Kildare found themselves away from home and eight points down for the second Saturday in a row at Trim two days ago, but yet again the Christy Ring Cup champions dug themselves out of a hole to record a 3-23 to 2-18 win over Meath and set up a semi-final meeting with Kerry at Newbridge on Saturday.

Joe Canning landed a free from 110 yards to complete a remarkable comeback by All-Ireland champions Portumna and send them into the semi-finals of the Galway SHC.

Portumna (Galway) 0-19 Mount Leinster Rangers (Carlow) 0-11

Portumna (Galway) 1-15 Na Piarsaigh (Limerick) 1-11

Portumna 1-15 Ardrahan 1-14

Galway 0-16 Waterford 1-21

Waterford swept to a first All-Ireland MHC triumph for 65 years in a wave of emotion at Croke Park.

For Waterford, this is an eighth game, with two having been lost already. In contrast, it is Galway’s third outing, the straightforward victory over Laois in the quarter-final followed by the drama of the semi-final, which was overshadowed by the malfunctioning of Hawkeye.

Galway 0-23 Limerick 0-20 (aet)

Galway manager Mattie Murphy certainly knows a thing or two about minor hurling and reckons the Tribesmen’s true worth will be revealed in next month’s fascinating All-Ireland semi-final encounter with Tipperary.

THERE were few surprises in the opening round of the Tipperary senior hurling championship over the weekend.