Cork 0-16 Limerick 0-6: The advantages of being able to play members of a minor team that has yet to make its championship debut were evident in the Gaelic Grounds last evening, when Cork easily defeated Limerick before a crowd of 468 in the opening round of the Munster U17 hurling championship.

Mallow 1-13 Bantry Blues 0-10: A crucial Micheál O’Rourke goal helped Mallow overcome Bantry Blues in the first round of the Cork PIFC at Newcestown yesterday evening.

A Cork woman from a family of sporting legends is overseeing the construction of a creamery in Africa, supplied by cows cared for by convicted Irish criminals.

Shanballymore 1-15 Bantry Blues 1-13: They were pushed all the way, but Cork JBHC honours went to Shanballymore as they withstood a dogged Bantry Blues fightback at Páirc Uí Rinn last night.

Bantry Blues 2-8 Na Piarsaigh 0-6: Richard Harrington wore the look of a man who just had his shoulders relieved of a heavy load which had stubbornly sat there since the first Friday in May.

Some goals are bigger than others. Michael Moynihan has a look at nine of the most significant scores in the history of Cork v Tipperary.

Few rivalries have as rich a history as Cork and Tipperary hurlers, points out Donal O'Grady.

Sunday is Dr Con Murphy’s 25th All-Ireland final with Cork. Medic, psychologist, confidante, wise-cracker: the West Cork man has a best-selling memoir on his hands — if he ever decides to write it.

Consider yourself a self-respecting Rebel die-hard? Not unless you meet these criteria.

League finalists Kilkenny and Tipperary were the favourites to contest this year’s All-Ireland final, even if the statistics over the past 20 years were against league final opponents staying the pace to September.

One thing that struck me on the way to Croke Park yesterday, the number of Galway supporters around the place.

First there was Sully, the Rock, the one and only Diarmuid O’Sullivan, a powerful and imposing presence protecting club-mate Donal Óg Cusack and the Cork red-zone for over a decade. Now there’s Paudie, another O’Sullivan, youngest brother in the formidable hurling family from Cloyne.

A MAN who has crusaded tirelessly for the elderly for over six decades was yesterday named the Cork Person of the Year for 2010.

THERE’s no clear favourite for the title of Cork Person of the Year but, according to the bookies, five people — including a sporting father and son — are definitely in the running.

PAUDIE O’SULLIVAN is only 21 but is already in his third year on the Cork senior hurling panel – quite an achievement for one so young.

WE’VE all known the blues, those dark doldrumy days when despair is the overriding emotion, all hope suffocated. This past weekend saw an end to the All-Ireland hopes of several teams, hurling and football, teams that had put in Herculean efforts in training since last January individuals – players and management – who had sacrificed so much of their personal time in search of glory.

YESTERDAY at half-time, Munster championship-winning captains from the last 25 years lined up in the middle of Semple Stadium.

THERE’S a lot of hype about tomorrow’s Munster final in Thurles, what with the fact that it’s the 125th anniversary of the GAA, founded, of course, in Thurles.

DONNCHA O’Callaghan’s mother admitted to praying all week that her son would be named in the Lions squad.

Ireland have opted for the physical presence of Tomas O’Leary at scrum-half as they seek to end their century-long wait for victory over the All Blacks.

Goalkeepers are a rare breed, hurling No 1’s especially. Diarmuid O’Flynn met two legendary netminders from Cork and Tipperary ahead of tomorrow’s provincial semi final at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

IT is always an unenviable and invidious exercise to compare teams and players of different eras.

Don’t mention the war, we agreed. “I’ll meet on one condition”, laughed Waterford’s Jim Greene.

COACH Jim Nugent says Davenno Hines will be a key player as Neptune battle for a place in the play-off stages of the NIVEA for Men SuperLeague.

John Allen was ratified as Donal O'Grady's successor for the Cork senior hurling manager's job last night.

JOHN ALLEN was officially appointed manager of the Cork senior hurling team in succession to Donal O’Grady at last night’s meeting of the county board.

The departure of Donal O’Grady as coach of the Cork senior hurling team means that the entire selection committee is now redundant.

Seanie O’Leary is set to become the next Cork hurling manager, according to the Evening Echo.

Cork All-Ireland winning captain Ben O'Connor has paid tribute to outgoing manager Donal O'Grady.

CORK GAA chiefs will press ahead “as a matter of urgency” with the appointment of a new hurling coach, after yesterday’s resignation of All-Ireland- winning manager Donal O’Grady.

DONAL O’GRADY gave a hint of his daytime occupation when describing his first experience as a manager in the new Croke Park.

SATURDAY’S All-Ireland semi-final replay between Cork and Wexford is the first between the counties since championship records began.

WHATEVER happened to the baby-faced all-conquering Cork team of 1999, the one that swept all before them as they powered their way to a most unlikely All-Ireland title, the one that was supposed to dominate hurling for several years?

THE Cork County Board are no nearer resolving the problems they have with their senior hurling players and, with the coming season just four months away, there is no senior hurling coach either.