I’M going to start this analysis not with the senior final – by which I wasn’t at all impressed, and more on that later – but with the minor game.

BEFORE we get into the match analysis, I thought it was nice light touch by the announcer at the end of proceedings in Croke Park yesterday, when he thanked the Kilkenny supporters for staying off the pitch.

THE TWO games I saw this weekend – Tullamore on Saturday and Tipperary against Clare in Limerick yesterday – have restored my faith in hurling.

COMING into Tullamore on Saturday, you knew something special was going to happen; there was magic in the air.

OVER the last few months I feel there’s been a lot of begrudgery directed towards this Kilkenny team and their fantastic achievements, growing criticism over their style of play and so on.

BEFORE we get into any details, I want to address something here in general terms, namely the lack of buzz around the championship this year.