Clare are bent on redemption after the disappointment of their Munster final collapse but the Rebels, back to their defiant best, will raise themselves again Rebel yell: Joe Deane's defiance against Galway was typical of Cork's performance that day. The evening will swell in the telling and become part of Leeside lore and legend. In the circumstances there was only one man who could have given the half-time speech, and Donal Óg Cusack delivered it with such force and emotion – the times they'd had, the bond between them, their brotherhood in arms, the impending armageddon – that a number of his colleagues were reported to have shed tears. Combined with a tour de force from Gerald McCarthy it constituted another nugget to add to the GAA's storied lode of big matches that turned on epic half-time orations, even if it wouldn't have been mentioned afterwards had the underdogs not proceeded to hurl with their heads as well as their hearts. For that was the winning of it: Cork's ability to think their way around the field and function under pressure. The pitch invasion, the drummer and the bagpiper, the chants of "Deano! Deano!" were the trimmings. A joyous end to an exhilarating evening's hurling.

Cork manager Gerald McCarthy has made one change to his side to face Clare in this Sunday's GAA All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship quarter-final against Clare at Semple Stadium. Patrick Horgan comes into a re-jigged side, with Timmy McCarthy losing out through an ankle injury. Horgan replaced McCarthy in last Saturday's win over Galway. McCarthy is also set to start Joe Deane at full-forward. Deane scored four points during the Galway clash, but he was seen on crutches after the two-point win over the Tribesmen.

Clare advanced to the final of the Munster U-21 HC with a comprehensive win over Cork at Páirc Uí Chaoimh last night. The result may surprise some as this Cork side included six senior panellists and they had been expected to make an impression this year, but Clare showed the greater hunger throughout and totally dominated midfield. The visitors led 1-9 to 0-5 at the break, having played with the wind. Camin Morey had four converted frees as well as the goal, which opened up a 1-6 to 0-4 lead. It came in the 21st minute after a Nicky O'Connell ball broke to him and he finished with a ground shot. After Morey pointed a free in the first minute of the second half, Cork won a penalty when Donal Touhy fouled Eoghan Murphy but the keeper redeemed himself well with a save from Patrick Horgan.

Fourteen-man Cork defied the odds to earn a place in the All-Ireland quarterfinal following a titanic battle against Galway at Thurles in a game that had everything from start to finish. This was quite an amazing performance from the Rebels, especially in the second half after Donal Og Cusack had been dismissed just before the break when he received his second yellow card. The scoring feat of Joe Canning was another major talking point as the youngster hit 2-12, 1-6 of which was from play, while at the other end Ben O’Connor was in outstanding form hitting an impressive 0-12. Cork raced into a four-point lead as points from Cathal Naughton, John Gardner and Ben O’Connor (2) as they settled the better from the start. All eyes were on Joe Canning and having missed a line ball from midfield, the talented youngster grabbed a high ball, held off the challenge of Diarmuid O’Sullivan and batted the sliothar past Donal Og Cusack to score a quite amazing goal and make his entrance on senior hurling in style, even though this was his third match in the championship.

Michael Shields could make a sensational return to the Cork football panel ahead of next month’s All-Ireland quarter-final after he walked away from his Australian Rules career with Carlton. Shields, who lined out at corner back in last year’s All-Ireland final before joining the Melbourne club, is expected to rejoin Conor Counihan’s squad on his return home. He said: "I miss home and I’ve been fighting that for a while and while I could have battled it out for another two or three months, I had made my decision. "While realising the game wasn’t for me, I have a great appreciation for the game of AFL. I wish to take the opportunity to thank Carlton for what they have done for me.

Has there ever been so much pessimism amongst Cork Hurling supporters than there is at the moment for the do or die fixture against Galway on Saturday night. Readers and Contributors of this Website are at 60/40 against Cork making it to Croke Park. The last time the Cork Hurlers failed to make it to headquarters for a knockout game was in 2002 as a result to a lack lustre defeat to Galway. This defeat marked a low point for many of the younger generation of Cork supporters ant it was a day that brought a lot of things to a head in terms of how future Cork Teams would be treated by the Cork County Board. This game was the second of a double header involving the Cork footballers drawing with Tipperary in a Munster Football Final with Diarmuid O’Sullivan coming on a second half substitute for Larry Tompkins men. The fifteen that started against Galway featured a Midfield of Alan Cummins and Neil Ronan, it also had Alan Browne at Centre Forward and Eamonn Collins at Full Forward and Timmy McCarthy sent off in the second half. One of the Selectors that day was current Wexford Manager John Meyler, the defeat also spelt the end of Bertie og Murphy’s reign as Cork Manager.

Cork have restored Ronan Curran and Seán óg ó hAilpín to their all-powerful half-back line for Saturday's crunch hurling qualifier with Galway in Thurles. Curran and ó hAilpín did not start against Dublin last weekend but Curran came on as a substitute and both have made full recoveries after recent injuries. Patrick Cronin comes back into the side after losing his place the last day, this time at Neil Ronan's expense as Ben O'Connor pushes back into corner-forward.