Clare club it in some style

Some more hurling history for Clare was made yesterday as St Joseph's DooraBarefield became the fourth successive club from the county to win a Munster title. St Joseph's had already written some preliminary history at the start of the weekend by becoming the first club to feature three All Stars in a year when the county didn't win an All-Ireland.

Among those honoured, Jamesie O'Connor wasn't resting on his laurels and shot five points in the opening 10 minutes without reply from a shell-shocked Toomevara. The Tipperary champions recovered but were unable to chase down the deficit, losing in the end by 0-8 to 0-12.

The winners will play Ulster champions Ballygalget from Down, who had a comfortable win over London representatives Brothers Pearse in yesterday's All-Ireland quarter-final.

This year's Leinster club football final will have to be replayed in Tullamore next Sunday. After yesterday's exciting draw, the elders of both clubs retired into conclave with the Leinster Council before announcing the details.

Controversy yet again attended a decision of Brian White's umpiring team. The uproar generated by two decisions in the semi-finals (which had they gone differently may have led to Eire Og's exit) was revisited when Kilmacud's Ray Cosgrove had a shot signalled wide.

"I thought it was over and where we were standing was a very good position . . . and it looked well over. But that's it, we can't change it now," was the reaction of Kilmacud's manager Robbie Kelleher.

Further controversy was never likely. Kilmacud know they had every chance to win the match and can prove themselves in six days' time - unlike Fr Manning Gaels whose appeal against the semi-final decisions failed. Anyway RTE's Maurice Reidy said that his cameras were on the wrong side of the pitch to facilitate a decisive video review.

If Eire Og appear somewhat blessed in the midst of all this, it is as well to remember that bad refereeing robbed them of an All-Ireland title six years ago, so fate has some way to go to balance those books.

Finally, the Connacht title will be decided between Ballina Stephenites and Roscommon Gaels after Ballina's narrow semi-final defeat of Sligo title-holders Eastern Harps at Markievicz Park.