John Horgan on hurling: Cork better be ready for Banner roar 

That well-worn phrase, the only certainty is the uncertainty and that uncertainty, from one year to the next, is the case with the Munster hurling, all the more so since the introduction of the round-robin format.

And that is what makes it so captivating, one horrible display, almost being written off, followed by the complete opposite in the next assignment.

A couple of weeks ago, Limerick travelled the short distance up the road and battered Clare, leaving huge question marks about the Banner's health in the province. For the most part, it was a no-show and despite Tipperary's travails in their opening two games, the expectation was that on home turf in Thurles, there would be the necessary response from Liam Cahill's players.

After all, their participation in the All-Ireland series was very much on the line with just one point on the table.

The same scenario applied to Clare. They had a point more than the Premier County but that awful performance against Limerick had the pessimists in the county out in force. A loss to Tipperary would put them under severe pressure facing Cork a week later.

Now, the landscape has changed completely. Their participation in the All-Ireland series is guaranteed and they are still in the chase for a place in the Munster final.

They will arrive on Leeside next weekend with a real spring in their step after trouncing the living daylights out of Tipperary.

Being All-Ireland champions the previous year guarantees nothing when it comes to the raging inferno of the Munster championship the following season.

Clare found that out when they failed to get out of the province in 2025 but it's a different story now.

Brian Lohan's team were excellent in Semple Stadium last Saturday night, from pillar to post, they outthought, outfought and outplayed Tipperary in a contest that might best be described as lopsided.

Cork would have been very interested observers in the proceedings in Thurles, far more interested in how Clare performed at this juncture in time, they were next up for Ben O'Connor's men.

Cork have done almost everything right up to now, a 100% record and trying to maintain that impeccable return next Sunday in SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh. They are already assured of having their summer extended but the management will want to continue on an upward trajectory.

At the same time, Brian Lohan will want Clare to maintain the momentum that they gained against Tipp.

There's a theory that when Clare are good, they are very good and conversely when they are poor they are very poor.

They certainly were the former in Thurles. Some of their individual performances were sublime, some of their score-taking likewise and the substitutes that were introduced worked the oracle.

None more so than Ian Galvin, who replaced Mark Rogers early in the contest after the latter had been on the receiving end of a very heavy tackle from Willie Connors, who subsequently ended the game sitting in the stand.

Clare were the superior team in the opening half, helped by a strong wind blowing into the town end.

They led by six at the break and we wondered how significant two late pointed frees from Darragh McCarthy for Tipp might be.

Well, those scores were quickly erased by a superbly executed goal from Galvin and from that pivotal moment onwards, the writing was on the wall in bold capitals for Tipperary.

Lohan had made changes to his starting line-up from the Limerick debacle and the start given to one of the county's greatest servants, John Conlon proved to be a masterstroke. The veteran was a Trojan figure in defence, leading as he has so often done in the past by example.

There were numerous contenders on the Clare team for the Man of the Match accolade but that deservedly went to young gun Diarmuid Stritch.

Brian Hayes for Cork against Waterford dissected the posts seven times from open play and Stritch was just one below that with a haul of a half dozen.

Sean Rynne, another of Clare's younger brigade, was outstanding too with a return of a quartet of points while Peter Duggan split the sticks with two outrageous sidelines.

Mention too must be made of goalkeeper Eibhear Quilligan, who made a fabulous save from John McGrath at a time when a Tipp goal might have changed the game's complexion.

INSPIRED

Overall, it was a memorable week for hurling in the Banner County with the success of the U20s in the Munster final, again against Tipperary, setting the tone.

Normally, it would be a county's senior team setting the example for the younger brigade but team boss Lohan was quick to point out afterwards that this time it was the U20s who did just that. His players took inspiration from that epic game of hurling when the Clare goalkeeper Mark Sheedy made three fantastic saves in the penalty shootout to decide the match, the final one has to rank right up there as one of the best we have been seen.

This column has been penned in the immediate aftermath of the Clare, Tipp game in Thurles and Tipp's reign as All-Ireland champions was hanging by the narrowest of threads.

Tipp have thus far not defended that crown very well, just one point from their three games in the Munster championship which was preceded by a national league campaign that they seemed to have very little interest in. But last Saturday night in Tom Semple's field of dreams, it was all about the Banner and how well they have reinvigorated their season.

It all makes for another huge Sunday on Leeside.

Finally, it was interesting to read Donal Óg Cusack's RTÉ weekly column ' Hurling Nation', his comments on the ongoing debate over the televising of games.

He noted how the promotion of hurling continues to be failed by the GAA with just one hurling game being shown live over last weekend and that was the Clare, Tipp match behind a paywall.

He declared that the GAA chose subscription money over visibility. That this is a policy, he said of using hurling to promote profit instead of using profit to promote hurling.

Hurling is one of the greatest field games throughout the entire world of sport, the jewel in the crown of Irish sport and it should be promoted at every available opportunity.

Munster hurling, in particular, stands alone for the highest level of entertainment, yet two of the country's biggest games last weekend, Clare's big win over Tipp and Limerick-Waterford were behind a paywall.

Vast thousands of genuine GAA people did not get to see those games for various reasons, none of them right.

Yes, it's hard to argue against the viewpoint of the former Cork goalkeeping great.  On this topic, we wholeheartedly agree with his comments.