Games played - 22. Games to go - 3. That's the situation in the GAA All-Ireland hurling championship which moves onto the first of the semi-finals next Sunday when Cork and Galway clash in Croke Park (3.30). Kilkenny and Tipperary will meet in the second semi-final on Sunday week. The Cork-Galway clash will be their first in an All-Ireland semi-final since 1985 when Galway won by 4-12 to 5-5. The counties last met in the championship last year when Galway won a qualifier tie comfortably inLimerick.

This will be the 32nd championship clash between the counties, stretching back to 1901 when they met for the first time in the All-Ireland semi-final which Cork won by 7-12 to 1-3. Cork lead 25-6 from the previous 31 clashes. However, it has been much more even since the 1970s. In fact, the counties have won six games each from their twelve championship meetings since 1975.

How they got here:
Cork
Tipperary 1-22 Cork 0-24 (Munster semi-final)
Cork 1-26 Offaly 2-16 (All-Ireland qualifier)
Cork 3-24 Wexford 2-17 (All-Ireland qualifier)
Cork 1-19 Waterford 0-19 (All-Ireland quarter-final)

Average For: 1-24; Average Against: 1-20
Cork scorers
Patrick Horgan…………….1-35 (0-26 frees)
Jamie Coughlan…………...1-6 (0-1 free)
Cian McCarthy……………0-9 (0-3 frees, 0-1 '65')
Luke O'Farrell……………2-3
Paudie O'Sullivan…………0-7
Conor Lehane……………..0-7
Anthony Nash……………..1-3 (1-0 penalty, 0-3 frees)
Patrick Cronin…………….0-6
Cathal Naughton…………..0-5
Niall McCarthy……………0-4
Daniel Kearney……………0-2
Stephen Moylan…………..0-2
Lorcan McLoughlin………0-2
Darren Sweetnam…………0-1
Sean Og O hAilpin………...0-1

Galway
Galway 5-19 Westmeath 4-12 (Leinster quarter-final)
Galway 5-23 Offaly 3-15 (Leinster semi-final)
Galway 2-21 Kilkenny 2-11 (Leinster final)
Average For: 4-21; Average Against: 3-13

Galway scorers
Joe Canning…………1-21 (0-12 frees, 0-4 '65's)
David Burke…………4-4
Cyril Donnellan……..1-9
Niall Burke…………..0-11 (0-6 frees, 0-2 '65s')
Damien Hayes……….1-6
Conor Cooney…….....2-2
James Regan…………1-3
Iarla Tannian………..0-4
Andy Smith…………..1-1
Davy Glennon………..1-0
Tadhg Haran………..0-1
David Collins………...0-1

Previous Championship Clashes
2011: Galway 2-23 Cork 1-14 (All-Ireland qualifiers)
2009: Galway 1-19 Cork 0-15 (All-Ireland qualifiers)
2008: Cork 0-23 Galway 2-15 (All-Ireland qualifiers)
2005: Cork 1-21 Galway 1-16 (All-Ireland final)
2002: Galway 0-21 Cork 1-9 (All-Ireland qualifier)
1990: Cork 5-15 Galway 2-21 (All-Ireland final)
1986: Cork 4-13 Galway 2-15 (All-Ireland final)
1985: Galway 4-12 Cork 5-5 (All-Ireland semi-final)
1983: Cork 5-14 Galway 1-16 (All-Ireland semi-final)
1979: Galway 2-14 Cork 1-13 (All-Ireland semi-final)
1977: Cork 3-14 Galway 1-15 (All-Ireland semi-final)
1975: Galway 4-15 Cork 2-19 (All-Ireland semi-final)
1969: Cork 3-15 Galway 1-10 (Munster semi-final)
1968: Cork 3-15 Galway 1-6 (Munster semi-final)
1964: Cork 4-14 Galway 2-7 (Munster quarter-final)
1954: Cork 4-13 Galway 2-1 (All-Ireland semi-final)
1953: Cork 3-3 Galway 0-8 (All-Ireland final)
1952: Cork 1-5 Galway 0-6 (All-Ireland semi-final)
1946: Cork 2-10 Galway 0-3 (All-Ireland semi-final)
1944: Cork 1-10 Galway 3-3 (All-Ireland semi-final)
1942: Cork 6-8 Galway 2-4 (All-Ireland semi-final)
1929: Cork 4-9 Galway 1-3 (All-Ireland final)
1928: Cork 6-12 Galway 1-0 (All-Ireland final)
1927: Cork 5-6 Galway 0-2 (All-Ireland semi-final)
1919: Cork 3-8 Galway 0-2 (All-Ireland semi-final)
1914: Cork 6-6 Galway 0-0 (All-Ireland semi-final)
1910: Cork 7-3 Galway 1-0 (All-Ireland semi-final)
1908: Cork 2-8 Galway 1-7 (1907 All-Ireland semi-final)
1906: Cork 5-13 Galway 0-4 (1905 All-Ireland semi-final)
1902: Cork 10-13 Galway 0-10 (All-Ireland semi-final)
1901: Cork 7-12 Galway 1-3 (All-Ireland semi-final)

