From the ridiculous to the sublime for Na Piarsaigh

Na Piarsaigh (Limerick) 3-15 Slaughtneil (Derry) 3-8: At half-time on Saturday afternoon, Shane O’Neill felt a familiar hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach.

It was almost six years to the day since he’d played for Na Piarsaigh in their shock AIB All-Ireland club semi-final defeat to Ulster champions Loughgiel Shamrocks.

At the same venue, Parnell Park, and at the same stage of the All-Ireland series, they trailed the Ulster representatives by three points this time and O’Neill was furious.