Tipperary win first bout

last night, in the parishes across Munster, they wondered if the lone crack of a hurl might have set in motion the restoration of the old order. Best to hold judgment until the visit of June, but long after they had closed the gates of the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick there was a well-worn ring to the news of the day: Tipperary had beaten Clare.

For Tipp folk, the outcome of yesterday's league semi-final in Thurles blew memories of sweeter days, when they always seemed to be in the ascendant. Clare fans retreated to the heartland doused with a cold reminder that halcyon days are not indefinite. Thomas Dunne rifled a last-minute free - his 12th of the afternoon - to give Tipperary the advantage at the end of a pendulous second half. The match ended 0-19 to 1-15. Spectators scavenged the field for anything which might indicate how the same pair of teams might fare when they clash in the championship in early June. Tipperary, in theory, can loot the ruins of this semi-final and claim psychological advantage. Chances are, though, that they are much too savvy to do anything of the sort. Spirits aren't tethered by victories at this time of year. The bells won't toll in mourning around Clare.

There was a quota on the passion in evidence yesterday, a deadness to the heat. Ger Loughnane gave Ollie Baker and Colin Lynch first run of the showers, retiring both when the match was anyone's. We won't see that again all summer. Loughnane remained shockingly stationary, glued to the bench. In some sections, they worried for his health. And Seanie McMahon had a subdued afternoon. That happens about once a decade. So afterwards, Loughnane and company politely doffed caps at their rival's achievement and Nicky English declared that Clare would be hard to bet against for the September prize.

"Clare will still be the favourites for the All-Ireland, even after that," he announced. It's easy for all concerned to retain etiquette in May.

In the other semi-final, Galway lengthened their unbeaten streak after Alan Kerins belted a late goal just as the black and amber followers were quizzing themselves as to the wisdom of returning for a replay. Kerins' strike, through a plethora of Kilkenny defenders, gave Galway a 2-15 to 1-15 victory.

Kilkenny new kid Henry Shefflin drilled eight points, six from frees, while Galway's ever-maturing prodigy, Eugene Cloonan, chalked up 1-3. His goal came form a penalty and his points were the result of frees.

Down two points at the break, Galway played catch-up throughout, but they forced a league final appearance against Tipperary after Liam Burke shipped home a point to pave the foundations for Kerins' conclusive stroke.

In the capital, 26,115 showed up to see Dublin ease themselves back into their first league final since 1993. The ranks were swelled by an enthusiastic bunch of Westmeath supporters who rapturously applauded their under-21 side after they swept Monaghan aside in the All-Ireland semi-final of that competition.

The atmosphere was more muted throughout the senior fare, and Diarmuid Marsden's early injury established a luckless day for Armagh, who fell out of contention after Dublin's Ciaran Whelan spilled the ball over their goal line two minutes into the second half.

Although Whelan's sparkling midfield play merited reward, the score itself summed up the curious nature of the game, which bubbled only now and again and never demanded the full-blooded emotion of those watching.

Whelan's goal left the Ulster side in arrears by 1-6 to 0-5, and they quickly conceded more daylight to their opponents and struggled fitfully for the remainder. They now face the prospect of being without the mercurial Marsden for the first round of the championship.

Tommy Carr, meanwhile, looked quite happy at the news that the league final would be played in Cork's back garden. Previewing the final, he said that the match would give Dublin an opportunity to right their earlier loss to Cork, a defeat which marked one of the low points of their wintering period.

Meanwhile, Munster's Railway Cup goalkeeper performed all manner of heroics as his team denied Connacht in the final on a scoreline of 0-10 to 0-7. Five times Declan O'Keeffe, the Kerry stopper, saved goal-bound Connacht shots.

But it's unlikely that many bonfires greeted word of Munster's end to a 17-year dry stretch. Those were the celebrations of other times. Right now, that province, like all others, is ablaze with the promise of the Sundays ahead.