Kilkenny remain on course for their third consecutive All-Ireland title after they produced a devastating display of hurling to defeat old rivals Cork by 1-23 to 0-17 at Croke Park on Sunday afternoon. Kilkenny proved to the rest of the country that any lay off does not bother them as they produced an excellent display of hurling to book their place in the All-Ireland final where they will meet either Tipperary or Waterford. This was the match that everyone had been waiting for - two sides that have dominated the All-Ireland championship this decade and the question was could Cork stop Kilkenny from doing the three-in-a-row. Of course that was in the back of their minds when the ball was threw in as the Rebels bid to reach the final, while the Cats were eager to do likewise.

Cork booked their place in the All-Ireland football semi final thanks to a dramatic 2-11 to 1-11 over a Kildare side that took too long to find their form at sunny Croke Park this afternoon. The Munster side should have been out of sight midway through the second half, but they allowed Kildare back into the match and had to endure a nervy final few minutes, although thye did deserve their victory. Thankfully, the weather improved dramatically from the previous afternoon and the match begun in dry conditions, something that has been all too absent in this country so far this year. The surface of the pitch was in perfect condition, despite the heavy rainfall.

Cork hurling boss Gerald McCarthy has opted to stick to what he knows after picking Diarmuid O'Sullivan at full-back for this weekend's All-Ireland semi-final clash with Kilkenny. There had been speculation that the Cloyne man would be dropped after enduring a difficult time against Galway's Joe Canning and Clare's Niall Gilligan in the Rebels' last two championship outings but McCarthy has named 'The Rock' at the edge of the square in an unchanged side. That means there is no place for Niall Ronan who landed two crucial points to complete Cork's stunning comeback against Clare last time out, while Timmy McCarthy must also make do with a place on the bench, despite scoring a goal after being introduced as a sub. Meanwhile, the county's footballers have also named an unchanged side for their quarter-final clash with Kildare. As expected, team captain Graham Canty has been declared fit to play and will line out at centre-field, but Michael Cussen -- the man who was credited with turning the Munster final in the Leesiders favour -- has been left out of the side despite that telling impact. James Masters also starts the game on the bench and has yet to be named in a championship first 15 under Conor Counihan.

The draw for the All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals has been made. Dublin will face Tyrone, while Kerry take on Galway. Last year's beaten finalists Cork will face Kildare, while Ulster champions Armagh will meet Wexford. The dates and venues for these last-eight clashes will be confirmed by the GAA tomorrow. All-Ireland SFC quarter-final draw: Cork -v- Kildare Dublin -v- Tyrone Armagh -v- Wexford Galway -v- Kerry

Coming out of Pairc Ui Chaoimh at 3.30 pm on the 8th June 2008 after the defeat to Tipperary, not too many people would have forecasted the transformation in the team’s fortunes and drastic improvement since then. While many people who earn a living out of the media covering the world of Gaelic games have been lambasted by the Cork team’s management for questioning the desire and the hunger of this Cork side to bounce back from the defeat to Tipperary. Contributors to this website also questioned the above but did so on the grounds that this team owed its adoring supporters nothing and remembered the great hours of enjoyment they have given us. The stage is now set for a battle Royale against our arch enemy Kilkenny and the chance to thwart “the Cats” of their dream of achieving a 3 in a row for the first time in their history. The column inches will be filled with the word “Cork aim to derail the Cats 3 in a row dream” but to beat the Cats would more importantly stop them achieving a 4 in a row in 2009. The talk over the coming week amongst fans and leading up to the game will be surrounded by the debate about the team selection and whether the Cork selectors will bite the bullet and start a different defence from the start rather than making changes throughout the course of the game.

Cork booked an All-Ireland SHC semi-final spot as second half substitutes Kieran Murphy and Neil Ronan both took vital scores from their first touches, as the Rebels wiped an eight-point interval deficit to stun Clare. 65th minute substitute Ronan, scored two vital points which were the match winning scores as Gerald McCarthy’s men dug deep to secure a semi-final meeting with Kilkenny. On the trail of their first win over the Rebels since 1998, it looked like, that following the opening half, Clare could take a convincing victory as Mike McNamara’s side were by far the livelier outfit before the interval, with Niall Gilligan and Barry Nugent proving to be the danger-men upfront, leading by 1-11 to 0-6 at the break.

Last Saturday evening, with Cork's season in the balance at half-time, Donal óg Cusack called for silence in the dressing room and issued a rallying call to his team-mates. Moments earlier he'd been ordered off by referee Barry Kelly and then his old friend Diarmuid O'Sullivan was taken off. Without the two Cloyne men, Cork's trusted lieutenants, the team looked vulnerable. Realising what was at stake Cusack told his team-mates that everything they stood for, their glories on the field, their struggles in the boardroom, everything they counted for was up for grabs. There was no tomorrow, he warned them. It would be do or die in the next 35 minutes -- it was shit or bust.