Seven years on from his inspirational leadership of the Limerick U21s to All-Ireland Championship Heaven, Donacha Sheehan grabbed the headlines in Adare's thrill-a-minute 1-16 to 1-15 win over arch enemies Ahane in the opening quarter-final of the Live 95FM Limerick Senior Hurling Championship at the Gaelic Grounds.

Back-to-back winners of the Blue Riband of the ancient game at the outset of the new Millennium, Adare coasted through the opening-half, after which they held a whopping 0-13 to 1-4.

That advantage ought to have been wider, but for a string of wides and the opportunist goal claimed for Ahane by the wily Brian Healy from very close range mid-way through the opening 30 minutes.

Niall Moran and Sean O'Connor struck points for fun in the third quarter as Ahane edged into a 0-15 to 1-11 lead. In the run-in, Adare regained the lead, one which they weren't to relinquish, when Sheehan blasted past former Kerry netminder Tadgh Flynn.

"We're happy to have qualified for the semi-final through this very tough draw," commented Adare mentor PJ Kinevane. "It was never going to be easy, as turned-out to be the case. Okay, we were well in control for the first 30 minutes but there was no way that Ahane were going to stay as quite for the whole game," Mr Kinevane added.

"Honestly, the game wasn't even safe when Donnacha goaled – it was a long wait for the final whistle, but it's a match that we're really thrilled to have in the bag."

Adare are managed this season by double All-Ireland winning Clare attacker of the 1990's, Ger 'Sparrow' O'Loughlin. An exhibition of point scoring from Marcus Cregan was what ultimately guided Croom to a hard-fought 0-20 to 1-11 win against plucky East Geraldines in another quarter-final outing at Fitzgerald Park in Kilmallock.

Croom, without a championship crown in over 60 years, were unbackable favourites before the off, but were made to fight tooth-and-nail before finding the finishing line.

Cregan hit a match-winning nine points, all bar two of which came from dead-ball situations.

If Cregan was the Croom star, then unquestionably former county servant Mark Keane was the class act for the divisional side – their skipper floated over points from all angles, and distances, as the 'dines threatened a monumental upset for a lot of the contest.

It was Jonathon Deere that grabbed the losers' goal, a superb effort in the third quarter.

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