Connacht will meet Leinster in the M Donnelly Interprovicial Hurling final after overcoming a slow start to beat Ulster on Sunday.
The side managed by Galway boss Anthony Cunningham saw off the northern province by 3-19 to 1-15 in Ballinasloe, with Niall Burker and Iarla Tannion to the fore in a side full of Galway men.
It was Ulstermen Neil McManus and Neil McAuley who took care of the early scoring though, with Michael Armstrong and Karl Stewart also on the mark as they went 0-5 to 0-0 up.
Burke’s free got Connacht going and they were right back in it as he and Johnny Coen found further scores. Damien Hayes and Donie Fox were then involved in the build-up play as Tannion rattled in the western province’s first goal.
Eanna Ryan and Burke tagged on more scores on for Connacht, with McManus’ final point of the half coming just before he was shown a second yellow card in a big blow for Ulster.
The loss of the Antrim man left them at a severe disadvantage as they began the second half 1-8 to 0-8 in arrears, but Stewart and Armstrong got on the scoresheet early on after the resumption to keep them in touch.
Burke continued to be prominent in splitting the posts for Connacht and they looked home and hosed when Hayes and Barry Daly combined to set up Davy Glennon for their second goal.
Burke, Coen, Tannion and Ryan continued to trouble the scoreboard, but a foul on Armstrong allowed Ulster full back Cormac Donnelly to ram a penalty to the back of the Connacht net.
No more than 20 seconds later, however, Ryan banged to the Ulster net and they finished strongly with Niall Healy, Ryan and Tannion all tagging on scores.
Connacht will now face Leinster in the final after they defeated Munster in Kilkenny, also on Sunday.