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Dinny Cahill steered St Rynagh's to the Offaly senior hurling championship final yesterday. INPHO/Morgan Treacy
Hurling

Final pairings confirmed in Antrim SHC, Laois SHC and Offaly SHC

The reigning All-Ireland club champions are still undefeated in Antrim, the reigning champions are back in the final in Laois and there’s a novel final pairing in Offaly.

ANTRIM SHC
Reigning All-Ireland club champions Loughiel Shamrocks are still on track to claim their third successive Antrim senior hurling crown after delivering a 2-23 to 0-11 semi-final win over St John’s in Ballycastle on Saturday afternoon. They will face Dunloy Cuchullains, who last won the title in 2009, in the decider after they ousted Ruairi Óg Cushendall by 4-11 to 2-11 in Loughiel yesterday afternoon.

Antrim SHC final: Saturday September 29th – Loughiel Shamrocks v Dunloy Cuchullain’s, Casement Park, 7.30pm.

LAOIS SHC
Last year’s title winners Clough-Ballacolla and Rathdowney-Errill, who have claimed the last four Laois county senior hurling crowns between them, will face off in the final for honors this year after they prevailed in their semi-final clashes yesterday. Clough-Ballacolla came from behind to triumph against Borris-in-Ossory Kilcotton after trailing by 0-9 to 0-8 at the interval and by 2-11 to 1-12 during the second-half. The reigning champions hit the last five points of the game to secure victory. They will now meet Rathdowney-Errill, who lead by 1-8 to 0-6 at half-time against The Harps and eventually triumpjed by 1-18 to 0-13.

OFFALY SHC
St Rynagh’s, managed by former Antrim senior boss Dinny Cahill, will contest the county senior hurling championship final for the first time since 2001 after they defeated Shinrone by 3-12 to 0-15 in yesterday afternoon’s semi-final in Tullamore.

The Banagher-based club, who last won senior hurling honors in the Faithful county in 1993, trailed by 0-7 to 0-3 during the first-half before recovering to lead 2-6 to 0-10 at the interval with Gary Conneely and Stephen Quirke raising green flags. They maintained control thereafter with Quirke finding the net again in the second-half to help them run out winners by six points.

They will face Kilcormac-Killoughey, who have never won the title, in the decider after they got the better of Birr by 1-11 to 0-13 in the first semi-final yesterday. Kilcormac-Killoughey lead by 1-7 to 0-4 at the break with Conor Mahon firing home the only goal of the game but Birr hit back to draw level towards the end thanks to inspirational displays by Paul Cleary and Rory Hanniffy. Yet Killian Leonard proved the hero as he notched the match-winning score.

Offaly SHC final: Sunday October 7th – St Rynagh’s v Kilcormac-Killoughey, O’Connor Park, Tullamore.

Louth SFC, Westmeath SFC and Wicklow SFC semi-final showdowns

Quarter-final action in Cork SFC, Derry SFC, Kildare SFC and Roscommon SFC