Gaelic Games Digest

A round-up of today's other stories

COLLEGES: Dublin Colleges secured their place in the Leinster SH "A" final for the first time since 2001 with a hard-earned 0-11 to 0-8 victory over St Brendan's CS, Birr on Saturday in Mullingar.

Dublin had first use of the strong wind and by half-time they had established a useful 0-7 to 0-2 cushion. And the Dublin defence defiantly repelled waves of St Brendan's pressure in the second half and, in the 54th minute - with the score at 0-10 to 0-6 - they kept out a poorly-struck Diarmuid Horan penalty.

At Carlow, holders St Kieran's College, Kilkenny defeated Good Counsel of New Ross 1-13 to 1-10 in the Leinster SH "A" quarter-final.

CAMOGIE: Newly-appointed Kilkenny manager Bobby Jackman and 12-time All-Ireland medal winner Ann Downey were happy mentors in Pilltown, Kilkenny, yesterday as they overcame the reigning league champions Galway, 2-7 to 1-5.

The sides went in at the break at 1-2 apiece - with Sinéad Millea finishing to the net for Kilkenny and Veronica Curtin goaling for the visitors. In the second half, corner forward Aoife Neary scored the home side's second goal.

Wexford - who meet Kilkenny next match - fell 1-3 to 0-11 against Tipperary at The Ragg yesterday. It was nip and tuck all the way with nothing between the two sides following a low-scoring first half, which saw the Tipperary lead 0-4 to 0-2 at the interval.

Úna Leacy scored the only goal of the game with just four minutes remaining, but Eimear McDonnell made the game safe for the home side with two late points.

As expected, Cork had an emphatic win over Limerick, 4-16 to 0-2, at Ballynoe in the other Division One game yesterday.

Sarah O'Donovan was the Cork hero with a hat-trick of goals and just for good measure last year's victorious All-Ireland captain Elaine Burke scored the fourth.

THIRD-LEVEL: A trainee barrister from Wexford who barely survived a hit-and-run incident five years ago made GAA history at the weekend when he captained hurling novices the King's Inns to an All-Ireland win - beating Tallaght IT by 2-13 to 1-14 after extra-time at the Mardyke.

James McDonald (24) had only set up the hurling club in the new year. The Division Three win capped an extraordinary recovery for the hurler, who suffered horrific leg injuries when he was hit by a truck in north Dublin in January, 2001. At the time, surgeons told him he might never walk again, yet alone play sport.

The Fergal Maher Cup he raised in Cork city yesterday was named after a young man who was knocked down and killed in an accident several years ago.

The King's Inns club was launched by senior judges just two weeks ago - 500 years after Britain's King Henry VIII established the institution.

The president of the High Court, Joseph Finnegan, who is also president of the King's Inns hurling club, said it had "single-handedly changed the image of the bar in Ireland".

In his captain's speech, McDonald responded to the comment by saying "We have now, Joseph". He added: "The King's Inns is named after Henry VIII and we haven't played hurling there for 500 years. I've only one message: We have now Henry."