Limerick hurler Seamus Hickey has announced his retirement from inter-county hurling at the age of 31.

A ninth Leinster senior club hurling title for Ballyhale Shamrocks and, on paper at least, the most straightforward of them.

The better team throughout, the mid Cork club ran out comfortable six-point winners against Ballinameela.

Fr O’Neill’s and Midleton will contest the Cork U21 Premier 1 hurling championship final following their respective victories in today’s semi-finals at Páirc Uí Rinn.

Eddie Brennan spent longer than most at hurling’s summit.

The hurlers of Ballyhale Shamrocks are back on the road.

Dromtarriffe play in the Munster junior football final tomorrow against Beaufort of Kerry (Mallow, 3.30pm), having collected the Cork junior title this season for the first time in 59 years.

Cloughduv coach Tim Barry- Murphy is battling a head cold. Not that he’s complaining, of course. It’s a very small price to pay for the opportunity to be still calling drills and placing out cones in late November.