They never lose it.

We take a look at the hurling quarter final clashes in Tipperary and Kilkenny at the weekend and at Cork’s semis and Galway’s final group games.

Tipperary SHC quarters

Toomevara v Drom and Inch

A game in which Benny Dunne showed that a clever, wily and sharp old head can make up for the yard lost in pace. The 38-year-old former Premier County midfielder has little of the pace he once had, understandably, but he’s so calculated and so smart in every move he makes that he’s still an extremely effective player.

And he set up points, scored points and picked Drom and Inch apart on his way to four from play and the man-of-the-match tag from every mouth in the Nenagh stands on Sunday.

10 bliain tar éis craobh chondae a bhuacaint tá @ToomeGAA ar ais sna cluichí leathcheannais @TipperaryGAA

10 years after they last won the final #Toomevara & Benny Dunne are back in the #Tipperary SHC semi-finals.

Highlights v @drominch tonight at 20.00 on @SportTG4 pic.twitter.com/ormUHx9aQm

— GAA 2024 (@GAA_2022_TG4) October 1, 2018

Underdogs Toome just about shaded their tie with Drom and Inch and Dunne, Jack Delaney, Mark McCarthy and his namesake Kevin were the stars of the show.

Delaney, unlucky not to be a part of the Tipperary All-Ireland under-21 squad this year, played like a man with a point to prove and he scored two goals and one crucial point. Mark McCarthy, of 2012 All-Ireland minor final fame, showed that all of that composure and class is still there and his bullet of a first half goal might have Liam Sheedy interested.

Ultimately, the dismissal of corner forward Campion for a needless straight red cost Drom and Inch in this one, but a re-energised Toome will bound on to their semi against Clonoulty with plenty of confidence now.

Thurles Sarsfields 2-14 Kilruane McDonaghs 1-16

The first words that spring to mind are daylight and robbery. Kilruane McDonagh’s did all the hurling in Nenagh and they looked home and hosed for a semi-final spot.

Thurles Sarsfields’ five-in-a-row bid looked derailed and the Magpies were flying high in the sky. Then, a couple of debatable refereeing decisions went against them. The Sars began to rally but when the man-of-the-match Jerome Cahill scored the point of the day on the hour mark, it looked like Billy O’Shea’s team had withstood everything the man in the middle and Thurles could throw at them.

Then, from absolutely nowhere, Ronan Maher – who had a quiet game by his standards – soared high into the sky to pluck a skyscraper and the rest is history.

Ronan Mahers Last Second Goal in the Tipp Quarter Final that Clinched Victory for Thurles by a point 2-14 to 1-16 against Kilruane McDonaghs. What a Catch and Finish. Hail💀Hail pic.twitter.com/ZFHaaaTx6t

— Buff Egan (@buff_egan) September 29, 2018

It was a strange ending to things in Nenagh as the sense of injustice and heartbreak for this brave Kilruane side lingered. Thurles weren’t that well supported and the predominantly Kilruane crowd were stunned flooding out McDonagh Park.

They were stunned but they can be proud.

Proud of men like Brian ‘Buggy’ O’Meara. The 2010 All-Ireland winner with Tipperary is the best ball-winner in Tipperary. The sliotar is almost magnetically drawn to his big left hand and that was again the case on Sunday.

What he lacks in pace and perhaps fitness, the big full forward makes up for with bravery and an unmatched hunger to win possession. He’s also clever when he wins it, and he set up young Cian Darcy for many a fine point as Kilruane blitzed Thurles early on.

Buggy hasn’t been on the Tipp panel since that 2012 and though he’ll probably never make it back due to the impact a debilitating back injury has had on him, he’s still worth his weight in gold as Kilruane found out when he had to be substituted crippled with ten minutes to go on Sunday.

Another old stalwart was in supreme form for the North Tipp side in the same game. Seamus ‘Fez’ Hennessy pointed a couple of looping long-rangers and his all-round power caused Thurles problems all day.

Fez is another member of Tipp’s class of 2010 and though a knee injury has held him back, he’s still one of the most powerful club players in the county.

Poc sleasa den scoth ó Seamus Hennessy!

A fantastic sideline from Seamus Hennessy for @MacDonaghsGAA

Don’t miss the highlights of a dramatic game v @thurlessars tonight at 20.00 on @SportTG4 @TipperaryGAA #gaa #hurling #tipperary pic.twitter.com/ao5yKTMsfG

— GAA 2024 (@GAA_2022_TG4) October 1, 2018

At least Kilruane have the north.

As for Thurles, they’re there for the taking. The million dollar question is if anybody in Tipperary is good enough to take them.

Clonoulty Rossmore 1-19 Kiladangan 1-15

Clonoulty Rossmore might just be that team. The team from the west got off to a lightning start against Kiladangan in Dolla and they always looked composed enough and calm enough to keep the Dangan down.

