Glimpse into the future: Cats secure the perfect 10
It was the worst of times.
It was the best of times if you hailed from Kilkenny; the worst if you hailed from hopeful but outclassed Tipperary or from any other region of the hurling heartlands. It was surreal stuff on the day when Kilkenny achieved the miraculous feat of winning no less that 10 senior hurling titles in a row. It was surreal but it was brutally real from that fifth-minute goal which began their now ritual slaughter of all opponents come All-Ireland final day in Croke Park. And, as the pundits have been predicting for years, the victory was majestic for Kilkenny but clearly pyrrhic for the code of hurling itself. It was a long cruel path home to Tipperary last night as they followed again the losing path of all the others who have been mercilessly clawed to death by the Cats for almost as long as anybody can remember.
