The semi-final pairings for the Bord na Móna O'Byrne Cup were confirmed today, where Kildare, UCD, Meath and DCU progressed to the last four.

Kildare 1-13 Carlow IT 0-7

Cork 2-19 Kildare 0-12

The calm before the perfect storm.

Limerick frustrated Kildare for so long with a well thought out and executed plan, but in the end it was the Shannonsiders who left Portlaoise exasperated.

Kildare 0-19 Limerick 0-12 (after extra time)

Kildare 3-20 Cavan 1-9

Eoin Cadogan has been restored to the Cork hurlers’ starting line-up for Saturday’s All-Ireland phase three qualifier against Wexford.

Tomorrow sees the start of July, the month when all the major All-Ireland contenders like to see themselves move into some bit of form.

They were very tentative early on, but once Kildare got going they had way too many gears for a committed but outgunned Offaly.

Kildare 0-19 Offaly 0-6

Ken Donnelly has announced his retirement from the Kildare senior football squad, after a 10-year inter-county career blighted by injuries.

A staggering €1.4m could be paid out under the GAA's player insurance scheme for cruciate injuries in 2011, the Irish Examiner has reported.

A staggering €1.4 million could be paid out under the GAA’s player insurance scheme for cruciate injuries in 2011.

KILDARE defender Peter Kelly is relishing his first game for the Lilywhites in 18 months as he returns from a cruciate injury tomorrow.

A provisional 31-man training panel for the International Rules series tour of Australia has been announced today.

THERE were approximately 10 minutes left in last Saturday’s round four qualifier between Kildare and Derry when someone in the press box turned to his colleagues and invited nominations for man of the match.

JOHN DOYLE has played down suggestions he is being targeted by opposing teams desperate to stymie the influence of Kildare’s star player.

KIERAN McGEENEY led a chorus of praise for John Doyle after the Kildare captain broke a number of the county’s records against Derry.

Kildare 2-11 Meath 0-14

Kildare 3-16 Laois 0-10

FORGET Pat Gilroy’s claims Bernard Brogan had deserved the free by the law of averages.

THERE is a good reason most of the post-game debate has centred on Meath referee Cormac Reilly and his decision to award a late and decisive free to Bernard Brogan and Dublin in a Leinster semi-final that failed live up to its billing.

Dublin 1-12 Kildare 1-11

Kildare 0-16 Laois 0-10

FOR a long time, this game was moving towards an apparently inevitable Kildare victory without the bite or intensity you expect from games between these two, no matter what’s at stake.

Kildare 1-14 Meath 1-12

KILDARE have shown their ability to snatch a result at the death on a couple of occasions this year, most recently when full-back Mick Foley grabbed an equalising goal in Ballybofey last week.

Kildare 1-13 Laois 1-11

UCC's quest for a first Sigerson Cup title since 1995 was kept alive today as the Cork outfit took the scalp of a major Dublin side for the second time in the space of 24 hours.

Beaten league finalists UCC dethroned reigning Sigerson champions DCU this afternoon, while competition hosts UCD also progressed through to tomorrow's semi-finals.

Louth 2-10 UCD 0-15

Westmeath stumbled in the second half as Kildare overturned a half-time deficit to qualify for next Sunday's O'Byrne Cup final, while last year's runners-up Louth beat UCD in the other semi-final.

LOUTH continued their good form from 2010, beating Wicklow in an entertaining O’Byrne Cup quarter-final (2-13 to 1-12).

ULSTER Council chiefs last night postponed next Sunday’s Dr McKenna Cup tie between Tyrone and Fermanagh until after the funeral of Michaela McAreavey.

WHATEVER happens this weekend, Brendan McVeigh will not be short of fireside stories for the grandchildren in his winter years.

Down forward Benny Coulter had no hesitation in admitting he committed an infringement for his 13th-minute goal which provided to be a vital score as the Mourne County side booked their place in next month's All-Ireland SFC final.

HILL 16 and its controversial new perimeter might have been all the talk last week but the Davin Stand end of Croke Park has been the epicentre of the summer’s drama and so it proved again yesterday.

JAMES McCARTAN wore the look of a relieved man after the breathless finish to yesterday’s All-Ireland semi-final.

DOWN attacker Benny Coulter believed his first-half goal in yesterday’s All-Ireland semi-final was going to be disallowed for a square ball.

ROB KELLY has emerged as a late contender to play a part in Kildare’s All-Ireland semi-final against Down at the weekend and is a “live option” for the Lilywhites.

AFTER everything that happened last summer, this was supposed to be a big year for Rob Kelly and the Kildare footballers.