MICHAEL MOYNIHAN: ‘Cork are back. Take that as a certainty’

Borges characterised the artistic experience as the perpetual imminence of a revelation that never comes. Not so yesterday in Semple Stadium, where Cork arrived looking for respectability and left with the scalp of All-Ireland champions Tipperary after a performance as Cork-y as the Frank and Walters playing Shandon, writes Michael Moynihan.

The accompanying revelation was a simple one: Cork are back.

Natives in the 30,103 attendance tsked and grumbled about ambushes past orchestrated by the red and white, and it was hard not to sympathise. For many neutral - and quite a few partial - observers, after all, defeat with honour was a reasonable objective for Cork at 3.59 yesterday in Thurles, but in the time-honoured fashion, the Rebels assembled a selection of young, quick, wristy hurlers who beat Tipp in a breathless rush to the tape.