'The whole mentality has changed — people realise that you have to enjoy yourself to perform'

Last weekend, Limerick’s Shane Dowling nudged David Dempsey as the National Hurling League final unfurled before them. The two Na Piarsaigh men were on the bench, taking in the surroundings.

“I turned around to him midway through the first half Sunday and said, ‘this place is like a morgue’. I know there were 40,000 people but divide them into different counties and how many of them were really supporting the teams in the hurling game?