Here are seven things we learned from the weekend’s games at Croke Park. 

Davy Fitzgerald admitted this Clare team have already surpassed his expectations after winning through to the county’s first All-Ireland semi-final since 2006.

He hasn’t discovered any short cuts. The familiar signposts — Mallow, Buttevant, Charleville — still mark the winding road from Cork to Limerick and John Allen has seen a lot of them in recent months.

SHANE WALSH has adapted from big ball to small in recent years with Waterford, and he’s frank about the challenge.

TIPPERARY manager John Evans has launched an astonishing attack on GAA officials, accusing them of favouring traditional big football counties in matches against the perceived lesser lights.