Quarter Final Weekend, It did Deliver.

Tipperary Club hurling served up box-office stuff at FBD Semple Stadium: 22 goals in four games, one outrageous extra-time comeback, a champion’s statement, a long-awaited return to the last four, and a reminder that this championship never disappoints. Here are the five big takeaways.

1) Drom & Inch go full throwback and blow Moycarkey away

Drom & Inch 7-23 (AET) Moycarkey-Borris 1-28

This was old-school hurling at its most devastating. Trailing and misfiring at the break with only 0-8 on the board, Drom ripped up the plan and went direct: long deliveries, bodies around the square, and relentless pressure on the full-back line. The result? Seven green flags, four from subs, and an extra-time avalanche that Moycarkey simply couldn’t stem.

Séamus Callanan rolled back the years with 2-11 (2-03 from play), including an audacious, lying-on-his-back finish that will live in folklore.
David Butler (2-0) and David Collins were chaos merchants inside; Cormac Fitzpatrick (1-03) was fearless; Jamie Bergin and Jack Lillis iced it with late goals.

Credit Moycarkey: a goal inside 30 seconds (Jack Hayes) and a composed response to Drom’s surge forced extra time. But once Callanan detonated, the roof came off. Drom’s ceiling is sky-high and nobody will fancy marking that inside line in a semi-final.

2) Loughmore-Castleiney: same standard, new statement

Loughmore-Castleiney 3-22 Toomevara 2-20

The Champions did what Champions do: control the terms early and manage the lead late. Three first-half goals, Ed Connolly, Tomás McGrath, John McGrath, built a 3-11 to 0-11 interval cushion. Toome’s two late goals merely trimmed the optics.

Key threads:

Ed Connolly (1-05) was electric; John McGrath (1-07) pounced at the right moments.
Ciarán McCormack clipped a trio of glorious sideline cuts to keep Loughmore purring.
Structure and familiarity are their superpower: everyone knows the triggers, the squeeze points, and the out-balls. It’s ruthless in its simplicity.

If you’re plotting an upset, you’ll need to win the air war, own the breaks, and avoid early concessions. Few teams can hit all three against Loughmore.

3) Holycross-Ballycahill are for real — and not just a nice story

Holycross-Ballycahill 4-23 Cashel KC 2-17

This wasn’t a squeak-through; it was a 12-point Quarter Final statement. Holycross led 3-11 to 0-11 at the break, Robbie Ryan (2-02) and Eoin Craddock (1-03) with the majors and never lost control. Darragh Woods was unplayable on the front foot, finishing with 0-13 (0-9f), while the platform came from a hard-edged spine featuring Bryan O’Mara, Jim Ryan, Cathal Barrett (before his second yellow), and Tadhg Gould.

Cashel’s Eoghan Connolly’s red on 40 minutes hurt, but the damage was already done. Even after late King Cormacs goals (Ronan Connolly, Cathal Quinn), Joe Caesar had added a fourth Holycross major and the Mid men kept the scoreboard ticking.

Three straight county U19 titles told us a wave was coming; this was the grown-up version. First senior semi since 1999 and they look comfortable at the altitude.

4) Nenagh Éire Óg find balance — and a closer’s edge

Nenagh Éire Óg 1-24 Kilruane MacDonaghs 2-15

Nine first-half levelers and then Nenagh quietly stretched away with a mature second half Quarter Final performance. Mikey Heffernan (0-12, 5f, 2×65) set the rhythm; Jake Morris delivered the dagger from the spot late on. The subtle star? Barry Heffernan as the spare man, reading danger and launching attacks, which throttled Kilruane’s shot quality after the break.

Context mattered: Jerome Cahill’s hamstring blow before half-time and Niall O’Meara hampered after the interval softened Kilruane’s edge. But Nenagh still had to execute — and they did. It’s their first semi since 2020, with youth (Sam O’Farrell, Mason Cawley) dovetailing neatly with the Heffernan core. They finally look multi-threaded, not Jake-or-bust.

5) Semi-final narratives you can’t ignore

Pairings:

Holycross-Ballycahill vs Loughmore-Castleiney
Nenagh Éire Óg vs Drom & Inch

What to watch:

Air traffic control: Holycross’s ball-winners (Robbie Ryan/Craddock/Tiarnan Ryan) versus Brian McGrath & co. If Loughmore limit primary possession and early goals, they squeeze games into their comfort zone. Flip it, and we’ve a shoot-out.
Restarts & territory: Drom will pepper the square again; Nenagh’s protective screen (Barry Heff) must win the second ball count. Can Mikey Heffernan keep the frees and tempos on their terms if it gets ragged?
Set-piece edges: McCormack’s sidelines are essentially 45-metre points; Woods’ frees are money. Discipline will be as important as match-ups.
Form vs aura: Loughmore’s aura is real, but Holycross arrive humming. Drom’s momentum is thunderous; Nenagh’s composure is the antidote. Something has to give.

Final Word

The 2025 SHC quarter-finals gave us a weekend to remember: Holycross’s breakthrough, Loughmore’s ruthless efficiency, Nenagh’s balance, and Drom’s jaw-dropping comeback. Four different stories, but all roads lead to a semi-final weekend dripping with narrative and loaded with firepower.

If the quarters gave us 22 goals, the semis could be something even more spectacular.

Noel Dundon’s Quarter Final Take, Click HERE

Fixture	Goals	Top Scorer	Key Note
Holycross 4-23 Cashel 2-17	6	Darragh Woods (0-13, 9f)	First semi-final since 1999
Loughmore 3-22 Toomevara 2-20	5	John McGrath (1-7, 7f)	Sixth straight semi-final for champs
Nenagh 1-24 Kilruane 2-15	3	Mikey Heffernan (0-12)	Nenagh’s first semi since 2020
Drom & Inch 7-23 Moycarkey 1-28 (AET)	8	Seamus Callanan (2-11, 8f)	7 goals, 4 from the bench

Total across the weekend:
22 goals (average 5.5 per game)

Three past champions return: Loughmore, Nenagh, Drom.
One fresh face: Holycross back after 26 years.

Quarter Final Weekend,5 Talking Points.