AS usual before an All-Ireland final, I travelled to both competing counties this past week, to Hayes’ Hotel in Thurles and to the equally renowned Langton’s in Kilkenny.

IN these final few days before the All-Ireland decider, all the talk is about the players from both teams. Henry, Eoin Kelly, Eoin Larkin, Lar Corbett – these are the stars, these are the guys you pay to see, and the pressure is on them to produce.

JOHN F Kennedy produced a line for the ages in his inauguration speech as US President when he told his audience to “ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

AS I made my way from Croke Park yesterday I met a number of people, from different counties, and all were saying more or less the same thing – “shocking match, you won’t have much to write about.”

CROKE PARK yesterday was a marvellous place to be, two hugely entertaining hurling games and a fine football game between Meath and Mayo.

I’M DOWN in Cork for a few days this week, took in a game, a senior hurling relegation match between Midleton and Carrigtwohill. It was a replay, went to extra-time, and all I can say is this – if I see anything tomorrow in Croke Park like I saw in Castlemartyr, the quality of the hurling, the play, the players, I’ll be a happy man. I met a man on the way out, and typical Cork, he thinks I won’t — “Hey boy,” he said to me, “you won’t see anything like that on Sunday.”

IN all the years I’ve been doing this column, the one major disappointment for me is that I’ve never been in a position to analyse a big win for Clare.

I WAS down around the square in Thurles yesterday, and five or six Dublin lads passed me talking loudly.

GOING through the records, we have two very unusual situations tomorrow in Thurles, two games in which two teams have never beaten their opposition in championship – I’m talking about Galway and Dublin.

I WAS talking to four fairly shrewd Corkmen in the press box before throw-in against Galway on Saturday evening and asked them who they thought would win.