Why is the mood so downbeat in Kilkenny?

Kilkenny re-enter Croke Park, with Brian Cody seeking an 18th Leinster title on his watch. I would love to offer a much different gloss but can only report the mood in the county is far from good. To be honest, the mood hoves as low as I can recall it.

Kilkenny re-enter Croke Park, with Brian Cody seeking an 18th Leinster title on his watch

This evening’s Leinster Final, Henry Shefflin’s Galway versus Brian Cody’s Kilkenny, is deceptively easy to frame.

We should resist the deceptions. Five weeks ago in Salthill, the Battle of the Long Handshake got elevated into a major event. The moment was nothing of that kind. Focusing on Cody’s glare at Shefflin suits people who want hurling as Eastenders, as a slice of Reality TV. Why not treat the game as a game?