The hurling and football championships hit their stride yesterday on a helter skelter afternoon which saw some history made in the Munster hurling championship and some tedium made in the Leinster football championship.

Hurling first, and further signs of insurrection in the Munster championship. Coming hard upon the rank impertinence of Clare's challenge to the old aristocracy came yesterday's win for Waterford over a Tipperary side for whom this latest ignominy might provide an exit line for manager Len Gaynor and a couple of the older soldiers still lingering.

A tense game at Pairc Ui Chaoimh saw a young Waterford side into their first Munster final in nine years, a progression which, when provisions for back doors are taken into account, sees them through to the All-Ireland series regardless of what happens to them.

Waterford, on the cusp of a big breakthrough, almost undid themselves by shooting 10 second-half wides. In a fraught finale to the game, their goalkeeper, Brendan Landers, brought off an astonishing double save.

The fibrous character of Waterford's defence saw them through in the end. In the half-back line, team captain Stephen Frampton had a huge game, carrying much of the weight on his shoulders. Meanwhile, Paul Flynn, from Ballygunner, scored nine points. They were all needed. Eugene O'Neill scored a goal for Tipperary approaching half-time and they went into the break leading by five points. But Waterford stirred themselves and scored seven points without reply in the third quarter.

A goal from substitute Brian O'Meara saw Tipperary level the game with 10 minutes left, but Waterford pulled away again and Dan Shanahan applied the gloss with a late point.

"Unreal," said Paul Flynn. "What can I say? Five points down at half time. Gerald McCarthy gave us a gee up at half time. It worked. The last Munster final the county was in wasn't a great day for Waterford. Today made up for it."

Waterford will meet either Cork or Clare in a final which already looks more savoury than much of this year's Leinster football championship.

Yesterday saw two instalments of action in a double header in Croke Park. Top of the bill were Dublin and Kildare, the headlining double act of the Nineties. Plenty of clashes but very few good games. Yesterday they reprised the dire stalemate which had everyone switching to World Cup soccer action back in 1994 with another invitation to reach for the remote control.

Dublin put in a reasonable first half performance, having fallen three points behind early on. But their pattern disintegrated after the break when they had the wind at their backs.

The sides finished on 10 points apiece and the highlights package will be shown in the form of subliminal advertising to soothe hyperactive children.

"We have to count our lucky stars at this stage," said Dublin's Dessie Farrell. "I thought on the whole Kildare really deserved it. We worked hard in the latter stages of the first half. Second half it didn't happen. We dropped the work rate and expected the wind to play a bigger role. We turned over a lot of possession."

"There was a lot of tension today," said Declan Darcy. "We had a new set up, new management, new team. We haven't been tested before. First big test. We didn't do so badly. Didn't do so good either."

Mick O'Dwyer felt his team maybe hadn't done so good either, but the referee could have been more helpful.

"It wasn't a good game of football, not what we would call a classic encounter. But I thought we had two penalties which just didn't come our way. We'll have to be better the next day out."

In the appetiser, which made the main course look stodgy, Laois consolidated the progress at under-age levels with a win over a Westmeath side which already had two championship victories in the bag. Laois manager Michael Dempsey introduced seven newcomers to championship football yesterday and the gamble paid off. Laois survived off scraps for much of the game. Two minutes from the break, young Stephen Kelly got a crucial goal for Laois, but Westmeath went ahead seven minutes into the second half. Laois, with all their younger players providing some energy and pace, then came good and maintained a margin till the end.

"We're very pleased," said Michael Dempsey. "There was a lot of pressure on us, considering last year we performed so badly against Kildare. We introduced a lot of newcomers today. We're very happy to be over the first round."

Laois await the outcome of the Dublin and Kildare series. Not trembling at the prospect either, one imagines.

Finally to the North, where counties will be depriving themselves once more of the services of players drawn from the local constabulary. Fermanagh ran Cavan close once again in Breffni Park - indeed, for long stretches they looked like getting their first big time win in six years.

Fermanagh had the upper hand for most of first half and went into the break seven points to six ahead, having conceded a flurry of scores late in the period. They stretched ahead again and enjoyed a three-point margin early in the second half.

Cavan drew back, but a fine Raymond Gallagher score put the underdogs ahead again. A late, desperate spurt of scoring from Dermot McCague, Michael Graham and Ronan Carolan provided three points in as many minutes at the end of the game to give the Ulster champions a slender win.

Cavan play Donegal next.