Being honest, I never thought I would see a better team than Cody’s Kilkenny in my lifetime but here they now are on their doorstep.

Clare lost with huge pride on Sunday. Galway lost with zero honour the previous day. Clare came home Sunday night on their shields. Galway came home on Saturday without them

In lots of ways, it was a wonder Galway were so close at the end when you consider how poorly they started and how much catching up they left themselves to do

Clare have two weeks now to get themselves right.

Much of the discussion was framed around the matches not being on in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, as if it was a location smack, bang in the middle of all four counties

Tipp weren’t tested but they’ll still be delighted with how sharp they looked, especially in their attack.

Clare might argue some of the biggest mistakes were made by the referee. How anyone could say that one of those two late challenges were not frees is delusional

The scramble for tickets has been nuts. Everyone is looking for them. Nobody seems to have any. Even if they have, they’re not saying they do. 

The first time I marked Teddy was in the early 1990s when Clare played Cork in a league game in Cork and Len Gaynor decided to hand me the number 6 jersey

Who would I prefer to be, John Kiely or Pat Ryan, in this scenario? The obvious answer is John but, being totally honest, I’d much prefer to be Pat