Cats to call time on Banner’s ageing heroes

THE Guinness All-Ireland hurling championship will be decided in seven weeks’ time and, with apologies to Antrim, it would be generally accepted that any of the other five teams left could lift the trophy.

Waterford and Wexford are sitting snugly, if a little bit anxiously, while the four quarter-finalists fight it out in Croke Park tomorrow and the general expectation is that champions Kilkenny will advance to the semi-final, along with Cork.

Kilkenny’s game with Clare (4pm) is especially intriguing for the reason that they produced such a devastating display against Galway. Clare have managed to recover some of the ground they lost so surprisingly in their Munster championship opener with Waterford, but in performance levels, they are a good bit off Kilkenny’s highest standard.