This was blue blood territory and it was box office

The craic started early this weekend. Long before a sliotar was pucked in Croke Park, there was pulling and hooking and sideline cutting aplenty around the capital. A rivalry as sacred as Tipperary and Kilkenny ensures a heightened level of sparring. This was no novel pairing; this was a couple of counties who have endured a three and four year drought respectively.

There were players in their ranks who didn’t have senior All-Ireland medals. Imagine that! The shame. Yep, this was blue blood territory and it was box office.