A match to warm the cockles of the heart on a bright but chilly afternoon in Thurles. This clash of the 1997 and '98 All-Ireland winners was a closely-contested affair featuring some great passages of play, particularly in the second half as Birr's challenge just faltered at the finishing post.

Athenry advance to next month's AIB All-Ireland club hurling final and the Galway champions deserved the verdict. They took their chances in the first half, defended tenaciously during the period of Birr's ascendancy and had the nerve to see off their opponents in the closing minutes.

"When they drew level," said Athenry captain Joe Rabbitte, "I knew we had to get the next score. Then Pat Higgins soloed down the wing and scored a great point which brought us back into it and there was no looking back after that."

Rabbitte was one of the winners' most prominent performers. Stationed on the right wing, his arm aloft, he pulled down a pile of high ball and distributed it perceptively although the form of Birr's Niall Claffey in general play gave the big forward more command on the left where he also moved.

Fellow county player Eugene Cloonan at full forward showed his fangs with two smartly-taken goals in the first half and eventually Birr were left too large a task to overhaul the Connacht champions' lead.

The 8,000 spectators witnessed a game played at a fast pace from the start and Athenry had the better of those early exchanges. Birr had possession but their forward play looked in need of fine-tuning as the ball flew imprecisely around their forwards.

It took seven minutes before the first score was registered but once David Donohue pointed for Athenry, the scores came thick and fast. The first-half action was enlivened by three goals, two of which came from frees. In the 10th minute, Gary Cahill missed a ball played in by Brian Hanley and Cloonan was straight on goal. His finish was clinical and Birr were chasing the match from then on.

At first they made a good fist of it. Oisin O'Neill came in as an early substitute for Rory Hanniffy who had taken a knock and he had a major impact on the scoreboard. His first score from play cut the margin to 0-3 to 1-2 but in the 17th minute, Cloonan struck again.

Rabbitte was fouled by Johnny Pilkington after the ball had gone. Cloonan addressed the 20-metre free and drove it low into the net to open quite a gap between the sides. A minute later, Cloonan was lucky to escape with a yellow card after a reckless challenge on Claffey.

With the match looking as if it was running away from them, Birr pulled a goal of their own out of the hat. O'Neill looked to have mis-hit his free but the ball ballooned high into the top left-hand corner of the net.

A couple of other frees didn't go as well for O'Neill: one was hit wide and the other tapped short to Declan Pilkington ended in a free-out.

Athenry's three-point half-time lead was quickly extended by two just after the break as Cloonan cut in for early points but thereafter, the match turned in the Leinster champions' favour.

Brian Whelahan had been passed fit before the start and filled the vacancy at centre back. Although the winning manager Pat Nally praised the performance of Pat Higgins on Whelahan, the Birr-man was in stirring form in the second half and at the heart of a marvellous defensive collective which wrapped up the Athenry forwards and denied them the opportunity to keep their scoring momentum going.

Birr were all fast striking and emphasis on moving the ball quickly and in the space of 11 minutes, five unanswered points pulled them level. It was greatly to the credit of Athenry's half backs - with Paul Hardiman particularly impressive - that they mounted their own rearguard action and anything Birr got was exceptionally hard-earned.

In retrospect, an injury to Brian Whelahan killed Birr's momentum. Although he recovered, it seemed as if Athenry benefited more from the break in play.

After Higgins's inspirational point, substitute Donal Moran added a second with two minutes remaining and Athenry had regained the upper hand. In a match like this, nothing could be taken for granted and so the closing moments were tense but Gary Hanniffy's point was cancelled by Brendan Keogh's and the game was up.

Athenry now await the winners of next Saturday's replay between champions St Joseph's Door-Barefield, who controversially defeated the Galway side in last year's semi-final, and Cushendall from Antrim. They also await a venue as Croke Park is doubtful for the St Patrick's Day final because of the rebuilding.

Athenry: M Crimmins; E Keogh, G Keane, J Feeney; B Higgins, B Feeney, P Hardiman; B Keogh (0-1), B Hanley; J Rabbitte capt (0-1), P Higgins (0-2), A Poniard; C Moran, E Cloonan (2- 3, one goal from a free), D Donohue (0-1). Sub: D Moran (0-1) for Poniard (47 mins)

Birr: B Mullins; G Cahill, J Errity, D Franks; Barry Whelahan, Brian Whelahan (0-3, two frees), N Claffey; J Pilkington, P Molloy; G Hanniffy (0-3), L Power, D Hanniffy; R Hanniffy, D Pilkington capt (0-1), S Whelahan (0-1, a free). Subs: O O'Neill (1-2, goal and a point from frees) for R Hanniffy (12 mins); A Cahill for Power (48 mins).

Referee: W Barrett (Tipperary).