Traditionally, a bit of a crew from Clarecastle always go to Galway for the Monday of race week — when hurling and life allows, of course — which often seems to coincide with another Galway hurling post-mortem.

Yesterday in Thurles was my first time involved in a Munster final since I captained Clare in the 1999 decider against Cork.

THERE are times when you go into a big game as manager knowing the gun is to your head, when you can almost feel the cold steel pressed against your temple.

Who said Kilkenny don’t do tactics?

In Nowlan Park two weeks ago, there was a sense in the air that you could nearly touch, that Kilkennyism, that fireproof security in themselves and their team, an attitude that said, ‘Ah, they’re all on about Tipperary, Galway and Waterford, it doesn’t matter who we’ve lost, we’ll take down any one of them’.

Yesterday in Nowlan Park reminded me of the Gaelic Grounds in 1993.

It’s funny how this whole thing works.

Before yesterday’s Munster hurling semi-final began, the mood and atmosphere around this Cork team reminded me of 2003, when they met Clare in Thurles.

To me, Derek McGrath has been manager of the year to date.

The Leinster Council have a lot to answer for.