Eugene Cloonan displayed his footballing skills in Ennis to guide Connacht to a 2-17 to 1-16 win over Munster and into the M Donnelly Interprovincial hurling final.
The Athenry man, lining out at full-forward in an all-Galway XV, kicked home a goal in each half as last year's Interpro champions were beaten.
Munster led 0-10 to 1-06 at half-time with Eoin Kelly and Niall Gilligan particularly effective. Cloonan beat Cork 'keeper Anthony Nash in the 15th-minute.
Tipperary's Kelly whipped home a 44th-minute goal but Connacht secured only their seventh win in 32 Interpro meetings with Munster when Cloonan, who struck four second-half frees, netted three minutes from time.
Munster manager Jerry O'Sullivan was forced into two late changes with Tipp's Paul Curran (flu) losing his corner-back berth to Seamus Hickey of Limerick and Clare man Conor Plunkett drafted in for Cork's John Gardiner.
Gardiner's absence meant netminder Nash was the only Cork player in Munster's squad.
Ger Farragher thumped over a free after 45 seconds to get Connacht up and running. Gilligan swung over an excellent point off his left from the right wing to open the hosts' account.
With little wind in Ennis, both sides played bright, open hurling and Cloonan struck the first real blow on the quarter-hour when he evaded his marker and beat Nash from close range.
Munster struck back immediately with Waterford's Michael Walsh and Kelly (0-02) both firing over - Tony Carmody also darted through to register a sweet point - and while roaming centre-back Richie Murray added to Connacht's tally late on, O'Sullivan's side were marginally ahead at the break.
Centre-forward David Forde missed a decent goal chance for John Fahy's men late in the first half, but they were level just seconds into the second half thanks to Cloonan.
There were some impressive scores in the second half with wing-back David Collins lashing over a point from 70 metres out for Connacht.
Kelly's goal settled Munster again, but Connacht had the stronger finish with Murray, Collins and Niall Healy all finding the target.
Cloonan, who will have impressed the watching Galway boss Ger Loughnane, found himself in the right place at the right time to kick home off the ground in the 67th-minute and send the westerners into an 28 October final against Leinster, which will be played in their own Salthill.
Connacht's presence in the 2006 decider will certainly boost attendance figures at Pearse Stadium in two weeks' time, with the first Test of the upcoming International Rules series also on the floodlit bill.
Munster: A Nash (Cork); G O'Grady (Clare), S Lucey (Limerick), S Hickey (Limerick); D Fitzgerald (Tipperary), C Plunkett (Clare), A Markham (Clare); P Kelly (Tipperary), M O'Brien (Limerick); D McMahon (Clare), M Walsh (Waterford), T Carmody (Clare); A O'Shaughnessy (Limerick), N Gilligan (Clare), E Kelly (Tipperary).
Connacht (all Galway): L Donoghue; D Joyce, G Mahon, T Regan; D Collins, R Murray, S Kavanagh; F Healy, A Kerins; K Broderick, D Forde, D Tierney; G Farragher, E Cloonan, N Healy.
Referee: Brian Gavin (Offaly)
