Last month I was privileged to arrive in County Cork, decked out in the red and white colours of its hurling team, the day before they played Clare in the All-Ireland final.
Hurling, for the uninitiated, is an exhilarating team sport of ball and sticks with the speed of basketball, the grandeur of rugby and skills all of its own. The match, won by Clare by one point in extra time, was one of those thrillers that draw new audiences into a sport, including British viewers who could watch it on BBC for the first time.
