As it happened: All-Ireland hurling semi-final - Cork rout Dublin to reach final
Tim O'Mahony of Cork scores his side's fifth goal during the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship semi-final match between Cork and Dublin at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Stay on the website for loads of reaction from Croke Park over the evening. Eoghan Cormican and Therese O'Callaghan also there for the Irish Examiner. And look out for Kieran Shannon's player ratings shortly.
Here's John Fogarty's match report from Croke Park. Fogs quick on the draw as always.
Donal Og: "To lose an All-Ireland final the scar never ever leaves you. Cork will be happy tonight but they will remind themselves of that."
Pat applauds the Cork support again for "making a huge difference to the team".
Pat Ryan knew the last few weeks had gone well in training. But he's working hard to find a few things to dampen the excitement.
"Efficiency wasn't good enough, tackling from behind wasn't good enough. We gave away one or two sloppy goals. Everything needs to be perfect for All-Ireland final. It wasn't perfect last year."
Henry Shefflin might have given it to Declan Dalton. "The options Cork have, serious competition should keep things calm over next few weeks."
The hat-trick hero Alan Connolly is man of the match. Appreciates the "savage ball going in" from the Cork defence. How did ye reset when Dublin got a grip, Damien Lawlor asks. "I dunno, just get a goal," he says. That's Corkness.
Dalo: Can you take Cork on in a game like that? He's not sure.
Donal Og: From a hurling point of view today was not what we wanted. But all credit to ruthless Cork.
Killeagh rings around Croke Park.
72 mins: Currie tries again from just outside 21, but Collins saves handily. Yellow for Tim O'Mahony for a chop. Nearly over. 4 mins added time. And that's it. Cork are into the All-Ireland final with a magnificent victory.
71 mins: Jack O'Connor "gets in on the act" as they say, with a point from the sideline.
70 mins: Sean Currie tries for goal from a free, but Patrick Collins saves. Cork defence take exception to Hetheron's rebound efforts. He gets yellow for contact on the keeper.
69 mins: Eoghan Cormican at Croke Park: "That's a 22nd career goal for Alan Connolly across League and championship fare, and his fourth hat-trick of the past two seasons. The completion of the hat-trick, not for the first time today, had its origins in a Seán O'Donoghue intercept further back."
67 mins: Cian O'Sullivan and then Donal Burke points, nice to see him looking close to his better form, the Fantasy Hurling poster boy. But it's all in vain.
66 mins: Jack O'Connor on now for Dalton. As Brendan Cummins points out, Pat Ryan will have some difficulty halting the hype train after this. A masterclass by Cork.
63 mins: GOAL. A hat-trick for the hat-trick man, Alan Connolly. All credit to Robbie O'Flynn. A sub on looking to impress surging through but offloaded unselfishly for Connolly to finish. COR 7-24 DUB 2-19
64 mins: Conor Lehane among them, and he points.
62 mins: Kingston ducks through in familiar fashion and shortens the grip to point. Not ideal for Dubs that there are a few Cork forwards on looking to 'lay claim' COR 6-24 DUB 2-19
61 mins: Seamus Harnedy yet to come into this Cork attack. File under good problems to have I suppose. Shane Kingston point. Conor Lehane on for Shane Barrett who was the quietest of that attack today.
60 mins: Dubs trying to work a goal, but Cork defence sitting in shape now and almost letting Dublin work it in front of them. Eventually Cian O'Sullivan takes a point. Dalton cancels that out with a close in free.
59 mins: A first point for Ciaran Joyce, sprinting through and finishing off the hurley. COR 6-21 DUB 2-18
57 mins: Dalton lashes over ostentatiously from range, Conor Burke replies. Tommy O'Connell on for Robert Downey, who showed no sign of injury worries.
55 mins: Shane Kingston on for Hoggy, who gets a fine ovation. COR 6-19 DUB 2-17
54 mins: While enjoying this display in the moment, no doubt in the traditional GAA fashion, we'll soon be concluding this isn't the ideal way to win a semi-final, putting on an exhibition. You want to sneak through after a horror show ideally.
53 mins: Another free for Horgan. COK 6-19 DUB 2-17
52 mins: Point from free for Hoggy. Text in there from Derek McGrath pointing out he did call this Cork goal rush. Read it here.
