. ‘Jeez,’ he replied with an audible groan.

The summer game always looks strange when the players’ breath is visible in small clouds at every facemask.

There was high drama in the Gaelic Grounds as wing back Denis Moloney popped up in additional time to send over Doon’s first score in 12 minutes to secure their first Limerick SHC final appearance in 18 years.

How to feel your age part I: The Good Friday Agreement is a month older than Kyle Hayes.

The lack of experience on the Cork bench is “nobody’s fault”, according to Tom Kenny, who believes an All-Ireland U21 title in the coming weeks would set up Cork perfectly for a crack at senior glory in 2019.

If there’s one bit of advice Gary Kirby would give John Kiely from Limerick’s last All-Ireland final appearance it would be to shelve any ideas about a fans’ night.

Pat Ryan won’t be the new Waterford senior hurling manager despite speaking to some of the 2018 panel last week.

At the end of the match yesterday, I shook hands with Dave Punch, the former Limerick hurler, who works for RTÉ. He asked me if I saw the attendance. I did, I said — 71,000. Dave corrected me. ‘No, Dalo, 71,073.’

Two items stood out from John Meyler’s debrief.

At the end of the match yesterday, I shook hands with Dave Punch, the former Limerick hurler, who works for RTÉ. He asked me if I saw the attendance. I did, I said — 71,000. Dave corrected me. ‘No, Dalo, 71,073.’ 

A rare mea culpa. In pronouncing, before it started, the new Munster Hurling Championship the Best League in the World, it turns out, in hindsight, that I was grossly understating things. I was selling it short.

CORK 1-25 LIMERICK 0-28: The capacity of hurling to enthral knows no bounds as this wonder of a game demonstrated on Saturday evening.

Champions Na Piarsaigh remain unbeaten after two rounds of the Limerick SHC.

After all the new money and massive entertainment on show this spring, the final now is an old-money showdown between Kilkenny and Tipp, writes Anthony Daly

Limerick 4-21 Clare 0-33 (Limerick win 7-6 on frees AET)

Limerick’s Colin Ryan was the hero at the end of a contest that almost ran for three hours.

The main talking points from this weekend’s Allianz League action.

A sixth Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup title for University of Limerick at Mallow today following victory over first-time finalists Dublin City University.

UL manager Gary Kirby has described as “a disaster” this weekend’s clash that will see the Fitzgibbon Cup final played less than 24 hours before the penultimate round of the Allianz Hurling Leagues.

Fitzgibbon Cup hurlers from Dublin, Kilkenny, Limerick, and Waterford will not be asked to play two games in the space of 24 hours this weekend.

Two goals in little over two minutes midway through the second-half advanced UL to the Fitzgibbon Cup final.

Fitzgibbon Cup Group B: University of Limerick 3-29 - Dublin Institute of Technology 4-17: It proved all too easy for the hurlers of University Limerick in this Fitzgibbon Cup clash.

With new Cork senior football manager Ronan McCarthy being introduced to the media last Monday, attention on Leeside now turns to the replacement for outgoing hurling boss Kieran Kingston.

Dónal Óg Cusack will be in the Clare dugout at the redeveloped Páirc Uí Chaoimh when the Banner take on Tipperary in the All-Ireland quarter-final, but he hasn’t yet set foot in the revamped stadium. 

Michael Moynihan and John Fogarty reflect on the weekend’s championship action. Plus interviews from the victorious Cork camp with Kieran Kingston, Alan Cadogan and Pat Ryan.

Pat Hartnett doesn’t see any notable shift in mindset or culture as being the root cause of Cork hurling’s latest coming. The players, he insists, are simply doing themselves justice.