Splendour falls. After seven straight years of contending for Munster and All-Ireland titles, Clare faded from the front of stage at Pairc Ui Chaoimh yesterday. There'll be no Munster final or All-Ireland quarter-final. Tipperary hit them at the point where there's no surviving defeat.

Clare manager Ger Loughnane knew that the worst fears about waning appetite had been realised.

"You have to want it. Look at Clare. Three years ago in the All-Ireland final. Six matches in 1998, last year six matches. That's a lot of games and that was always the big question this year. Could we win the All-Ireland playing just four games. Today we met a team which were hungrier, sharper, better - simple as that."

There was a hint of asperity as he commented on the difficulties of dismantling long-held and successful relationships such as he has enjoyed with this team.

"If you talked to certain people about where the changes were going to be made, they'd have said Anthony Daly shouldn't be on and Brian Quinn shouldn't be on. They were our two best players. You have to look at areas where you need players. I think that was the best we have right now.

"It was disappointing in the forwards. There were great chances but eventually they got disillusioned. That was the big problem. When the goals didn't go in, they lost heart. I think the question was how they would have played if we'd come level and gone ahead."

Naturally the question everyone wonders about is deferred for lengthier contemplation. "No, I'll think about it for the next while."

In Connacht and Ulster, traditional pillars were tumbled. After their traumatic play-off drama on the last day of the league, the wonder was if Sligo could rise themselves sufficiently for the championship.

Mayo discovered the truth of that and it was painful. Sligo stormed ahead at Markevicz Park through a Ken Killeen goal and scarcely looked back. When James Horan, Mayo's potent distance kicker was sent-off in the second half, it was clear that a change was imminent. So it went, with the home team holding out for a 1-13 to 1-10 win.

Up north, Fermanagh stormed Donegal's home fort in Ballybofey and conclusively ended a long period of neighbouring oppression.

Rory Gallagher was on fire as the Lakelands county overcame the home team with 14 men in the second half. Afterwards, Donegal manager Declan Bonner announced his resignation.

In Dublin, Kildare held off a spirited Louth challenge and Dublin breezed by Wexford.