It’s amazing what sport can do. Last Saturday night, the mood of the country was lifted by a remarkable rugby performance from an Irish team playing to the peak of their new-found powers. It was a day for the underdog and some night to be Irish in Chicago. Occasions like this make you believe again. And we all need them from time to time.

Less than 24 hours later, I watched Ballyea come back from seven points down with eight minutes to go to beat a star-studded Thurles Sarsfields side and qualify for the Munster club hurling final. This was exhilarating too. It was a hurling match to warm anyone’s cockles on a cold Sunday afternoon in November. It finished, after extra-time, 4-18 to 2-22 and it was a privilege to witness in the well-wrapped flesh. Viewers on TG4 were lucky enough to see it too.

On display were the two best hurlers in the country – in my book anyway. For Ballyea, the irrepressible Tony Kelly would score 1-10, seven from play, the last eight points coming in the last half an hour when the game and survival were on the line. This was a week after he had done something similar to win a county final. Kelly is the most natural forward playing the game right now and Croke Park is a poorer place without him the last three years. It could well see him on St Patrick’s Day.

That hallowed turf has seen plenty of Pádraic Maher and he gave another imperious 80 minutes in Ennis. Simply majestic when the ball was in his vicinity, both sets of supporters were in awe of his talents. Even when the game and momentum looked to be drifting away from Thurles, Maher went up the field and blasted a shot to the net that the naked eye struggled to keep up with. He could do it in the forwards as well. He’s the most complete defender playing the game. Maybe our newly crowned Hurler of the Year Austin Gleeson is a mix of the two: Kelly and Maher.

In Limerick, Glen Rovers were performing their own heroics against Patrickswell to reach a Munster club final for the first time since 1976. Considering the Glen’s pedigree, that’s an eye-opening statistic. Their semi-final win was the first Cork win in Munster club hurling in seven years.

Munster semi-finals

Lots of strange things happened last weekend. Maybe some more will happen this weekend. In football, the Cork and Kerry champions, Dr Crokes and Carbery Rangers, look fated to meet in a Munster final as they take on Waterford and Tipp opposition in the Munster semi-finals.

Of course, the Nire and Loughmore-Castleiney will have something to say about that, even if both have to travel distances to meet their illustrious opponents. In Killarney, Gooch and Co won’t take the Tipperary side lightly; no one can dismiss a Tipp footballing side these days and it is also worth noting that Clonmel won the Munster club crown last year. The Nire, meanwhile, by the time they get to Clonakilty, will be itching to stretch their legs. Underdogs both, remember Soldier Field, lads.

Connacht semi-finals

The Aughawillan boys will have to take a leaf out of every underdog there ever was because, incredibly, having won their second Leitrim title in three years, the bookies have them as 100/1 outsiders to beat St Brigid’s on Sunday in the semi-final of the Connacht club championship. Actually, the odds on Aughawillan are 12/1 to win, but to back the Roscommon kingpins, you’d have to put down €100 to win just one (if you were foolish enough).

The game of the weekend and one I’m sure that will have the TG4 crew in town is the other semi-final, Castlebar Mitchels and Corofin.

Despite Brigid’s likely awaiting the winners in the final, this game could go a long way towards next March as these two clubs have serious ambitions in that direction. I bring them up because Mitchels have lost two of the last three All-Ireland club finals (while Corofin have lifted the Andy Merrigan Cup in the year in between, 2014).

One of the best tweets in the wake of Ireland’s rugby heroics was one that suggested Mayo were putting in a motion to Croke Park to have next year’s All-Ireland football final played in Chicago. It’s become that bad for Mayo. They have won two All-Ireland club titles (2001, 2005), but Castlebar are not on the honour roll. If there can be a more motivated club side, they’re surely it. Patrick Durcan and Barry Moran are two of their more prominent players who have scores to settle in HQ.

My soft spot for Mayo hasn’t gone away. If karma is working, they’ll be playing serious club football after Christmas.

Leinster and Ulster

In Leinster, they’ll be playing the club final just two weeks before Christmas Day. This Sunday sees all four quarter-finals happening and Dublin champions St Vincent’s travel to Palatine in Carlow. Vincent’s are on the road a while now, seeking their third Leinster title in four years. As the county scene goes, it appears the club does too.

Colm O’Rourke’s Simonstown travel to Rhode and the home side are strongly tipped, while Sarsfields (Kildare) should have too much for Louth’s Sean O’Mahony’s.

The last club team outside of Dublin to win Leinster was from Westmeath and their champions, St Loman’s, are in Longford to take on St Columba’s; the Westmeath saints should progress here too.

In Ulster, they’re at the semi-final stage; Kilcoo take on Maghery, while Slaughneil face Killyclogher. It looks like a Derry and Down final, Slaughneil and Kilcoo the potential protagonists. There’s an honesty about the club championship that can often make them compulsive watching, regardless of the quality on show. Fair play to TG4 and AIB, they’ve brought this raw competition into our winter living rooms. For that alone, I willingly pay my licence fee.