Saturday July 28

All Ireland SHC Semi-Final

Clare v Galway, Croke Park, 5pm

Amazingly Clare make their first Croke Park Championship appearance since Shane O'Donnell blasted a hat-trick of goals to win a dramatic All Ireland Final replay in 2013.

In the intervening years Clare have endured plenty of summer heartbreak, but there has been a steely determination about Donal Maloney and Gerry O'Connor charges throughout the current campaign.

The provincial decider loss to Cork was a setback, but Clare's response against Wexford at Pairc Ui Chaoimh was adequate.

Tony Kelly and John Conlon have both struck 1-22 each in six 2018 games so they bring form and class to GAA headquarters.

Galway, though, journeyed through Leinster impressively before drawing a tense final with Kilkenny. How Galway hurled in the replay bodes well especially the fact that Jonathan Glynn's presence and paw caused such consternation.

Clare will need to cope with Galway's aerial bombardement because goalkeeper James Skehill can drill deliveries from deep.

At the opposite end the duel between Conlon and Daithi Burke is eagerly anticipated. Burke's relevance to the Galway cause shouldn't be underestimated, but Galway know how relevant Conlon has been for Clare.

O'Donnell has played the role of selfless creator, but his display in the Quarter-Final offered a reminder of his ability to score too.

Galway's defence, anchored by Gearoid McInerney, must be mindful of Conlon's strength and Tony Kelly's willingness to drift into space.

Conor Whelan's self sufficiency and Cathal Mannion's class remain key components for Galway, who know that Clare have flourished on the Jones Road stage previously.

CLARE: Donal Tuohy; Patrick O'Connor, David McInerney, Jack Browne; Seadna Morey, Conor Cleary, Jamie Shanahan; Colm Galvin, Cathal Malone; Peter Duggan, Tony Kelly, David Reidy; Podge Collins, John Conlon, Shane O'Donnell.

GALWAY: James Skehill; Adrian Tuohy, Daithi Burke, John Hanbury; Padraic Mannion, Gearoid McInerney, Aidan Harte; Johnny Coen, David Burke; Joseph Cooney, Joe Canning, Jonathan Glynn; Conor Whelan, Conor Cooney, Cathal Mannion.

Sunday July 29

All Ireland SHC Semi-Final

Cork v Limerick, Croke Park, 3.30pm

A bumper crowd is expected for what promises to be an intriguing encounter.

Cork's cocktail of style and substance was rewarded with a second successive Munster title.

That the final arrived following a gutsy comeback against Clare merely added to the sense of satisfaction.

John Meyler's team of established and emerging stars now want to demonstrate their potential in the closing stages of the Championship.

Cork, though, know all about Limerick's improvement with the Pairc Ui Chaoimh draw last month a clear sign of the strides John Kiely's charges have taken.

It was a wonderfully resilient performance from Limerick, who are successfully integrating several of their victorious All Ireland Under 21 outfits from 2015 and 2017.

Those Limerick players have dealt with the burden of expectancy so the green and white brigade believe that an All Ireland Final appearance can be attained.

Cork were outfoxed by Waterford at this stage last year and many valuable lessons were learned. While Mark Coleman and Darragh Fitzgibbon are hurlers of immense promise, the scores being supplied by Patrick Horgan, Seamus Harnedy, and Conor Lehane still provide a source of inspiration.

Harnedy has nailed 3-14 from play this summer, Lehane 1-11, and Horgan 1-12. Prolific Glen Rovers attacker is also clipping the frees with trademark accuracy.

Tom Morrissey is a key figure for Limerick, who also a nice mix of power and pace in attack. The half back line of the sweet striking Diarmuid Byrnes, Declan Hannon, and Dan Morrissey has been instrumental in their journey. The next test will be the most revealing of all the examinations sat so far.

CORK: Anthony Nash; Sean O'Donoghue, Damien Cahalane, Colm Spillane; Christopher Joyce, Eoin Cadogan, Mark Coleman; Bill Cooper, Darragh Fitzgibbon; Daniel Kearney, Conor Lehane, Luke Meade; Shane Kingston, Seamus Harnedy, Patrick Horgan.

LIMERICK: Nicky Quaid; Sean Finn, Mike Casey, Richie English; Diarmuid Byrnes, Declan Hannon, Dan Morrissey; Darragh O'Donovan, Cian Lynch; Gearoid Hegarty, Kyle Hayes, Tom Morrissey; Aaron Gillane, Seamus Flanagan, Graeme Mulcahy.