A time of flux for a new breed of Cats

SOMETHING strange happened at Croke Park last Thursday week. Five points up and sucking diesel approaching half-time in the All-Ireland club final, O’Loughlin Gaels were blown out of it in the second half and eventually lost by 12 points to Clarinbridge. In doing so they became the third Kilkenny team to lose an All-Ireland club final in recent weeks.

Not very Kilkennyesque, you’ll agree.

Something even stranger happened in Salthill the previous Sunday. Nine points up after an early two-goal blast, Brian Cody’s team proceeded to lose the next 48 minutes by 4-11 to 0-5, an 18-point swing. Reducing the damage to arrears of four points by the final whistle amounted to putting lipstick on an unprepossessing pig.