FOOTBALL
Kilmacud Crokes will play Na Fianna in the final of the Go Ahead Dublin SFC after seeing off Thomas Davis at Parnell Park, but they're likely to be without talismanic forward Paul Mannion for the foreseeable future.
The Kiltipper Road men made the perfect start as Fionn Murray goalled to push them four points clear. But Crokes then settled, and landed the next eight points, with Shane Walsh kicking five of those scores, four from placed balls.
The second half was a tight affair with Davis adding just one more point as the Stillorgan giants did enough to get back to another final.
And manager Robbie Brennan told RTÉ's Sunday Sport afterwards that recently returned Dublin footballer Mannion is unlikely to be fit for the final having undergone ankle surgery this week.
"It's not good unfortunately," he said of the prognosis for Mannion.
"We thought he wouldn't be too bad because he was walking after Cuala game and we felt it wouldn't be too bad. But he went in for surgery on Thursday just gone, so he's gone long term now.
"He's looking at a rehab programme. Surgery went well so he's getting stuck into it now. I think the recovery period is three months for surgery like that, for the ankle.
"We won't be trying to rush him back. He has a full inter-county season ahead with Dessie and the lads, and I'm sure that'll be his focus going forward."
Palatine beat Tinryland 2-08 to 2-06 in the day's only senior football final in Carlow.
All-Ireland champions Kilcoo are back in the Down SFC decider thanks to a 1-09 win over Mayobridge.
Kilcoo, who are aiming for a 10th county triumph in 11 years, edged a defensive first half by just three points to one.
Eugene Branagan flicked home a Niall Kane free in the closing minutes to put the result beyond doubt.
Waiting in the final are Warrenpoint, who won their second penalty shootout in a week to set up a rematch of the 2019 final.
Warrenpoint and Loughinisland were level at 0-11 each at the end of normal time and managed one more score each in the extra periods.
John Boyle scored the decisive kick in the shootout for an 8-7 win, following last Monday's shootout win over Burren.
Tourlestrane are into their seventh Sligo SFC final in a row after seeing off the challenge of Shamrock Gaels at Marievicz Park on a 1-13 to 1-11 scorline.
They're set to face St Mary's in that decider, after the Ballydoogan side needed penalties to finally see off Drumcliffe-Rosses Point. The match finished 2-17 to 1-20, after extra time, before Mary's won 3-1 on spot kicks.
Knockmore's reign as Mayo SFC champions is over after they lost out to Castlebar Mitchels by the narrowest of margins. Castlebar were three up at the break but the gap was down to the minimum after a brace of points from Aidan Orme.
Knockmore, crucially, were never level, and found themselves three down once more with just under 10 minutes to go.
A Peter Naughton free again narrowed the gap to the minimum, but the 2020 and 2021 winners couldn't find the equaliser as Castlebar advanced.
Ballina were comfortable quarter-final winners in the first game of the day, beating Claremorris by 4-13 to 0-0 7 at Fr O'Hara Park.
Cillian O'Connor returned from injury and contributed 1-01 as Ballintubber saw off Breaffy by 2-11 to 0-14 at Castlebar. It was a hard fought game with Ciarán Gavin's late goal eventually killing off a Breaffy comeback in the second half.
Last night, Westport were the first side to progress to the last four as they held on to beat Garrymore by two points on Saturday night.
In Tipperary, Upperchurch-Drombane dethroned champions Loughmore-Castleiney to reach their first ever senior football final.
The Church were two points up at the break and held off their neighbours Mid Tipp rivals by the minimum in the end, 1-15 to 1-14. Conor Fahey got the goal for the winners.
They will face Clonmel Commercials, who saw off Moyle Rovers with a big second half-showing. Commercials trailed by one at the break but they had turned that into a five-point lead with 10 minutes to play.
Nemo Rangers are just one win away from a 23 Cork SFC title after finishing strongly to see of Ballingcollig at Páirc Uí Chaoimh. The game was in the melting pot with just over 15 minutes to go, before a Luke Connolly penalty put daylight between the sides.
Rangers finished strongly from there to eventually emerge 1-16 to 0-09 winners.
