Tipp and Kilkenny return to Semple

HURLING is on the cusp of a truly historic season as Kilkenny bid to achieve what no team in the GAA has done before and complete five-in-a-row of All-Ireland senior titles.

Already even those with only the most vague interest in sport must be aware of names like Henry, Cha, JJ, but as this year unfolds and should Kilkenny – as expected – keep progressing in the championship, then this story will become bigger and bigger, all other sports pushed into the background as the likes of PJ Ryan, Michael Kavanagh, Tommy Walsh et al come to the forefront.

This match, the snow-affected 2010 league opener re-fixed from Saturday evening, is the first step in that process for Kilkenny, which, all on its own, makes this a significant game. But there’s more.