Hurling Nation: Cork and Clare could be a classic, but hurling needs help

It seems like only yesterday that the ball was thrown in for the start of the championship, and now we're at the finish line. With the microwave season, it's hard to get perspective. The games keep coming.

Every drama gets forgotten by the start of the next episode. Kilkenny beat Antrim by 32 points that first day. The next week, Antrim beat Wexford. Later, Carlow drew with Kilkenny. But it was Carlow that ended up dropping back to the Joe McDonough again.

Wexford finished strong to make third place in Leinster. The Dubs petered out in the Leinster final, so many threads to pick up on.

Munster was the usual magic and madness.

For a while it looked like Davy brought the magic back to the Déise, now he's gone.

Liam Cahill brought Waterford to a league final a few years ago. Back in Tipp now, he must be wondering where his magic has gone.

In Cork, the magic and the madness arrived together the day the Rebels beat Limerick.

Clare's long march continued amidst hope and heartbreak, and Limerick looked like they'd sweep the board for the fifth year running.

In the distance, we could hear drums as Offaly continued to stir.

And now, here we are with still so much to pick apart, but a final to play. Cork and Clare are two counties ready to explode with excitement. More about that later.

Hurling is in a very odd place. The game itself has never been better. The season gives us so many games for the ages that the ages need more storage space.

Irish people in every corner of the world will gather to watch the match this Sunday. But it feels like here at home, the GAA doesn't know what to do with hurling.

We had the GAAGO row again this year. People are entrenched but it seems to those who love the game that for a small amount of money the GAA is