THIS is the biggest day in the year for GAA clubs, St. Patrick’s Day, All-Ireland club finals, and due respect to the players from the four clubs who have made it this far – regardless of results today, it’s a magnificent achievement.

YOU can’t get away from 2004, it seems, whether the occasion of Wexford’s last Leinster hurling championship win over Kilkenny is raised either by players from either side or in direct response to media questions.

THERE were fears for the future of almost 150 Cork jobs last night after a receiver was appointed to an electronics firm.

Kilkenny’s great hurling nursery is St Kieran’s College. Michael Moynihan visited a place where they take the game so seriously one of their pitches is lined to exactly the same dimensions as Croke Park.

Kilkenny boss Brian Cody has again named DJ Carey at the heart of the Cats' defence for today's Division 1A clash with Clare at Nowlan Park.

Kilkenny boss Brian Cody has again named DJ Carey at the heart of the Cats' defence for the NHL clash with Clare at Nowlan Park on Sunday.

Michael Ellard and Brendan Larkin

OKAY, I was wrong. I felt Cork and Kilkenny were going to give us a classic, after many disappointing All-Ireland finals between these two going back to the 70s.

Kilkenny have included the "walking wounded" in their team to play Cork in Sunday’s All-Ireland senior hurling championship final at Croke Park, the Irish Examiner's Michael Ellard reports.

KILKENNY have included the ‘walking wounded’ in their team to play Cork in Sunday’s All-Ireland senior hurling championship final at Croke Park.

JOHN Gardiner returns at right half-back to the Cork team for Sunday’s All-Ireland SHC final with Kilkenny at Croke Park.

D.J. CAREY is an injury worry for Kilkenny ahead of Sunday week’s Guinness All-Ireland SHC final against Cork in Croke Park.

Clare 1-13 Kilkenny 1-13

Wexford 2-15 Kilkenny 1-16

IT’S been a hectic few years for Kilkenny’s Martin Comerford.

Kilkenny 1-15 Dublin 0-9

IT was two years ago in Ballinasloe that Kilkenny manager Brian Cody first unveiled some of the talent that would go on to help Kilkenny to back-to-back All-Ireland titles.

IT was tougher, tighter and didn't have the pretty hurling of the drawn game, but at Semple Stadium on Saturday, Newtownshandrum finally ended the dogged challenge of O'Loughlin Gaels of Kilkenny in the All-Ireland club hurling championship semi-final.

O'Loughlin Gaels 2-12 Young Irelands 2-10

O’LOUGHLIN GAELS wing-back Sean Dowling, pointed to centre-back and captain Andy Comerford as the driving force in their victory.

THIS is a tougher year than usual to be an Allstar selector, with very few positions/players picking themselves.

O’Loughlin Gaels 3-9 Young Irelands (Gowran) 2-12

Kilkenny hurling star DJ Carey has been ommitted from this year's 45 strong list of AllStar nominations though the All-Ireland champions have 12 players on the list.

THE end of another purrfect week for Kilkenny, but should the Cats now carry a public hurling health warning? Can anyone stop their relentless pursuit of three All-Irelands in a row, and three league titles to boot?

DJ CAREY yesterday thanked those who supported him last week as a number of tabloid newspapers attempted to expose his marital problems Kilkenny’s All-Ireland-winning captain described the situation prior to last Sunday as a “big intrusion” into his life, yet he brushed it aside saying that “these things happen.”

Kilkenny 1-14 Cork 1-11

THE ubiquitous AN Other makes an appearance in the Kilkenny team announced last night for this Sunday's All-Ireland final against Cork, but otherwise the team is unchanged from that which trounced Tipperary in the semi-final.

UNDER Brian Cody, this Kilkenny team is coming very close to greatness. Reigning All-Ireland and National League champions, on Sunday, they are favourites to complete the double-double, a rare feat not achieved since 1982/83, a side that included Cody at full-back on that Kilkenny side.

Kilkenny 3-18 Tipperary 0-15

TROUBLES off the field perhaps, but All-Ireland champions Kilkenny once again showed why they are so formidable on it, as they swept aside Wexford's dogged challenge in yesterday's Guinness Leinster SHC.

Kilkenny have recalled All-Ireland winning goalkeeper James McGarry between the sticks for Sunday's Leinster final clash with Wexford at Croke Park.

THE RUMOUR mill was in overdrive in Kilkenny yesterday, following the decisions of hurling captain Charlie Carter and Brian McEvoy to quit the county panel. Not surprisingly, conspiracy theories abounded, and most had manager Brian Cody as the central character.

Kilkenny boss Brian Cody has dropped skipper Charlie Carter from his lineup for Sunday's NHL clash with Tipperary at Nowlan Park.

Kilkenny hurling manager Brian Cody has dropped captain Denis Byrne from the team to face Galway in Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final.

Kilkenny have dropped their captain for Sunday's All-Ireland Hurling

Kilkenny hurling manager Brian Cody has handed a championship debut to Sean Dowling, as the Cats prepare for the Leinster final showdown with Wexford at Croke Park on Sunday.

All-Ireland champions Kilkenny hand a championship debut to 23 year-old Sean Dowling for their Leinster Hurling Final clash against Wexford at Croke Park.