Timmy Hammersley rolled back the years for the Underdogs. Another sub on that 2010 winning team, the 30-year-old is as fit and as fast as he ever was and he led the line and ran a tired looking Kiladangan team ragged in this last eight clash.

His younger brother Conor was also class for them, and his form might merit a call up to the county senior panel this year. Enda Heffernan was another who stood out at wing back.

Kiladangan will be disappointed to bow out, but the suspended Willie Connors was a huge loss and the mind boggles as to why Darragh Egan was kept in reserve for so long.

Nenagh Éire Óg 2-17 Loughmore-Castleiney 0-18

Neangh were deserving winners but the nagging suspicion still hangs over this one that had John McGrath been fit, it would have been a different story. The most deceptively quick and unmistakably graceful hurler in the county was on one leg and though he still contributed a point and set up a few more, he was hampered by a groin injury all day long.

It was tough to watch him struggle to do the things that his brain urged him to but Nenagh Éire Óg deserve credit for taking advantage of his misfortune.

Young Jake Morris was class and he scored a point worth the entrance fee alone. Michael Heffernan, another from the 2010 bench, is the glue that holds Nenagh together though. He must have scored six from play and he’s still as sharp, dainty and fast as he was back then.

For Loughmore, John Meagher and Brian McGrath were both class in the half back line, and they’ll certainly be on Liam Sheedy’s radar.

His Tipp career never took off but he’s some club hurler.

Will Nenagh beat Thurles? Probably not but they will put it up to them.

Kilkenny SHC quarters

Clara 2-12 O’Loughlin Gaels 0-16

3/1 outsiders Clara pulled off the shock of the last eight in Kilkenny. They thought the 2013 and 2015 county champions were finished, they showed in Danesfort on Sunday that the spirit of those famous wins is still alive and well.

Down by seven at half-time, a Chris Bolger goal kick-started the second half fight-back. A late bullet from the ground from big sub John Murphy turned this game on its head and broke O’Loughlins’ hearts right at the death.

Clara march on and they’ll back themselves in bonus territory against Bennetsbridge in the semi.

Ballyhale Shamrocks 1-24 Dicksboro 1-19

The reigning champions had no answer for TJ Reid’s sharpshooting, young Adrian Mullen’s class or Colin Fennelly’s power.

The ‘Boro’s young goalkeeper Darragh Holohan deserves all the credit for the bizarre stat that emerged from this game, about the normally deadly Reid managing only one point from three first half penalties but it says it all about Henry Shefflin’s team that they still won comfortably.

TJ Reid misses three penalties and still manages to rack up a mighty score https://t.co/6OWJ4KeugA

— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) October 1, 2018

Reid himself, recovered by totting up 1-15. You can’t keep him down.

Bennetsbridge 1-17 Mullinavat 2-8

Mullinavat, aided by a strong breeze, were up by four at the break but they only managed two points against the elements in the second. Aidan Cleere on the other hand, came into it in the second and his 1-6 (1-5 from open play and one sideline) fired them to the last four.

Meanwhile, Erins’ Own Castlecomer defeated Carrickshock to send the Shock to a relegation scrap while Comer will take on James Stephen’s in a quarter final next weekend – a game the Village will be odds-on for.

So here’s the state of things in Kilkenny now.

Sport :
The @KilkennyCLG Senior Hurling Semi-Final Championship draw@BallyhaleGAA v @VillageGAA or @ErinsOwnGaa @TheBridgeGAA v @ClaraGAA

Games will be played Nowlan Park on October 14th

— KCLR 96FM (@kclr96fm) September 30, 2018

Cork SHC semi-finals

Midleton 2-16 Blackrock 3-11

Conor Lehane did what Conor Lehane does. Former Cork star Luke O’Farrell was also outstanding for Midleton while Cormac Beausang also racked up a healthy score tally.

The Rockies did rally late on but Midleton deserve their spot in the final.

Imokilly 3-21 UCC 1-15

A divisional team against a college team. Not something you see too often in a county championship, but Imokilly are in hot pursuit of a second Cork title in a row and by this evidence, Midleton will have to play out of their skins to beat them.

Seamus Harnedy was again unstoppable and Paudie Pebbles O’Sullivan looks in good nick too.

Galway

The Galway county championship is still only at its quarter final, and preliminary quarter final stages. The teams that emerged from senior B – Athenry, Padraig Pearses, Killimordaly and Tynagh Abbey Duniry – will now play off with the third and fourth placed senior A teams – Cappataggle, Tommy Larkins, Gort and Castlegar – in the preliminary quarter finals.

Table toppers St Thomas’, Liam Mellows, and Sarsfields and Loughrea are straight through to the last eight.

Portumna, Mullagh, Craughwell and Kilnadeema-Leitrim, meanwhile, are in a relegation scrap.

The FootballJOE quiz: Were you paying attention? – episode 10