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It has been a remarkable decade of success for the hurlers of Portumna.

The Galway hurlers face their first major test of the 2011 championship when they play Dublin in the Leinster championship semi-final on Saturday evening in O’Connor Park in Tullamore (7pm).

This Sunday in Parnell Park the Galway hurlers will face Dublin in a crucial tie which could decide the 2011 league finalists.

Connacht will be looking to get back to winning ways in the Sportsground on St Stephen’s Day when they take on Munster in the Magners League, but Eric Elwood’s charges will have to do so without the services of their inspirational captain John Muldoon. The 28-year-old Connacht forward suffered another injury in a season that has been blighted with setbacks. In Connacht’s Amlin Challenge Cup defeat at home to Harlequins the Portumna native broke his arm, it is the second time this year he has suffered from a broken arm, he broke it against New Zealand in the first of the summer tour tests in the southern hemisphere. However it is hoped that the break is not as serious as the one he sustained on international duty and he will be back in action in number of weeks as opposed to months.

A week, they say, is a long time in politics. A week in football can be an eternity. Wee James McCartan was being championed as the Messiah last week before the final, the man who resurrected the fortunes of a Down side whose season was full of mediocrity up until the back door stage. He was being hailed as the man who re-energised his troops after they were beaten in the Ulster championship by Tyrone. In fairness, his Down side were liberated once they went in through the back door to begin their tour of the country and there was an incremental improvement in each and every performance as they progressed towards last Sunday’s final. This week McCartan’s performance as manager is being scrutinised in great detail with many in his native county questioning some of his decision-making on the line. I can understand why, as a narrow defeat normally means a huge post-mortem of the losing team’s performance. Before last Sunday’s match everyone suggested that the midfield sector was going to be crucial. It was generally perceived that if Down could manage a supply of decent ball into their pacey forwards, they would be in with a mighty chance of success. Last Sunday they were annihilated in this crucial sector. Cork won 70 per cent of the kick outs and the scale of their dominance was key to their triumph. The Down goalkeeper, Brendan McVeigh, on the other hand, never varied his kickouts throughout the afternoon and it does beg the question why he persisted in making heroes out of both Nicholas Murphy and Aidan Walsh. A more puzzling decision was the substitution of Paul McComiskey with 15 minutes remaining on the clock. He was playing brilliantly all afternoon, kicking three points and giving his opponent the run around. That decision left many perplexed.