Hurling made a return to the old orthodoxies yesterday. Clare, who haven't beaten Cork in a Munster final since 1932, found the ancient shibboleth that Cork is Cork still has forbidding resonance. The high priests of hurling are back in business, and in winning their 46th Munster title they suggested that they won't be going away again for some time.
A Munster senior hurling final of passable quality and some excitement drew 54,554 to Thurles, putting an end surely to arguments that the backdoor system has diminished the value of provincial finals in Munster and Leinster.
The faithful were rewarded by an exposition of good planning and doughty persistence from the Corkmen. They took the lead through Joe Deane in the first minute and were never behind for the rest of the game.
It was Deane who struck the game's most telling blow later in the first half when Seanie McGrath batted down a high ball from Fergal McCormack and Deane swept it to the Clare net. There were two minutes of the half remaining. Cork suddenly led by four points.
Swollen with confidence, they added two fine points before the break. They would need the full insulation of that lead in the second half.
"Clare came back at us like the champions they are," said Cork manager Jimmy Barry-Murphy. "They dominated for the 20 minutes after the break and our defence had to hang in there. We had 19 wides in all, and in that sense we made it hard on ourselves. We could have been hit harder."
In the closing minutes, Clare missed an easy, 21-yard free.
Cork thus return to Croke Park for an All-Ireland semi-final for the first time since 1992. Clare, without the injured Jamesie O'Connor and Ollie Baker, now enter a draw for the quarter-final stages of the championships. Also going into the hat will be the champions of Connacht and Ulster and the runners-up in Leinster. Those three provincial deciders are scheduled for next weekend.
In Croke Park, meanwhile, over 34,000 people watched a Leinster senior football semi-final which despite being competitive for two thirds of the journey ground to a predictable end.
Meath's 1-13 to 0-9 win over Offaly looked likely from the 48th minute on when Ollie Murphy crashed the ball to the Offaly net.
Offaly had turned in a lively first half performance and were on level terms at eight points apiece at the time of Murphy's goal. Rocked by that score, they conceded four consecutive points (including another two from Murphy) before Vinny Claffey steadied the ship with a point. By then it was too late.
Meath advance to yet another Leinster final, but must await the outcome of the replayed Dublin/ Laois match (July 18th) before they know their opposition.
For Offaly, the blow of defeat was compounded by the resignation of their manager, Tommy Lyons, in the immediate aftermath. The former Kilmacud Crokes boss had allowed it be known for some time that he would be stepping down at the end of this championship season, and he was adamant afterwards that his mind would not be changed.
In Ulster, Armagh made a significant breakthrough when they beat Derry by a single point to advance to their first provincial final since 1990. The good years of Ulster football, which brought four All-Irelands this decade, have passed the county by, and yesterday's victory provided a breakthrough which has been passionately yearned for.
Having been beaten by Derry in each of the past four championships, it also represented a significant psychological advance for a county severely beset by hang-ups. They left it late, needing a point at the death from their star player, Diarmuid Marsden, to secure their passage.
Armagh meet the winners of next week's Ulster semi-final between Tyrone and Armagh.
In Connacht, with dread inevitability Galway found their stride and brushed aside the game Sligo outfit who had held them to a surprise draw just seven days ago. The 13-point margin, fattened by a Sean de Paor goal, was an adequate reflection of a businesslike performance from the All-Ireland champions. They now meet Mayo in the Connacht final.
