Amid great sunshine and celebrations in the Gaelic Grounds yesterday Na Piarsaigh ended Adare’s quest for four titles in-a-row with a 4-12 to 2-15 victory.
Three second half goals sent the champions crashing out.
But Na Piarsaigh had to save an injury-time penalty as the champions bidded to force a replay.
The quarter-final was a repeat of last year’s county final which Adare won by 17-points.
Na Piarsaigh are looking to add the senior crown to the under-21 premier title they have won already this season and that title was won with a final victory over their semi-final opponents Kilmallock.
Youngs guns Kevin Downes, Shane Dowling and Adrian Breen were among the Na Piarsaigh goalscorers and all three have already collected under-21 medals and Dr. Harty Cup medals with Ardscoil Ris in 2010.
Na Piarsaigh will be hoping that James O’Brien and Adrian Hennessy can see off injuries ahead of their last four contest.
The reward for Na Piarsaigh is a semi-final meeting with favourites Kilmallock. It will be a clash between former Clare senior hurling selectors with Tony Considine managing Kilmallock and Sean Stack coach to Na Piarsaigh.
The second semi-final will be between surprise packets Knockainey and south Limerick divisional side Emmets.
Emmets saw off the challenge of Murroe-Boher yesterday with a 2-23 to 3-13 win. Ten different players got on the scoresheet for Emmets who led by 12 points at one stage.
Aside from Kilmallock (who won it last in 1994) none of the other three have previously won the Daly Cup.
These semi-finals will be fixed by the Limerick GAA CCC this week for weekending September 12.
Elsewhere, after a busy weekend on the local championship front, many of the main championships have reached the semi-final stage.
In the newly-inaugurated County Cup the first round games were played over the weekend and in the semi-finals South Liberties will play Croom while Doon will play Bruff.
The senior hurling relegation battle is now down to four teams.
Claughaun will play Ahane and Garryspillane will play Bruree.
The two losing sides will then play off to determine who drops to the intermediate ranks in 2011.
Meanwhile the battle to see who is promoted from the intermediate championship is dominated by teams from the south division.
Ballybrown are the odd ones out and they play Hospital-Herbertstown in the semi-final. The other semi-final is a local derby between Dromin-Athlacca and Glenroe.
Players from Hospital-Herbertstown, Dromin-Athlacca and Glenroe dominate the Emmets senior team and only time will tell if this is a help or a hindrance since they are chasing glory on two fronts. The intermediate semi-finals will be played on the weekending of September 19.
The relegation battle in the intermdiate grade is down to two teams with Pallasgreen playing Tournafulla with the losing side dropping to the junior ranks next season.
Elsehwhere at the weekend the Limerick Ladies Footballers are within one game of returning to Croke Park on All-Ireland final day.
They booked their place in the semi-finals of the All-Ireland junior championship with a 2-17 to 1-3 win over Derry on Saturday evening.
Last September Limerick lost the final to Antrim but are now just 60-minutes away from another trip to Croker.
Next weekend attention switches to the senior and intermediate football championship with two rounds of action still to be played before the knock-out stages are confirmed.
JEROME O’CONNELL
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