Croker cracker a real season saver

IF there was such a thing as a water-cooler culture in this country, that spot so central to almost every office in the USA, from the most minor portable building to the most major multi-floor conglomerate, the hot topic yesterday would surely have been Sunday’s All-Ireland SHC quarter-final between Tipperary and Galway.

Even for those with only a passing interest in anything GAA it had everything; a rip-roaring contest with fortunes swaying first one way and then another. There were six outstanding goals, 33 points of the highest order, and drama at the end as Tipperary fought to hold on to their slender one-point lead while Galway battled for the equaliser. Game of the year, without question, but it was more than that – it could even have been the season-saver for the GAA.

Let’s be blunt – it’s been a very poor year for the GAA in terms of profile. A few decent games in football, a hell of a contest between Cork and Waterford (twice), but other than that, it’s all been negative with the Leinster final controversy a low watermark for the Association.