Last Five All-Ireland Semi-Finals
Cork
2010: Kilkenny 3-22 Cork 0-19
2008: Kilkenny 1-23 Cork 0-17
2006: Cork 1-16 Waterford 1-15
2005: Cork 0-16 Clare 0-15
2004: Cork 1-27 Wexford 0-12
Galway
2005: Galway 5-18 Kilkenny 4-18
2001: Galway 2-15 Kilkenny 1-13
1996: Wexford 2-13 Galway 3-7
1995: Clare 3-12 Galway 1-13
1994: Offaly 2-13 Galway 1-10

Last Championship Clash
Galway 2-23 Cork 1-14 (2011 All-Ireland qualifier, July 9, Gaelic Grounds) Cork led by 1-3 to 0-0 after ten minutes and by 1-7 to 0-8 after 28 minutes but were out-scored by 2-15 to 0-7 from there on. Joe Canning (0-10), Damien Hayes (1-3), Ger Farragher (0-4) and Cyril Donnellan (1-0) were Galway's top scorers while Paudie O'Sullivan (1-3), Patrick Horgan (0-4, Cian McCarthy (0-3) and Niall McCarthy (0-2) led the scoring charts for Cork.

Galway: James Skehill; Fergal Moore, Shane Kavanagh, David Collins; Donal Barry, Tony Og Regan, Adrian Cullinane; Andy Smith, David Burke; Joe Gantley, Ger Farragher, Iarla Tannian; Damien Hayes, Joe Canning, Alan Kerins. Subs: Barry Daly for Smith; Cyril Donnellan for Kerins; Kevin Hynes for Tannian; Johnny Coen for Gantley; Damien Joyce for Collins.
Cork: Donal Og Cusack; Stephen McDonnell, Eoin Cadogan, Brian Murphy; John Gardiner, Ronan Curran, Shane O'Neill; Jerry O'Connor, William Egan Ben O'Connor, Cian McCarthy, Niall McCarthy; Luke O'Farrell, Paudie O'Sullivan, Patrick Horgan. Subs: Jamie Coughlan for O'Farrell; Cathal Naughton for O'Neill; Bill Cooper for C McCarthy; Lorcan McLoughlin for J O'Connor; C Lehane for N McCarthy.

Last Competitive Clash
Galway 2-17 Cork 2-13 (Allianz Hurling League, 18 March 2012, Páirc Uí Chaoimh)
Cork led by 1-7 to 0-2 after 28 minutes but Galway dug their way back and eventually won by four points. Goals by Niall Burke and Damien Hayes were crucial to Galway's success. Galway had cut the deficit to five points at half- time and completed the recovery in the second half before Burke's goal in the 69th minute secured victory.
Galway: J Skehill; D Connolly, D Collins, G O'Halloran; N Donoghue, F Moore, J Coen; D Burke (0-2), A Smith (0-2); C Cooney, N Burke (1-10, 0-7 frees), I Tannian (0-1); D Hayes (1-1), J Regan, B Burke. Subs: C Donnellan for Cooney; D Glennon (0-1) for Regan; J Cooney for Tannian, T Haran for Hayes.
Cork: D Og Cusack; S O'Neill, D Cahalane, B Murphy; T Kenny, J Gardiner, W Egan; L McLoughlin (1-0), S Og O hAilpin; C Lehane (0-5), P Cronin, C Naughton (1-0); P Horgan (0-6, all frees), P O'Sullivan (0-1), J Coughlan (0-1). Subs: D Sweetnam for Naughton, M O'Sullivan for Naughton; N McCarthy for Kenny.

GAA HURLING SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP 2012
LEINSTER
May 19: Preliminary Round: Westmeath 0-14 Antrim 0-12, Mullingar; Laois 0-20 Carlow 0-13, Dr. Cullen Park.
June 2: Quarter-finals: Offaly 2-12 Wexford 1-13, Tullamore; Dublin 3-23 Laois 1-7, Tullamore.
June 3: Quarter-final: Galway 5-19 Westmeath 4-12, Mullingar.
June 17: Semi-final: Galway 5-23 Offaly 3-15, Portlaoise.
June 23: Semi-final: Kilkenny 2-21 Dublin 0-9, Portlaoise.
July 8: Final, Galway 2-21 Kilkenny 2-11, Croke Park.

MUNSTER
May 27: Quarter-final: Tipperary 2-20 Limerick 1-19, Thurles.
June 17: Semi-final: Waterford 2-17 Clare 1-18, Thurles.
June 24: Semi-final: Tipperary 1-22 Cork 0-24, Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
July 15: Final: Tipperary 2-17 Waterford 0-16, Páirc Uí Chaoimh

ALL-IRELAND QUALIFIERS
June 23: Preliminary phase: Wexford 3-22 Westmeath 2-9, Wexford Park; Limerick 6-21 Laois 1-11, Gaelic Grounds.
June 30: Phase 1: Wexford 4-12 Carlow 0-14, Wexford Park; Limerick 8-26 Antrim 1-15, Gaelic Grounds
July 7: Phase 2: Cork 1-26 Offaly 2-16; Clare 1-16 Dublin 0-16.
July 14: Phase 3: Cork 3-24 Wexford 2-17, Thurles; Limerick 3-18 Clare 1-20, Thurles.
July 28/29: All-Ireland quarter-finals: Cork 1-19 Waterford 0-19, Thurles; Kilkenny 4-16 Limerick 1-16, Thurles.
August 12: Semi-final: Galway v Cork, Croke Park.
August 19: Semi-final: Tipperary v Kilkenny, Croke Park.
September 9: Final: Cork/Galway v Kilkenny, Tipperary, Croke Park. Tweet

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