This weekend sees the last serious action before the Christmas break. After being bedeviled by postponements and replays, the Munster football championship reaches its conclusion in Fermoy tomorrow at 2.00 with the meeting of Cork's Castlehaven and Tipperary champions Fethard.

Some of the gloss from last week's defeat of Laune Rangers has been dulled by Niall Cahalane's 12-month suspension. Motivationally, this can cut both ways, but on the field Cahalane's absence is a significant loss for Castlehaven. In the club's last few matches, he has been hugely influential in the team's play-making.

Fethard have come through their side of the draw in reasonable shape, even if beating Cooraclare in Clonmel was more an act of attrition than anything else. It was, nonetheless, a good result in conditions that didn't suit the team's fast, hand-passing game.

The team's pace has been impressive in these conditions, and they are physically robust, as Tom Morrissey would attest after his encounter with wing forward Martin Coen ("Turned him up like the belt of a tank," according to one witness).

Nonetheless, Castlehaven have experience and scoring power and will be expected to move into the All-Ireland quarter-final.

Hurling's quarter-final takes place in Ruislip, London, with the meeting of Munster champions Clarecastle and St Gabriel's, who have completed a three-in-a-row in Britain. They have also been the British representatives most likely to cause consternation amongst the mainlanders.

Clarecastle are taking nothing for granted and their thoroughness is impressive, even for a team that has plainly got its sights on an All-Ireland title. Sparrow O'Loughlin was whisked back from last week's All Stars awards with minimum disruption to preparations for the Munster final, and if the overall performance was fitful, the Claremen progressed and should continue to do so tomorrow and set up a riveting February semi-final against Birr.

Finally, the year's last fixture in the National Football League sees Kildare and Down play their Section D match, postponed from last Sunday, in Newry at 2.00. The northerners, who had their first good league result in years when they hammered Cork a fortnight ago, may have enough momentum to spoil Kildare's 100 per cent record and shake things up at the top of the table.