50 mins: GOAL for Tim O'Mahony. That brief Dublin renaissance comprehensively eradicated. Another one-hander. Cork lads have been watching Wimbledon. Fogs says: "Alan Connolly couldn't get on the end of O'Mahony's pass but O'Mahony followed it up to tap to the net."
49 mins: Currie free. they hardly could? Back to 10 points at least. Nine now. Hedgo finally gets one. Robbie O'Flynn on, in case Cork showing signs of flagging. Healy went off.
Here's Cork's fifth goal
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47 mins: GOAL for Dublin. Cian O'Sullivan again, set up by Currie. Fogs: "Dublin giving it a go at least. Cian O'Sullivan's deflected shot from a quick Currie free goes in." COR 5-17 DUB 2-15
45 mins: This brilliant Cork forward line evokes not so fond memories of distant 80s days, glimpsing nets dancing in the distance from the far terrace. All dash and movement and flicks. When they were trying to bottle Corkness a few years ago, this is the kind of vibrancy they were talking about. Even 5-17 has the ring of a proper Cork score about it. JBM, Mul and co.
44 mins: Sean Currie keeps the Dubs barely breathing from a free.
43 mins: Fogs: "O'Donoghue might have leaked scores in the first half but he has played well and his break-out again provides a goal for Cork."
42 mins: Eoghan at Croker: "That latest Cork goal began with a Seán O'Donoghue catch at the other end of the field. Credit where credit is due. Between hooks, blocks, interceptions out-in-front defending, and fielding, O'Donoghue has been immense today." Sean Currie points from free. Darragh Fitz replies from play.
41 mins: GOAL for Cork. Tim O'Mahony, brilliantly set up by Horgan. COR 5-16 DUB 1-13
38 mins: Great Sean Currie run sets up Whitely for another point. He has carried a lot of the Dublin fight. Horgan free for Cork. He points. COR 4-16 DUB 1-13
37 mins: Hayes marauding again for Cork but pulls shot wide. Long-range free for Cork. Dalton puts it wide. Diarmuid Healy adds his first point for Cork. In loads of space. Shane Barrett the remaining Cork forward to score.
35 mins: Patrick Horgan with first point of second half. Donal Burke is on for Dublin, for Ruan McBride. Goal chance for Dubs, mishit by Ronan Hayes, but Sean O'Donoghue got the hook. Brilliant defending.
Dalo points out Dublin have narrowed big gaps against Kilkenny and Galway this season already, albeit falling short each time. Hard to make a case for them here.
RTÉ putting together a showcase of Cork wristiness in that first half. Full of one-handed flicks. Dalo loving the artistry but Henry Shefflin unhappy with the looseness letting it happen.
Eoghan Cormican put the numbers together this week to suggest Brian Hayes is now hurling's most rounded forward. That first half has done nothing to damage his argument. Read it here.
Half-time: John Fogarty says: "Just the 24 scoring chances for Cork this half, converting 17 of them. Dublin have opened them on occasions and but for the crossbar would have had a second goal but these are the terms of engagement as Cork have set out, The game is being played as they so wish, believing they will outscore Dublin. So far, so good for them. Four goals from the inside forward line harks back to the days of Fitzgibbon, Fitzgerald and Mulcahy."
37 mins: Sean Currie sticks over a free from the football arc to bring an end to the scoring for the first half. COR 4-12 DUB 1-12 at half-time.
36 mins: Darragh Fitzgibbon flicks over for his second point. That's 4-9 from play for Cork, 4-7 by the inside line, Marty Morrissey points out. CORK 4-13 DUB 1-11
35 mins: Alan Connolly brings his tally to 2-2. Dubs can't get a grip on the Blackrock man. Sean Currie sends one wide for Dublin.
33 mins: Horgan puts a free wide from far out on the left. Eoghan says: "Brian Hayes and Alan Connolly contributed 1-7 between them in Cork's three most recent championship outings before today. They're at 4-2 for this All-Ireland semi-final - and we're not even at half-time yet."
31 mins: GOAL for Brian Hayes. Connolly sets him up. Cork have gone after goals from the off and been well rewarded. Walked that one through really. Fogs says; "Horgan to Connolly to Hayes. A fourth Cork goal after Seán O'Donoghue put the ball into Horgan. Cork 9 up and lethal." COR 4-11 DUB 1-11
30 mins: Horgan super point from play for Cork.
