Anthony Daly: The stars aligning for an all Munster All-Ireland final

The first semi-final is a hard game to call but I think the lads might just take off in Croke Park. We love the place, even though we’ve had a lot of difficult days up there too. It won’t be easy but Clare’s defence is very settled, while our front eight picks itself.

NEAR NEIGHBOURS: Shane O'Donnell of Clare in action against Kyle Hayes of Limerick during the Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship Final match between Limerick and Clare at FBD Semple Stadium in Thurles, Tipperary. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

I was talking to four girls from Kildysart during the week about their trip to Croke Park last week to support the footballers in their All-Ireland quarter-final. They had a great time over the two nights but it wasn’t a cheap experience.

They went up on Friday on the train but they had to stay in Leixlip. After going out in Leixlip on Friday night, they hit the hot spots in Dublin after the match on Saturday before getting a taxi back to their AirBnB.