If the championship is Broadway and the NHL off-Broadway, how would you describe last Saturday night?

An early-season title for Limerick, winners over Cork in this Co-Op Superstores Munster SHL final in the Gaelic Grounds, with 5,295 in attendance.

Kiely is looking towards the end of January as much as next weekend’s Munster League final against Cork.

The result, which played out in front of a crowd of 1,628, means the All-Ireland champions cannot now progress to the decider.

The Irish Examiner broadcast its first-ever inter-county match live today, with the Co-Op Superstores Munster Hurling League meeting of Tipperary and Clare.

Clare hurler David Reidy had a rather robust — certainly, unorthodox — first encounter with new Banner manager Brian Lohan.

Reidy is included in Brian Lohan’s squad for the 2020 campaign after a season-long break from county action.

Kilkenny are champions of the inaugural New York Hurling Classic after a convincing 24-point win over Limerick in Citi Field.

Perhaps as the two of them relaxed some evening in Cambridge, Seamus Heaney enlightened Derek Walcott about hurling and Croke Park and what happens when the known universe narrows into a man standing over a sideline cut with time running out on another season.

“Hurling is hurling.” Brian Cody didn’t need to say any more.

The Cats were better than the Munster and All-Ireland champions for the vast proportion of this game.

Irrespective of how tomorrow’s Munster final plays out, Ronan Maher will point the car for Templemore on Monday morning to begin the first day of his new career.

We are a week into Munster Championship Lent. The 40 days and 40 nights before the start of the Munster SHC on May 12 commenced last Tuesday.

Shane O’Donnell has rejoined the Clare senior hurling panel following his return from Harvard University last week.

Limerick Institute of Technology advanced to the Fitzgibbon Cup quarter-finals after a 4-24 to 0-12 win over Garda College at LIT.

A crowd of 3,224 is not what you expect for a first-round Munster SHL fixture on a cold and, at times, wet evening in mid-December. Then again, this wasn’t your run-of-the-mill pre-season blowout.

It mightn’t have been a headline where you were, but that’s not the point.

It mightn’t have been a headline where you were, but that’s not the point, writes Michael Moynihan

At the end of the match yesterday, I shook hands with Michael Lyster. It may be my last time doing a live TV game with Michael, who retires from RTÉ at the end of this year, and I wanted to acknowledge his help to me, and his absolute professionalism, over the years.

The lack of experience on the Cork bench is “nobody’s fault”, according to Tom Kenny, who believes an All-Ireland U21 title in the coming weeks would set up Cork perfectly for a crack at senior glory in 2019.

Tomorrow first. Limerick first.

At the end of the match yesterday, I shook hands with Dave Punch, the former Limerick hurler, who works for RTÉ. He asked me if I saw the attendance. I did, I said — 71,000. Dave corrected me. ‘No, Dalo, 71,073.’

At the end of the match yesterday, I shook hands with Dave Punch, the former Limerick hurler, who works for RTÉ. He asked me if I saw the attendance. I did, I said — 71,000. Dave corrected me. ‘No, Dalo, 71,073.’ 

Tomorrow first. Limerick first.

Stephen Barry picks out three talking points from yesterday's Munster final in Thurles...

The Munster crown weighed heavy on Cork’s head last year but it shouldn’t be a burden this time around.

Olive Esler, who handles the social media promotion for The Sunday Game was manic busy throughout yesterday afternoon.

There was a delay in Cork’s return to proceedings after half-time yesterday. They had gone in four points behind, but it could have been more. Cork used the time well at the break and were a different outfit in the second period.

David Reidy is also named to start having had his controversial red card from the Limerick game rescinded.

Clare co-manager Donal Moloney should learn today whether he will be able to man the sideline in this Sunday’s Munster SHC final against Cork in Thurles.

Donal Moloney has confirmed he and David Reidy will contest their proposed suspensions in front of the Central Hearings Committee (CHC) in Croke Park this Saturday.

It gives me no satisfaction criticising hurling referees but after the provincial round robins finished up yesterday, the standard is not at the level it should be.

Clare and Cork’s return to Semple Stadium for a second Munster final in a row is expected to be confirmed later today.

CLARE 0-26 LIMERICK 0-15: Sometime before the final whistle here, neutrals’ attentions turned to the more dramatic developments in Thurles but the more Clare supporters see of this team of theirs, the more they are convinced of their virtues.

An effective second-half by Clare ensured they will face Cork in a second successive Munster final as they easily dismissed a flat Limerick in Ennis.

While he was still in his early 20s, but sometime after he’d blazed onto the scene winning back-to-back Wimbledon titles, Boris Becker indicated just how worldly and weary he already was by that point. 

Two goals in the first half of extra-time from Jason Forde sent Tipperary to their second successive Division 1 final after a riveting clash in Thurles.

Limerick 4-21 Clare 0-33 (Limerick win 7-6 on frees AET)

Limerick’s Colin Ryan was the hero at the end of a contest that almost ran for three hours.

Meanwhile, Tipperary hurling manager Michael Ryan has handed a first league start to corner-forward Cian Darcy.

An eight-point interval deficit overturned to end eight years mired in Division 1B. For a young Limerick team, this was a watershed result.

The pressure is off, David Reidy declared.

Limerick remain on course for a winner take all final league game with Galway on March 4 after John Kiely’s side made it three from three with a comfortable win over Dublin at the Gaelic Grounds.