In the process, they made it clear that they won’t be easily relieved of the title that they won for the first time last year, and the tough game against what was no bad Carrigdhoun team is bound to do them a power of good at this stage.

There were those who suggested that Newtown’s historic triumph last year had been something of a flash-in-the-pan, especially since they hadn’t encountered such fancied teams as Blackrock and Imokilly en route to the top. After they slipped up against St Finbarr’s in their opening outing this season, the notion that Bernie O’Connor’s youthful charges were unlikely to retain their crown gathered momentum.

But Newtown, missing a few key players against the Barrs, have bounced back in fine style, scornfully dismissing Seándún and Glen Rovers in turn, before showing admirable composure to come through last Saturday’s searching test by Carrigdhoun in Ballyanly with flying colours.

Without doubt, there are more difficult assignments ahead for Newtown, but they have a very settled team now, they aren’t lacking in quality players, and, most importantly, they are firmly focused on putting two titles back-to-back. Now that they have safely negotiated their passage to the last four, it would be foolish in the extreme to dismiss their prospects of going all the way again.

Imokilly will be Newtown’s opponents in the semi-final, and the East-Cork men have gone about their business with the minimum of fuss so far.They seldom had to move out of second gear to get the better of Bishopstown and Cloyne in their opening two games, and they did little more than was required to achieve the desired result as well against Sarsfields in Cloyne last Sunday evening.

On the face of it, one would have to say that they didn’t look like potential champions against Sars, but they still managed to finish with eight points to spare, and it seems reasonable to assume that the best is yet to come from the team. They will certainly need to raise their game against Newtown if they aren’t to come a cropper at the penultimate hurdle for the third consecutive year. Runners-up to Avondhu in ‘96, and champions in ‘97 and ‘98, Imokilly’s record is second to none in recent times. And, given the immense depth of talent in the squad, there is no disputing that the East-Cork divisional side is well-equipped to step up a few gears for what promises to be a fascinating semi-final showdown with Newtown.

The bookies have installed Blackrock as slight favourites to go all the way at this stage, primarily, one suspects, because the perception is that they won’t be unduly troubled by either Na Piarsaigh or Castlelyons in the semi-final. On the evidence provided in Páirc Uí Chaoimh last Sunday evening, it isn’t too difficult to appreciate why the Rockies are strongly fancied to make it to the decider.

The simple fact is that the standard of the play in the Blackrock-UCC quarter-final was much higher than that in the Na Piarsaigh-Castlelyons clash which followed. As was generally predicted in the wake of their decisive win over last year’s runner-ups Erins Own, the students made things very difficult for Blackrock, and they were entitled to fancy their chances when they led by six points at half-time.

Ultimately, however, Blackrock emerged from the fray with their reputation enhanced, and a highly efficient second-half performance enabled them to finish 3-12 to 1-13 to the good. It was a most significant victory as the Rockies, caught on the hop by Midleton in the third round last year, showed a steely determination that augurs well for their hopes of scaling the summit for the second time in three seasons. Their shock defeat by Midleton 12 months ago ensures that they will be very much on their guard when they face up to the winners of the Na Piarsaigh-Castlelyons replay, and, having edged out Avondhu prior to the UCC game, it would be true to say that they have encountered more formidable opposition than any of the other four teams remaining in this year’s championship.

For all that, it can be taken for granted that Blackrock, assuming that they do qualify for the decider, will have their work cut out to realise their ambitions against either Newtown of Imokilly.