Hurling/All-Ireland Qualifiers: After a weekend of desperate misfortune, Clare hurlers finally got some crumb of comfort with the news that their All-Ireland qualifier against Galway next Saturday would be played at Cusack Park Ennis.
The counties agreed to toss a coin for home advantage and Clare won.
Dublin and Offaly, the defeated Leinster semi-finalists, will meet on Sunday at Croke Park as a curtain-raiser for the provincial football semi-final between Dublin and Laois. It will be the Offaly hurlers' first match at headquarters since the championship defeat by Kilkenny in 2001 and they have yet to play on the new surface.
Having narrowly missed out to Wexford on a place in the Leinster final, Michael McNamara's team will be glad to get a run at the venue.
Tipperary travel to Portlaoise on Saturday evening to face Laois, the first summer meeting between the counties since the 1949 All-Ireland final, which was comfortably won by Tipp. Both Laois and Dublin were drawn at home by virtue of being 'designated' counties.
The final qualifier in the round has been postponed until June 28th. Limerick are unable to play this weekend because of their dual players' involvement in the football semi-final against Clare. Their opponents aren't yet known, with Kerry having to play the losers of this weekend's Ulster final a week later.
There is one remaining fixture in the football qualifiers. Westmeath and Monaghan, both beaten at the weekend, will play in Clones at 4.15.
Next month's Munster hurling final has been confirmed for Semple Stadium in Thurles. It will be the first meeting of Cork and Waterford at this stage for 20 years. The counties played successive finals in 1982 and '83 with Waterford sustaining fearful thrashings in both, by 31 and 19 points respectively.
Most attention this weekend will focus on the Clare-Galway match in Ennis. It is an enormous challenge for last year's All-Ireland finalists, who have to pick themselves up after Sunday's crushing defeat by Cork.
Galway, under new management this year, will be motivated by the memory of last July's All-Ireland quarter-final, which, as hot favourites, they lost to Clare. In the past three meetings, 1995, '99 and last year, Galway have yet to defeat their neighbours.
Adding to the difficulties will be the unavailability of captain Sean McMahon, whose four-week suspension doesn't expire until midnight on Saturday. He will be joined in dry dock by Colin Lynch who was red-carded on Sunday and automatically misses the next match pending a hearing with the Games Administration Committee, which could impose a four or 12-week suspension depending on the report of referee Willie Barrett.
Lynch was in Dublin yesterday for the presentation of the Vodaphone hurler of the Month award for May in recognition of his display against Tipperary in the Munster championship first round. He declined to talk about the sending-off incident. "I am disappointed but have no further comment to make at this stage," he said.
Monaghan's Paul Finlay was another disappointed recipient. He collected the football award for May in respect of his display in the defeat of All-Ireland champions Armagh. Despite another fine display by Finlay at the weekend Monaghan were defeated by Down.
Hurling qualifiers - dates and venues
Saturday: Clare v Galway, Ennis, 4.15.
Saturday: Laois v Tipperary, Portlaoise, 7.30.
Sunday: Dublin v Offaly, Croke Park, 2.0.
Saturday 28th June: Limerick v Kerry/Derry/Antrim.
Football qualifier
Saturday: Monaghan v Westmeath, Clones, 4.15.