29 mins: Cian O'Sullivan points again for Dublin, staying in touch. CORK 3-10 DUB 1-11
28 mins: Dec Dalton wallops over another tremendous point off his left.
27 mins: Whitely tripped by Darragh Fitz going through. Dubs wanted more than the free, but Sean Currie should slot. He does. COR 3-9 DUB 1-10
26 mins: Conor Burke lands his second point from centre back. Dublin getting a bit of a foothold now.
24 mins: Bit of a lull in the scoring extended by a Shane Barrett wide. John Fogarty: "Aside from bringing Eoin Downey into the ball catcher net behind the Davin Stand goal, John Hetherton hasn't done much on the Cork full-back so far. All of Dublin's goodness has come from running at Cork."
22 mins: Dotsy O'Callaghan, Dublin hurley carrier and former forward, booked there by Johnny Murphy. Cian O'Sullivan point for Dublin. He has 1-2. COR 3-9 DUB 1-8
21 mins: Handy free for Horgan. The Hill is displeased. Slots it. Fogs: Another Dublin substitution. Darragh Power for Conor McHugh, Running repairs. But they're still opening Cork up. It's a shoot-out.
20 mins: Matchups from Fogs at CP:
Bellew v Connolly Smyth v Hayes Dunphy, now Lucey v Horgan Donohoe v Dalton McHugh v Fitzgibbon Doyle v Healy O’Leary v Currie E Downey v Hetherton O’Donoghue v O’Sullivan Joyce v R Hayes R Downey v Whitely Coleman v McBride
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19 mins: Brilliant save from Patrick Collins. From Whitely. Cork try to work a goal the other end. Hayes to Connolly just off. Point for Dublin instead. Conor Burke.
18 mins: If I could on the blog I'd be going down to replace a contact lens now. Game needs a breather.
17 mins: Dalton point from near 100 yards. Shane Barrett charges through with eyes on another goal but Dubs stand firm this time. Alan Connolly points over his shoulder. The Cork forwards are flying. COR 3-8 DUB 1-6
15 mins: Point for Dublin. Brian Hayes from out around the middle. The response they needed. But Darragh Fitzgibbon replies in kind for Cork.
14 mins: GOAL for Dublin. Wrecked already on the blog. Cian O'Sullivan finishes brilliantly. Before that, Dunphy was replaced by Dublin.
12 mins: Dublin free by Currie but GOAL for Cork in reply. Tim O'Mahony the spadework and Alan Connolly finishes with a one-handed tennis smash. Is it all over already? COR 3-5 DUB 0-5
12 mins: Looking ominous for Dublin already. Eoghan says: Cork have hit 12 goals in championship 2025. Brian Hayes has finished four, assisted four more, and won the close-range free that Patrick Horgan buried against Limerick in the round-robin. That's nine of the 12 bearing his fingerprints.
11 mins: GOAL Another for Cork. Alan Connolly this time. Dublin slashed open again. Hayes goes from scorer to provider. Hayes is having a whale of a season. COR 2-5 DUB 0-4
10 mins: John Fogs: "Two of Dublin's full-backs have been booked now. The gap between the full and half-back line is massive."
10 mins: Eoghan Cormican: "What a return for Declan Dalton in his first involvement since injury against Limerick on May 18. Won and converted their opening point, via the placed-ball. Assisted their second for Brian Hayes. And then assisted Hayes for his goal. That's a direct hand in Cork's opening 1-2 for a man who hasn't seen competitive action in seven weeks."
9 mins: Yellow card for Dublin's Dunphy for pulling back Horgan. Easy free which Horgan slots. Early to be on yellow. Echoes of Ryan O'Dwyer. Johnny Murphy now spots some pulling in the Dublin full back line off the ball. Another easy free for Horgan. COR 1-5 DUB 0-4
8 mins: Fogs' view of that Cork goal. "Healy-Dalton-Hayes Cork goal. Lovely finish for Hayes who like Dalton has started like a train. Good reaction by Dublin with the next two points from Whitely."
