No matter who wins, I’ll be beaming

The fact that Waterford have tucked away 11 goals this season, while Galway have only scored two, should demonstrate that their sweeper is anything but a negative tactic, writes Eimear Ryan.

The buildup has been intense. There have been moments of magic and incidents of violence contrasted with pure poetry. There have been political manoeuvrings and committees sitting in judgement.

It’s been full of twists, turns, thrills and spills; shocking developments and last-minute reprieves. In the end, two worthy rivals face off against each other, so that the neutral observer is no longer sure who to root for.