Vincent Mullins is decking the front garden in maroon and white. He’s the last to do so on this particular stretch of Ardrahan road. There’s a heightened sense of excitement around these parts, what with Jonathan Glynn living next door and all.

To grasp just how novel this upcoming All-Ireland final will be, you need only look at the sideline and the profile of the two selectorial teams compared to who was there last year, writes Kieran Shannon.

Limerick’s poor display in last weekend’s Allianz HL semi-final did nothing to prepare Galway for Sunday’s decider against All-Ireland champions Tipperary, according to former Tribes boss and Tipp hurler John McIntyre.

Here’s a briefing on some of the stories and issues highlighted on irishexaminer.com today.

Former Galway manager and ex-Tipperary player John McIntyre has delivered a damning assessment of the Cork senior hurlers, insisting that they’re in crisis and that he’s never seen a worse Rebel defence.

Former Galway manager John McIntyre yesterday revealed captain David Collins, vice-captain Andy Smith and 2014 captain Joe Canning and David Burke as the four players who informed Anthony Cunningham that the squad did not want him to continue as manager.

After the full Irish breakfast and early morning mass in their Dublin hotel, Cyril Farrell would insist on a quick trip out to the Phoenix Park to allow his Galway hurlers limber out.

Proprioception: 

Whether Galway win or lose, John McIntyre will be outside their dressing room tomorrow evening seeking out words of despair or triumph. Win or lose, he will feel despair and triumph too.

On the way home from Dublin last week, Niall Gilligan stopped off to break the journey in Francis Loughnane’s old pub in Roscrea, which is now run by John Carroll.

Galway hurling manager Anthony Cunningham believes the criticism levelled at his team in the aftermath of their feeble league quarter-final exit to Waterford went “overboard”.

“What are they waiting for,” asks a bullish Johnny Coen.

Whatever about their role as hurling’s enigmatic force, Galway’s results at the quarter-final juncture cannot be called into question.

Former Galway manager John McIntyre has predicted that his successor Anthony Cunningham is unlikely to remain in charge of the Tribesmen for much longer.

Nowhere are the travails of a county longing for an All-Ireland more documented than Galway

Former Tipperary player and ex-Galway manager John McIntyre believes his native county is “in a hole” ahead of Sunday’s pivotal Allianz Hurling League Division 1A clash with Dublin.

James ‘Whitey’ Bulger was a murderer and violent criminal but it was the long-accepted fact he was an FBI informant that he was most concerned with denying, writes Michael Clifford

The Galway hurling management and players have lost their way this year, believes former boss John McIntyre.

Reigning All-Ireland champions St Thomas remain on course to retain their crown after surviving a do-or-die group clash with the 2011 winners Clarinbridge last evening.

Tipperary could consider looking outside the county for their next senior hurling manager after Eamon O’Shea became the latest candidate to rule himself out for the position.

Brendan Lynskey looks back on it now and chuckles.

Former Wexford hurling boss Colm Bonnar says it would be pointless for anybody to give consideration to the Tipperary hurling manager’s job until Nicky English and Liam Sheedy are sounded out first.

Brian Cody is managing Kilkenny into an All-Ireland final for the 12th time.

Liam Sheedy, Eamonn O’Shea and Nicky English are among the leading names linked with the Tipperary manager’s position vacated by Declan Ryan on Saturday.

There was, as a once-popular Scandinavian quartet might have put it, something in the air that night.

Bookmakers reported honours to be even after the opening day of the festival.

PREPARING Garrycastle for a second Leinster club football final in three years in what could be his last game in charge would be enough to keep most managers occupied. But Anthony Cunningham’s been getting accustomed to multi-tasking since he his appointment as John McIntyre’s successor over the Galway hurlers in late October.

ANDY COEN was just two the last time Gort won the Galway senior hurling title, in 1983.

As widely predicted, Anthony Cunningham was officially unveiled as the new Galway senior hurling manager tonight at a specially convened meeting of the county's Hurling Board.

ANTHONY CUNNINGHAM will tonight be named the new Galway senior hurling manager.

GALWAY hurling chiefs last night opted to defer a board meeting which had been scheduled to announce who they were proposing as the county’s next senior hurling boss.

FORMER Tipperary coach Eamon O’Shea will not be part of any new Galway hurling management set-up.

BRIAN CODY will be in charge of Kilkenny for a 14th consecutive season in 2012, reckons Tommy Walsh.

CONOR HAYES has distanced himself from a return to the Galway job and tipped former teammate Anthony Cunningham to take over from John McIntyre.

John McIntyre has decided to call time on his tenure as Galway senior hurling manager, in advance of next month's Galway Hurling Board meeting.

HIS present and his future are maroon but Barry Daly’s roots are lilywhite.

THE Thurles man who was in Hill 16 is still shook after it, worse than when they took pavlova off the menu in Hayes.

THE chairman of the Galway hurling board has dismissed suggestions the Tribesmen have been in touch with a number of potential managers from outside the county to take over from John McIntyre.

SORRY.

WHEN it comes to the All-Ireland MHC there is one manager who stands head and shoulders above everyone else – Galway’s Mattie Murphy.

JOHN McINTYRE’S fate as Galway manager will be decided by the three primary officers of the county’s hurling board and not by the high-profile group which has been put together to carry out a detailed investigation into why they are not successful.