Emmet Moloney writes for the 'The Irish Farmers Journal' and is a former sports columnist with 'The Kerryman'.

With the hurling championship heating up, this year’s quest for the Liam McCarthy has brought us the rise of Dublin and the demise of either Clare or Wexford. Emmet Moloney writes...

Our hurling year has been pared down to the last eight teams. Or six. It’s confusing, I know. It confuses the GAA, as well. We know that Kilkenny and Tipperary are in the All-Ireland semi-finals and we know that Waterford and Dublin are in the quarter finals. Limerick and Laois are the interlopers, while Cork and Galway are legitimate contenders. Thanks to the quirks in the qualifier system, these two will play each other for the second year in a row. The winners have Waterford in all likelihood and the last man standing there will face the Cats. How’s that for a run to the All-Ireland semi-final?

On the other side, the way is clearing for Dublin to reach the All-Ireland senior hurling semi-final in Anthony Daly’s first year in charge. The winners of Limerick and Laois, which will obviously be Justin McCarthy’s side, meet the Dubs and Tipperary are awaiting those winners in a semi-final.

Antrim, Wexford, Kilkenny (a loss) and Limerick. That’s Dublin’s route to the last four. What a year for the hot and cold balls. Kilkenny and Cork could meet in a semi-final and Dublin could make the last four, the whole 125th year of celebrations rounded off with a Kilkenny- Tipp or Cork-Tipp final. You couldn’t set it up, could you? So what if they did set it up? We have had few meaningless matches thanks to these fortuitous draws and, as we stand right now, the only mismatch out there could be whoever meets Kilkenny if they are in the mood.

This Saturday, Cork and Galway renew rivalry in Thurles with a tilt at a damaged Déise the prize for the winners. At last Galway have won a serious match (if you could call their win against Clare that serious, but more anon), and arrive in Semple Stadium with the most head of steam they have brought to a championship match in years. They will win. This verdict is more based on hunch than available evidence. The Rebels are quite capable of getting on a roll and beating everyone bar the Cats. Galway are quite capable of going the other way. But into this mix we must throw last year’s meeting. And this has to drive Galway on.

It was some evening in Thurles. Donal Óg got the line for playing piggyback on Joe Canning’s back and Cork looked dead and buried at half-time. Down a man and by five points, they somehow turned it around to record a famous victory. Inspired by Joe Deane and Ben O’Connor, not to mention the dancing dervish on the sideline that was Donal Óg, most of the Cork players simply bullied Galway out of it. Physically, Cork stood up and Galway (with one or two notable exceptions) stood back.

That loss hurt the Tribesmen and was the end of Ger Loughnane. Saturday is a revenge mission and this cannot be understated. No player will say this out loud but they will be talking about it among themselves. To the media there will be plenty of “we’re only looking at this match, last year is in the past”. But they will be spitting fire at training. They will not let Cork push them around like rag dolls again. It’s personal.
Do you think that Tipperary didn’t mention their loss to Waterford in last year’s All-Ireland semi-final during the build-up to the Munster final last Sunday? You bet they did. Revenge, a point to prove, an imagined or real slight – all of these can give a team an extra one or two percent and that can be the difference.

Winning a championship match and representing your county should be enough but it isn’t because players are human. Motivation is a funny thing. I know of one Clare hurler that always seemed to raise his game whenever the Banner played Limerick. The reason? His sister had been jilted at the altar by a farmer from West Limerick. Thirty good acres were lost. Family honour had to be upheld.

Speaking of Clare, either themselves or Wexford will be playing for their senior lives in the next couple of weeks. Both are All-Ireland champions of 13 and 12 years ago, respectively. One of them will be playing Antrim (probably) and the loser plays Christy Ring hurling in 2010. That is some fall from grace.

My native Clare contested a Munster final last year and led Cork by eight points at half-time in the subsequent qualifier. They are unrecognisable this year and haven’t won a single game in league, championship or qualifier. Our manager Mike McNamara has been a real stalwart for Clare teams over the last 20-odd years. His record will be severely tarnished after this year’s debacle and he will carry most of the blame for some outlandish statements made in the wake of losses and a misleading Waterford Crystal success. He will go. But will Davy follow?

Wexford are another serious hurling county in decline. The last team to beat Kilkenny in Leinster. We can all remember the day they shocked the hurling world and gave Brian Cody a right kick in the stones. That was 2004 and Wexford beat Kilkenny in Croke Park in a thriller. A last-minute goal was the perfect climax to 70 minutes of passionate and skilful hurling from the Yellowbellies. Just five short years ago. Now they have to beat Clare or Antrim or risk the ignominy of the Christy Ring Cup. And ignominy it is. On Saturday, the Lory Meagher Cup, Nicky Rackard Cup and Christy Ring finals were played in Croke Park. About 4,000 braved the rain to see Tyrone, Meath and Carlow lift their trophies. Well done to all, the real torch carriers for hurling. For these guys it is about love of the game.

But what happened to the promises made by the GAA to these so-called “weaker counties”? The Christy Ring Cup final in particular. Wasn’t it supposed to be showcased in Croker before a major final? Weren’t the “lads from the weaker counties” supposed to be patronised with some live TV? It was and they were. But so was the Tommy Murphy Cup. Remember that? Quietly shelved.

Hurling needs a Christy Ring Cup and it would be no harm if a Clare or Wexford graced its lonely, wet Saturdays in an empty Croke Park. That might concentrate minds. Hurling minds.

Dublin in the last four of the All-Ireland is progress. Real progress. But Wexford, Clare and Offaly? For the All-Ireland champions of 1996, ’97 and ’98, it’s a case of one step forward and three steps back.

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