7 mins: And Whitely lands another. Superb response to that Cork goal. Tim O'Mahony points for Cork.
6 mins GOAL for Cork. Brian Hayes after a slick passing Cork move. Dublin cut open. Fergal Whitely does respond with a point.
5 mins: Here's the matchups from Eoghan at Croker.
Paddy Smyth on Brian Hayes
John Bellew on Alan Connolly
Andy Dunphy on Patrick Horgan
Paddy Doyle on Diarmuid Healy
Conor McHugh on Shane Barrett
Conor Donohoe on Declan Dalton
4 mins: Sean Currie slots a handy free after Niall O'Leary pulled him back. 0-2 EACH
3 mins: Brian Hayes gathers, swivels and fires over for Cork. Sweet early point for the Barrs man. Dalton drives wide from play. COR 0-2 DUB 0-1
2 mins: Hetherton had a sniff at goal for Dublin and was intent on going for it, but Cork defence snuffed it out. And Dec Dalton then lands a monster free for Cork. 0-1 each
1 min: We're under way and Cian O'Sullivan has got Dublin off the mark first.
4:54pm: The draw has been made for the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Camogie Intermediate Championship semi-finals: Antrim v Offaly, Kerry v Down
4:53pm: Cork's Rob Downey appears to have won Johnny Murphy's toss. He points to the Hill as if Cork will play that way in the first half.
4:51pm: Donal Óg says Cork will miss the absolute certainty that Seamie Harnedy will always get at least a couple of points.
4:41pm: Waterford have already overcome Clare in the Croke Park curtain raiser, the All-Ireland camogie quarter-final. Therese O'Callaghan notes there was a strong Cork flavour to that win. "Carrigtwohill man Mick Boland as manager. Niall Collins from Tracton, but now living in Dungarvan, is coach/selector while multiple All-Ireland winner Dr Cathriona Foley is the Déise Sports Performance Coach."
Waterford are through to meet Cork or Galway in UPMC Nowlan Park on Saturday July 26, the last four draw will be made after the second quarter-final involving Kilkenny and Tipperary on Sunday.
4:38pm: Dalo and Henry Shefflin pay warm tribute to Cork boss Pat Ryan. A lovely, authentic man, says Shefflin. Dalo says the Clare players after last year's final were unanimous in their admiration for Ryan's heartfelt speech in their dressing room.
Read Kieran Shannon's Pat Ryan profile here.
4:35pm: The legend that is Eddie O'Hare is on duty for the last time for the Irish Examiner and Echo at Croke Park today. Retiring after an incredible 46-year innings. He'll be sadly missed at venues across Cork and beyond and by all his colleagues. Top top pics already flooding in from Croker.
4:34pm: Cork out onto the field a little late considering there's a parade etc. No question about who makes up most of the crowd with the reaction to the team's emergence from the Hogan Stand tunnel.
4:31pm: On RTÉ, Donal Óg says 'Hedgo' in from start is the right call. "What's the point in waiting until the game is gone?"
4:26pm: One change for Dublin, none for Cork. John Hetherton comes in for Darragh Power. That will be Hetherton moving into the edge of the square on Eoin Downey, who had his hands full with a similarly built Peter Duggan this year.
Here's what Dalo and co think will happen. No votes for the Dubs
4:20pm: GAA president Jarlath Burns in today's match programme: "Our schedule and our season do not suit some vested interests who would prefer the inter-county calendar to dominate with no regard at all for the clubs who supply 100% of our players.
"We've made some hard choices on the structure of our season. It is significantly shorter, but the games have not suffered; the players at county level enjoy the system, and our club players have a structure and certainty that they crave."
Burns continues: "I can accept that using penalties to decide this year's epic Munster final was a jolt and not to everyone's satisfaction. But here's the thing, a replay would have seen the loser have to play three weeks in a row or if a window was created for replays, the winner could have been idle for five weeks.
"The GAA decided that this scenario was not desirable - even though a replay would have been with a significant return in gate receipts, But again, that doesn't suit the narrative that the GAA is only interested in money."
4:15pm: 45 minutes to throw-in and the stadium isn't filling up too quickly. Cork following is expected to outnumber Dublin by four or five to one. A lot of traffic difficulties for Cork supporters on the way to Dublin. John Fogarty
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