Limerick's downfall came in the fifth truly great All-Ireland championship encounter of the century.

John Kiely is not just beating his opponents but beating the game itself.

Not that anyone could have anticipated England being so shockingly dull, admittedly.

Cork are not the hope of the neutrals, they’re not the hope of anybody but themselves, yet they’ve never been more badly needed.

If the hurling nation wants to see new champions it’s on the basis of a desire for variety, not because the Treaty have annoyed them.

Kilkenny will have a tad more in the way of craft and nous when it comes to the clutch moments. Because when this pair meet, that’s how it usually goes.

At the end of the National League final two months ago one of the spectators left Semple Stadium and headed back to his car in downtown Thurles. En route he was buttonholed by not one but two sociable locals.

It is not the referee’s job to add to the spectacle at the expense of the rules.

There are no easy games in Leinster hurling. Well, there are plenty of easy games in Leinster hurling but highlighting them as such in advance, and deciding for which team they’ll be easy, is the trick.

Derek Lyng’s Kilkenny are the ultimate WUSIWUG outfit. What you see is what you get. Not so with Galway.