There they'll face defending champions St Finbarr's who saw off Castlehaven in a very entertaining encounter. The teams were level no fewer than nine times in an end-to-end first half with the Barrs finishing strongly after Michael Hurley's goal.
It was nip and tuck in the opening stages of the second half before the Barrs made their move with a Steven Sherlock major. Another goal from Brian Hayes pushed them further clear and Castlehaven couldn't claw their way back into it.
The two sides in the decider have shared the last five Cork titles between them.
Ballybay turned a two-point half-time deficit into a nine-point victory as they saw off Clontibret to book a place in the Monaghan SFC final.
Paul Finlay had the sides level within seven minutes of the restart, and despite the best efforts of Conor McManus, they were able to pull away from then. Ballybay were already five clear when Dessie Ward put the game to bed with a late goal.
They were joined by three-in-a-row chasing Scotstown who saw off Inniskeen on a 3-08 to 0-12 scoreline at Clones.
The game was tight in the opening 30 minutes with goals Darren Hughes - the first score of the game - and Damian McArdle giving Scotstown a slender one-point lead at the turnaround.
The sides were level five minutes into the second half but Conor McCarthy pushed them into a lead they would never relinquish. Conor McCarthy's goal - Scotstown's third - put them out of sight in the last five minutes as the club's drive for a third county title in a row continues.
In Cavan, Kilgarry secured their passage to a first final in 51 after seeing off Ramor United by 2-07 to 1-09.
An early Conor Smith goal set Kilgarry on their way, but they went in one down at the break after Ado Cole found the back of the net for Ramor.
The pendulum swung again when Mattie McKenna goalled for Kilgarry, while Ramor goalkeeper Liam Brady missed a late chance to draw the sides level as he pushed a free wide.
Next up for Kilgarry is a meeting with Gowna in the decider in two weeks.
After a slow start in their Meath SFC semi-final, Ratoath comfortably saw off Na Fianna by 3-11 to 0-09. Cian Rogers, Bryan McMahon and Bobby O'Brien hit the back of the net as the 2019 and 2020 champions eased into a third final in four years.
There they'll meet Summerhill, after they brought Wolfe Tones' reign as champions to an end, with Conor Frayne netting the only goal in a 1-10 to 0-06 victory.
HURLING
There were three county hurling finals today.
Shinrone are Offaly champions for the first time, Castletown Geoghegan snapped a three-games losing a streak in the Westmeath decider and Clough-Ballacolla secured three in a row in Laois.
James Stephens reached their first Kilkenny final since 2019 with a 2-18 to 1-18 victory over Dicksboro.
The Village, who last won the title in 2011, have former Cats boss Brian Cody on board as a selector.
Five-in-a-row chasers Ballyhale Shamrocks eased into the Kilkenny semi-finals with a double scores 1-27 to 0-15 win over Clara.
County stars Adrian Mullen (1-06) and Eoin Cody (0-07) were to the fore for Ballyhale while TJ Reid (0-06) and Colin Fennelly (0-03) also kept the scoreboard ticking over.
Shamrocks will face Tullaroan next weekend for the right to face off against James Stephens in the final.
Ruairí Óg Cushendall booked their place in the Antrim hurling final with a 3-14 to 2-16 win over record title holders Loughgeil Shamrocks in Ballycastle.
They will take on reigning champions Dunloy, who had 22 points to spare over St John's, 5-22 to 1-12.
Middletown’s four-in-a-row ambitions remain on track after they secured their spot in the Armagh final with a comfortable 2-26 to 2-13 win over Craobh Rua. Lámh Dhearg and Cuchulainn will replay after their semi-final ended 1-21 apiece.
Tommy Larkins qualified for the Galway quarter-finals with a 1-18 to a 0-21 draw with Cappataggle that also ensured a preliminary QF spot for their opponents.
Craughwell took the other preliminary quarter-final place with a dominant 4-16 to 1-15 triumph over Gort
Loughrea finished the group stage with a 100% record by inflicting Kilconieron’s fifth successive defeat, 2-22 to 0-14.
