Rolling north through the pleasant greenery of Tipperary, Laois and er, the other counties you pass getting to Dublin gave me a chance to catch up on my reading.

With the gunsmoke still clearing from the battlefield, Jim McGuinness was trying to puzzle out what had happened and was starting to regret his side’s conservatism.

Knowing the sheer quality of my readers, when I (skilfully) drop the name Umberto Eco, I can almost see them nod in recognition.

Kilkenny have a clean bill of health ahead of the All-Ireland SHC final replay, according to manager Brian Cody, who was circumspect about Henry Shefflin’s chances of starting the game against Tipperary.

As we loitered in the catacombs under the Hogan Stand last Sunday evening, a colleague from an outlet in the North brought up the All-Ireland football final this Sunday coming.

Was Sunday the ultimate All-Ireland hurling final? Now that pulse rates are back to normal, we asked Michael Moynihan to be as objective as only he can be.

Is it too late to offer a thought or two on the football semi-finals last week? No? Thanks for indulging me.

Seamus Hickey has seen Tipperary and Kilkenny up close and personal this summer.

The discussion at the Tipperary press night was wandering here and there and eventually stuck on the notion of full-back play.

Patrick ‘Bonner’ Maher has recovered from the rib injury he picked up in the semi-final win over Cork and will be available for next month’s All-Ireland SHC final against Kilkenny.