Nicky English: Ice-creams and shirt sleeves, time we returned to high-summer hurling

In many respects, it is hard to believe that the championship is starting. We’re depressed enough by the weather not to want to go on about it but only the All-Ireland semi-finals and final are now played in high summer, which is the optimum time for hurling.

You wouldn’t find Wimbledon being shunted forward to April because there is a need for good conditions if you’re going to play on grass. That means June and July and I think it’s the same in hurling.

The provincial hurling rivalries are so keen that, unlike football, you’ll always be able to get crowds in, probably at any time of the year but there’s a reason we have these mental pictures of crowds in shirt sleeves with ice creams. It’s because the best of hurling has always been played in those conditions: in racing parlance, good to firm ground.

They’ll need stewarding and administration in Killarney, Dungarvan, Ennis and Waterford city all on one weekend. I’m not sure it needs to be so rushed

There are other difficulties. We can surmise that even organising the games is now challenging. Take the Munster Council. They have Cork and Kerry on Saturday in the football along with Clare and Waterford followed by two of their biggest hurling matches on Sunday.

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They’ll need stewarding and administration in Killarney, Dungarvan, Ennis and Waterford city all on one weekend. I’m not sure it needs to be so rushed. The first fortnight in August is prime uncontested sports media and broadcasting space, which would facilitate a slightly later start.

I understand that club players like the certainty the spilt season brings but will another three weeks make a huge difference to that? It would certainly have a big impact on the promotion of the games.

On the field, the league as usual had its ups and downs. Clare and Kilkenny came out with most kudos with Limerick’s semi-final raising most eyebrows

There may well be a bit of a swing this year. I’m detecting a greater number of bad vibes about the express scheduling in the championship, particularly if what’s happening at present is climate change and it’s something we all have to learn to live with.

On the field, the league as usual had its ups and downs. Clare and Kilkenny came out with most kudos with Limerick’s semi-final raising most eyebrows. I doubt it was high up John Kiely’s agenda to retain the league, but I’m sure it wasn’t part of the plan to get a bad beating from Kilkenny either because that can take a fair bit of recovery.

This weekend, the standout fixture is in Ennis. There hasn’t been anything between Clare and Limerick in the past couple of years and there’s no reason to think this will be much different.

Of course, Limerick are only the third team in history to be embarking on a five-in-a-row season and neither of the other two efforts had a happy ending.

You don’t get this close to five in a row without attrition and that means injuries

Limerick can try to treat it as just another championship but there’s going to be a lot of talk about it, especially as they nearer to the summit. It hasn’t been done before. The last time we were at this stage, in 2010, Tipperary were ready for Kilkenny but it’s hard to see who’s ready for Limerick apart from Clare and that has been exclusively in Munster.

You don’t get this close to five in a row without attrition and that means injuries. Limerick are dealing with Seán Finn coming back and Declan Hannon, neither of whom has played much. The Morrissey brothers have missed matches, Peter Casey is suspended and Darragh O’Donovan is out for a few weeks.

They’re not much different from the team that beat Kilkenny in 2018 for their breakthrough win. Of the team that started last year’s All-Ireland, only Barry Nash and David Reidy didn’t play that day in Thurles six years ago. They’re not old but there’s a lot of mileage up.

I felt they conceded some easy goals in the league, which happened again against Kilkenny and would worry me if I were them, as the scores were down to mistakes and poor defence.

I think the league win will stand to them, particularly as they looked as if they targeted winning it in what is Brian Lohan’s fifth year

In terms of their form this year, we’ll know a lot more this Sunday.

Clare have had a great season to date. No one got more out of the league. I noticed how low key they kept their reactions afterwards but it was an achievement and a sign of improvement. Darragh Lohan has stepped up, Keith Smyth looked impressive and they got Shane O’Donnell back at the right time with Tony Kelly still to come.

I think the league win will stand to them, particularly as they looked as if they targeted winning it in what is Brian Lohan’s fifth year. They don’t win it often and it marks progression. They had to beat Tipperary and Kilkenny on the run-in even if TJ Reid couldn’t play in the final. It was a stepping stone to this match.

We will be a lot wiser by Sunday evening as to the relative strengths of the teams but I believe Clare have great momentum and even if Limerick are still surprisingly strong favourites, Ennis will test that. For me, a home win is on the cards.

I am very suspicious of Cork. There’s a lot of talk about potential but they are still relying on players who have been around a long time

In Walsh Park, I’m not dismissing Waterford’s chances. They were competitive in their league matches even though they didn’t make the cut for next year’s Division 1 and allowing that they’re not where they were in 2020. This weekend’s team is stronger than any they have fielded so far this year with Conor Prunty and Tadhg de Búrca back in the defensive spine.

I am very suspicious of Cork. There’s a lot of talk about potential but they are still relying on players who have been around a long time. Waterford have a chance.

Wexford have improved this year and look likely to take the win against Dublin, which they have failed to manage over the past two seasons. Last year they hit 19 wides when going down by two points. Dublin have significant players coming back from injury but I don’t think it will be enough.