I have been missing recently as it has been an unusually event filled couple of weeks.

Since delivering the Gentleman's Dressing Cupboard on1 September, there have been many events and, not the least of them, the All Ireland Hurling Final.
Sunday 5 September, being the first Sunday in September, was, as it is every year, the day for the event.

It was also the weekend of Electric Picnic, (where our Naoise handles the Mindfield element of the event), that has now become as sure a marker of the end of summer as the All Ireland Finals have been for generations.
(We had had a brilliant day at Electric Picnic last year and had been looking forward to going again this year, but we figured that a full day at Stradbally, Co. Laois (Electric Picnic) on the Saturday, followed by another long day in Dublin (the hurling final) might be too much.)

So, assuming that tickets became available, there would be a choice to be made.

In Kilkenny, the weeks between qualifying for the All Ireland Hurling Final (a regular and expected event) and the day itself, there is nothing less than an orgy of anticipation and expectation and almost every house, vehicle and person becomes ever increasingly bedecked in the county colours - Black and Amber.

A gatway just outside Thomastown

The offering at Bennettsbridge

Our own contribution with our (last) cat doing the honours.

(For the uninitiated, Kilkenny people and, in particular, the hurling team are universally known as 'The Cats'.)

And as this year, as you can see, Kilkenny was competing in the hope of gaining its fifth all Ireland victory in a row, many of 'our' team were thus also seeking a fifth All Ireland winning medal in succession - an unheard of and super human aspiration.

So, once tickets did become available to us, you may appreciate that to select the All Ireland Hurling Final over Electric Picnic was not a difficult choice to make - family loyalties notwithstanding!

And, of course Sue had been championing our potential champions on her radio show every inch of their way to Croke Park.

So off we went.

HOWEVER.

Since Kilkenny were in contest with Tipperary, two adjacent counties, we figured that the traffic would be heavy. But we have a fine new motorway to speed us to Dublin, so we left at 10.00am (the match is played at 3.30pm) with a mighty picnic to enjoy before the contest(s) started. (the 'Minors' play before the 'Seniors' as a 'warm-up' and, yes, Kilkenny was involved in this match too, against Galway).

At Paulstown, as we waited at a junction, we watched the 'team bus' pass before joining the steady, but not excessive, stream of vehicles all bound for 'the match' and made equally steady progress until we reached Kilcullen, some fifty kilometers short of our destination, when we stopped.
It was only a little after 11.00 and thereafter I would not think that our speed ever exceeded 10kmh.

By the time we arrived (2.30pm) it was raining (not forecast until late evening) and the minor match was almost over.

We wolfed down our picnic and made our way to our seats behind one of the goals.

Now I should say here that, while Tipperary, whom Kilkenny had beaten in last year's final, were considered to be a good and improved team that offered a threat, the majority (of informed) opinion held that Kilkenny's victory was little more than a formality and a foregone conclusion.

So we waited in eager anticipation.

We were behind the goal where the Tip team did their warm-up and they certainly looked keen and sharp to us.

And when battle commenced they proved themselves to be just that.

Tipperary score..............

................and again.

(As you can see, it became ever more difficult to stand steady amongst the Tip supporters. - However, I think the increasingly out-of-focus shots, reflect rather well the bewilderment of a Kilkenny supporter!)

I will not venture any analysis of the match as, though I am hereabouts for close on forty years, I remain, in hurling terms, no better than a blow-in.

But in my view, once Kilkenny's super, super star - who had fitness issues going into the match - had limped-off after just a few minutes of play, Kilkenny offered but poor resistance and response to the relentless Tipperary attack.

We were defeated - I would say trounced.

Needless to say, this was not in the planning!

So now damp and defeated we set forth for the car and the journey home.

We joined a queue to leave the car park and two hours later had moved, at best, 100 metres.

We arrived home after 11.00pm.

We had spent over nine hours in the car to watch seventy minutes of hurling - in the rain - to see our team being vanquished - soundly!

Never was a bottle of wine consumed at greater speed!

And Sue had to - and did - sound bright and cheerful on air the following morning!

Post script.

Sue suggested to me this afternoon that we should go to another, up coming, hurling match.

I will leave you to imagine my response - I certainly couldn't print it!