Birr 0-17 Dunloy 0-09

Former winners Birr will contest next month's All-Ireland club hurling final after seeing off Ulster champions Dunloy in Clones this afternoon.

The Offaly outfit, spurred on by the three Whelahan brothers (Brian, Barry and Simon), proved too strong and their accomplished second half performance included five points from Simon Whelahan.

Dunloy were only 0-07 to 0-06 behind at half-time with their captain Gregory O'Kane pointing four times.

But Birr pulled clear with Rory Hanniffy and Michael Dwane both on target and a late point from Sean Ryan sealed their passage through.

Eager to kick on from their Leinster semi-final defeat of last year's All-Ireland winners Ballyhale Shamrocks, Birr got off to an encouraging start.

Brian Whelahan helped the Leinster champions motor into a 0-03 to 0-00 lead, with the 37-year-old opening the scoring with a free from inside the 65-metre line.

Sean Ryan doubled Birr's tally before Whelahan, playing in an advanced position, pointed off his left from 45 metres out.

Back in the semi-finals for the first time since 2003, Dunloy awoke from their slumber to hit the game's next four points.

The Antrim club were desperate to celebrate their centenary year with an appearance at Croke Park on March 17 and revenge was certainly on their minds given that Birr beat them in both the 1995 and 2003 finals and also the 2002 semi.

One man to put his stamp on the game in today's first half was Dunloy skipper O'Kane who hit a hat-trick of points to help his side take a 0-04 to 0-03 lead.

In between O'Kane's run of points, impressive half-back Damien McMullan flung over the point of the opening 30 minutes when he managed to score from just inside his own half.

Paul Cleary's well-struck '65' got Birr back on terms and Pad Joe Whelahan's men got their noses in front before the interval.

O'Kane had nudged Dunloy back in front at 0-05 to 0-04 but points from Cleary, Rory Hanniffy and Barry Whelahan countered a late white flag from Antrim county player Paddy Richmond.

The Birr management's decision to introduce Michael Dwane paid off as he led the way in a power-packed second half.

By the 40th-minute, the four-time All-Ireland champions had made their move. Dunloy were left trailing by 0-11 to 0-07 as efforts from Dwane, Hanniffy and Simon Whelahan sailed over their crossbar.

O'Kane notched his fifth point in the 43rd-minute but Dunloy were not to score for the next quarter-of-an-hour as Birr leapt into a telling 0-16 to 0-08 lead.

Paddy Doherty ended that scoreless period for Dunloy as he pointed in injury-time but a Sean Ryan score, right on full-time, re-established Birr's eight-point buffer and kept the Offaly club on course for what would be a record fifth All-Ireland success.