
Munster Hurling championship: Cork v Waterford, Limerick v Clare – follow all the action as it happens
Niall McIntyre
Welcome to Independent.ie's GAA championship live blog with hurling's Munster and Leinster championships the main focus of today's action.
It promises to be another day of drama. Follow all the action around the grounds here.
Just now
Game on in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
3 minutes ago
Frank Roche in Tullamore:
OFFALY 3-15
ANTRIM 1-16
Salvation for the Offaly hurlers - but where to next for Antrim and their manager, Davy Fitzgerald?
Not for the first time this summer, the beleaguered Saffrons paid a heavy price for their indiscipline as they lost to a jittery Offaly and paid the ultimate price – demotion to the Joe McDonagh Cup.
And yet, in the circumstances, the hosts made life incredibly difficult for themselves as they retained their Leinster senior status and demoted Antrim in the process.
They had all the elements, literally and metaphorically, in their favour when they led by 2-9 to 0-11 at half-time.
They had the backing of a second half gale and an extra man, an advantage they had held from the seventh minute after Antrim defender Niall O'Connor was sent off.
Referee Michael Kennedy flashed a straight red after consulting with his umpires, GAA+ replays indicating a stamp on Offaly danger man Charlie Mitchell.
That four-point interval lead had stretched to six by the 44th minute, but Offaly then endured a horrendous 20-minute scoring famine. For a while, it appeared as they were playing with treacle in their boots and – even against the wind – 14-man Antrim slowly started to believe, cutting the lead to a goal shortly beyond the hour.
Mitchell, who had a strong shout for Man of the Match, gave home fans some belated reason to cheer with a superb point from the stand side touchline.
But then, in the next play, Antrim went on the offensive and after a surreal bout of pinball in the Offaly goalmouth, James McNaughton buried to the net for a 65th minute goal that left just a point in it.
Offaly must have been fearing the worst when Brian Duignan's goal chance was blocked by Stephen Rooney. But then sub Eoghan Cahill's clever pass from the left touchline located Killian Sampson in space, and he nailed the most important goal of Offaly's season.
A Duignan free completed the scoring, but Offaly can be thankful that they didn't suffer the consequences of a desperately poor second half that yielded just 1-6.
Much earlier, they had looked firmly in the box seat after Mitchell released Duignan for a smartly finished goal inside 90 seconds; and then when Dan Ravenhill drilled home a low 14th minute penalty awarded for a foul by Conor Boyd on Mitchell.
12 minutes ago
The Munster games are next up at 4.00 with Waterford and Cork fighting for their lives. Cork need to win to qualify for the Munster final while a win would see Waterford take third place.
29 minutes ago
Full-time in Parnell Park, and Galway hold on for a five point win to book their place in the Leinster final.
30 minutes ago
Conal O'Riain hits Dublin's third goal, after good work from Ronan Hayes, leading to a few anxious final minutes for Galway.
33 minutes ago
Sean Currie buries a 21 yard free to the back of the net for Dublin, cutting Galway's lead to seven with five to play.
35 minutes ago
Killian Sampson responds instantly with a goal for Offaly, and that should see them home, leading by four with four to play.
36 minutes ago
Goal for Antrim's James McNaughton. They cut Offaly's lead to one point with five to play.
43 minutes ago
The fourteen men of Antrim are hanging in grimly in Tullamore, cutting the gap to four with ten minutes to go.
43 minutes ago
Brian Concannon hits his fifth point of the day to move Galway nine clear with ten minutes left to play.
49 minutes ago
Galway restore their six point lead with a point from distance from Tom Monaghan.
53 minutes ago
Cian O'Sullivan cuts the gap to five but Conor Whelan responds instantly for Galway.
55 minutes ago
Jack Grealish comes in for Daithi Burke, who was on a yellow card.
56 minutes ago
Offaly are six ahead in the relegation decider in Tullamore.
58 minutes ago
Galway surge five clear after points from Cathal Mannion and Conor Whelan. The momentum has swung in their favour with Dublin struggling against the breeze.
Today 10:00 AM
Galway surge three clear in Parnell Park, after points from TJ Brennan and Conor Whelan.
Today 09:55 AM
Chris Crummey responds for Galway after a clever pass from Rian McBride.
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