Carey and Cats an unbeatable class act

AFTER a championship summer pockmarked by tales of the unexpected, DJ Carey brought matters to book at Croke Park yesterday.

The Gowran genius took four minutes to stamp his class all over the All- Ireland hurling final. An hour later he bear-hugged Henry Shefflin, their haul of 2-13 breaking the Banner’s resistance.

Favourites with the bookies, fawned on by the pundits and the public alike, the Cats met each potential minefield with the stride of champions, collecting their 27th title in front of 76,254 fans.

Like so often before, Clare rebounded in heroic fashion after the interval, but once Philly Larkin produced a goal line clearance from Alan Markham, the black and amber scrawl was on the wall. It finished 2-20 to 0-19.

For Cyril Lyons’ men it was all the more painful as their record of 11 victories in Croke Park since 1995 has been broken just twice. The first was in 1999, the second came yesterday. Kilkenny is the common denominator.

Even still, there is defiance in Clare. “Take nothing away from Kilkenny, they are a super team, but we are not too far away ourselves,” Davy Fitzgerald said after the match.

Yet even with their ability to win titles in every decade, this latest crown was extra special for the Leinster and league champions. Their inability to put teams away on All-Ireland final day has haunted them in recent times.

The Kilkenny minors made it a day of double celebration as they destroyed Tipperary 3-15 to 1-7 at Croke Park.

The victorious Cats entourage home to the south east will leave Dublin’s Heuston Station around 6pm this evening and is expected to arrive into Kilkenny around 8pm. From there, the teams will be paraded to the Market Square in the city, where a civic reception is planned.