Blow final whistle on Munster format

WE haven’t even had the Munster final yet, and already the eulogies are pouring in for hurling in the province.

It began with the furore in Thurles between Cork and Clare, the hurling and the match forgotten now but the tunnel incident providing much juicy fodder for the hungry media cow to chew over for all the weeks since. It picked up considerably with the first Limerick/Tipperary semi-final, gathered momentum last Saturday week with the replay of that game, carried on into the second semi-final the next day with the high-scoring Waterford/Cork hurling exhibition, ended when the Limerick/Tipp saga finally finished at the Gaelic Grounds on Sunday, again after extra-time.

Having been witness to all those games I have to say that yes, the Munster senior hurling championship is very much alive and well, probably in better health than it’s ever been, though I would accept that this is a statement very much open to argument.