Ask at the start of the summer and very few would have predicted Kilkenny and Tipperary would contest the 2019 All-Ireland senior hurling championship final.
But they will.
We’ve had two days of thrilling hurling – first the Cats seeing off Limerick on Saturday with a clinical performance, now Tipperary edging Wexford in an end-to-end battle.
It’s been 23 years since Wexford got to an All-Ireland final and the wait will go on as Tipperary fought hard in the second half to produce a victory by two points.
Wexford managed to find the back of the net 3 times but it wasn’t enough with Tipperary running out 1-28 to 3-20 winners.
The last time Kilkenny were in an All-Ireland final was 2016, that day Tipperary running out 9 point winners on a 2-29 to 2-20 scoreline as 82,016 watched the Cats in action in Croke Park.
Earlier in the day Wexford’s minors went down to Galway 0-20 to 0-11 with both sides reduced to 14 by the final whistle.
Kilkenny will contest this year’s minor and senior All-Ireland hurling championships, facing Wexford in the minor final and Tipperary in the senior final.
Our All-Ireland build-up begins in earnest on Monday morning.
Story developing.