Though they didn’t have it all their own way in the opening half, St Finbarr’s turned in an eye-catching second-half exhibition of point-taking to comfortably see off the challenge of Newmarket at Mallow on Saturday night.

Three goals from Cian McMonagle fired St Mary’s Edenderry to victory over holders Dundalk Colleges in this Leinster Colleges SAFC semi-final at Navan’s Pairc Tailteann.

Ireland’s U18s suffered late heartache against Wales in last night’s friendly at Ferrycarrig Park in Wexford.

FORMER GAA President Joe McDonagh will chair a committee of former Fitzgibbon Cup players and managers that will select a ‘Team Of The Century’ from a shortlist of 75 third-level hurling stars, as part of the competition’s centenary celebrations this year.

NOTHING spectacular about this St Finbarr’s victory at Páirc Uí Rinn on Saturday, simply a case of taking care of business.

Galway 2-23 Cork 1-14

RONAN CURRAN will make his first championship start of the year for the Cork senior hurlers in Saturday’s All-Ireland SHC qualifier against Galway in Semple Stadium.

MAKE sense of that.

NOT so much a contest as a despairing painful cry for help.

CONOR O’MAHONY returns to the Tipperary lineup for Sunday’s Munster SHC semi-final against Clare in the Gaelic Grounds in the only change from the side that defeated Cork last month. O’Mahony is named at centre-back with Padraic Maher moving to half-back and John O’Keeffe to the full-back line in place of Paddy Stapleton.

ST FINBARR’S produced a strong finish to get the better of Erin’s Own in the opening round of the Cork County SHC at Páirc Uí Chaoimh last night.

CORK made the perfect start to this competitive senior hurling tournament game in Clashmore last night — but it was Waterford’s powerhouse finish that ensured them the perfect result.

ABOUT midway through the first half in Sunday’s league clash between Cork and Dublin, one of our press box brethren wondered aloud how close the home 15 were to the starting side in the championship.

CORK captain Shane O’Neill will complete his comeback from injury when he makes his first appearance of the year in Sunday’s trip to the south-east to face Wexford in Division 1 of the Allianz Hurling League.

TIPPERARY manager Declan Ryan has handed last year’s All-Ireland U21 medal winner John Coghlan his first senior start for Sunday’s Allianz Division 1 Hurling League tie against Galway in Pearse Stadium.

A CRACKING second half to this Allianz NHL game in Páirc Uí Chaoimh yesterday really whet the appetite for the May 29 championship opener between these two sides in Thurles.

IT’S A big weekend on the Allianz Hurling League front. In the first division especially, six teams are still in with a chance of making the final and all involved in games against each other, while the remaining two teams – Wexford and Offaly – meet in what will probably be the relegation decider.

CORK boss Denis Walsh placed several of the county’s upcoming talents under the microscope in Passage West yesterday and was rewarded with a thoroughly convincing victory in a senior hurling challenge against Clare.

CORK’S team for the short trip east to Dungarvan to play Waterford on Sunday shows three changes to the side that started in last weekend’s win over Galway.

EOIN BROSNAN will line out for Kerry for the first time since the 2009 Munster semi-final replay defeat to Cork, when the Kingdom travel to face Mayo in Sunday’s Allianz Division 1 Football League clash in Castlebar.

CORK manager Denis Walsh has introduced defensive newcomers Stephen McDonnell and Mark Ellis to his team for their Allianz Division 1 Hurling League match with Offaly at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday. Glen Rovers player McDonnell gets the nod at right corner-back while Millstreet hurler Ellis will line out at centre-back.

DESPITE horrendous weather conditions at floodlit Mourneabbey on Saturday, Cork and Clare still served up a decent game in this senior hurling challenge ahead of the commencement of the league next weekend.

Cork 8-22 North Monastery selection 0-8

NEW Cork hurling captain Shane O’Neill insists there’s sufficient young talent in the county to fill the vacancy left by Sean Óg Ó hAilpín.

Shane O'Neill and Seán Óg Ó hAilpín have been pencilled into the Cork team for Sunday's All-Ireland SHC semi-final against defending champions Kilkenny.

CORK boss Denis Walsh last night made three changes for Sunday’s All-Ireland SHC semi-final against Kilkenny from the team that defeated Antrim in last month’s quarter-final tie.

Ray Ryan and Paudie O'Sullivan, who featured as substitutes in the Munster final replay, have been brought into the Cork team for Sunday's All-Ireland SHC quarter-final against Antrim at Croke Park (throw-in 2pm).

All-Ireland SHC Munster final replay

Michael Cussen is the only change in personnel for Cork, while Sean Og O'hAilpín has been deemed fit to start for Saturday's GAA Munster Senior Hurling Final replay against Waterford at Semple Stadium (7pm).

MICHAEL CUSSEN has been drafted into the Cork team for tomorrow evening’s Munster SHC final replay against Waterford, the only change from last Sunday’s drawn game, as Sean Óg Ó hAilpín has been declared fit to start.

Cork 2-15 Waterford 2-15

Cork have been handed a major boost with the return of Tom Kenny to their side for Sunday's Munster SHC final against Waterford at Semple Stadium (throw-in 4pm).

FAVOURITES Cork will have Tom Kenny back in action at midfield, alongside Cathal Naughton, for Sunday’s GAA Munster hurling final against Waterford in Thurles.

RYAN McMENAMIN and Davy Harte have both been omitted from the Tyrone team for Saturday’s Ulster SFC semi-final against Down due to hamstring and calf injuries respectively.

Cork manager Denis Walsh has announced an unchanged starting line-up for Sunday's Munster SHC semi-final against Limerick at Pairc Ui Chaoimh (throw-in 4pm).

IT BEGAN inauspiciously, a delayed start due to events elsewhere, then a two-point advantage conceded to Tipperary in the opening eight minutes – it could even have been more but for a save by Donal Óg Cusack from Lar Corbett that went out for a 65, converted by Eoin Kelly.

TOM KENNY and Eoin Cadogan have shaken off injury worries to make the Cork starting side for Sunday’s Munster SHC quarter-final in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, as manager Denis Walsh makes three personnel and three positional changes for the clash against Tipperary.

Eoin Cadogan and Tom Kenny are on course to start for Cork in Sunday's much-anticipated Munster SHC quarter-final against Tipperary at Pairc Ui Chaoimh (throw-in 4pm).

Galway 2-22 Cork 1-17

Cork manager Denis Walsh and Tipperary's Liam Sheedy have announced their starting line-ups for this Sunday's Munster derby in Allianz NHL Division 1 at Páirc Uí Chaoímh (throw-in 2.30pm).

TOP-GUNS John Gardiner and Jerry O’Connor have been given starting places on the Cork team for next Sunday’s crunch Allianz Division One NHL clash with Tipperary at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Limerick 1-14 Cork 2-21

AN exhibition of point scoring by John Gardiner, plus two goals from local hero Michael Cussen, edged Cork to an exciting victory over Waterford in an entertaining challenge game to mark the official opening of the Sarsfields club’s new sand based pitch and flood-lighting system at Riverstown on Saturday night.

ALL-IRELAND champions Kerry have named just five of the team that started in last September’s victory over Cork for tomorrow’s NFL Division 1 opener against Dublin in Killarney.