I was in Cork last Sunday at their county final, Midleton beating holders Sarsfields; I was in Ennis then yesterday as Sixmilebridge took the title from Newmarket-on-Fergus in the Clare final. In both games the teams did their absolute best, but I have to say I’m really annoyed.

You can go back to the glory days of the Cork senior hurling final when the big three dominated, crowds of over 30,000 turning up to see the great players in what Cork people called ‘the little All-Ireland’.

There are All-Ireland home-comings, and then there was Clare last Sunday, a homecoming with a difference — certainly different to what we saw in the ’90s.

SATURDAY, Sept 28, 2013, is a day Clare people will remember forever. It was the day we saw boys become men before our eyes in Croke Park.

So we’re all back in Croke Park for another day out. But Clare and Cork head there with a major worry — their defences.

Sadly, the passion and skill on the field isn’t matched by the promotion of tomorrow’s replay

How the hell did Antrim reach this All-Ireland final?

A few things are bothering me about this All-Ireland final and they revolve around the complaints coming from Antrim about playing the game in Thurles and their fans feeling slighted again.

Five years ago work on the revival of Clare hurling got underway in earnest. This weekend they are reaping the rewards — and even brighter times may lie ahead.

The moment of truth has arrived, only two teams standing, the two best teams in the country. And they ARE the two best teams, they’re in this final completely on merit.