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The big three Kilkenny, Cork, and Tipperary have dominated the hurling scene for quite some time now, you have to go back to 1998 when the last non-superpower of hurling, Offaly, won the Liam McCarthy. Thirteen teams have ambitions to derail the current champions Tipperary but realistically only a handful have the talent to do so.

It’s on a sad note that I start this week's column after the passing of Eamon Hennessy, one of Kilkenny's most devoted fans. The kind-hearted Eamon who lost his battle with illness last Tuesday was known and respected the length and breadth of Ireland.

The authorities in the GAA will be rubbing their hands in delight after last week’s National Hurling League results. The outcome of these games have seen the league table tighten up to such an extent that after four rounds of action there are still six teams left in the hunt for honours. The only two teams out of the equation are Wexford and Offaly, it now looks certain that one of these will drop back to Division 2.

It has been a long hard winter in Kilkenny and I'm not just talking about the weather. The disappointment of not achieving the illusive five-in-a-row has been well and truly trashed out since last September.

Tipperary's emphatic semi-final victory over Waterford last Sunday guarantees us another mouth-watering All-Ireland final. Hurling fans worldwide will be looking forward to September 5 for Kilkenny v Tipp Part II. During the noughties it was Kilkenny and Cork who went head to head on a couple of occasions. The Cats are still going strong but the Rebels have passed the baton onto the Premier county. This is the first back to back final between these two counties. When you talk of sporting rivalries they simply don't come any greater than Kilkenny and Tipp. The colour, excitement and raw emotion of last year’s decider is a testament to this.

How refreshing it was to finally see a good honest championship match. The games to date in this year’s campaign have been either one sided affairs or ones of poor quality. So with the World Cup just about to get underway the GAA got a great boost when Waterford and Clare did battle in Thurles last Monday.

Since my last column two weeks ago, Tipp have reclaimed the Munster title after a solid performance against Clare in the final. They, like Kilkenny, can sit back and watch the remaining contenders battle it out for the remaining two semi-final spots.

Travelling down to Walsh Park last Sunday I could sense that a tough day at the office lay ahead for the Kilkenny hurlers. It wasn't completely based on a gut feeling. You see over the years these league encounters with our neighbours have always been tough, uncompromising and as the records show the spoils have been divided fairly equally in recent years.

Waterford 2-17

For the seventh time this decade the Kilkenny senior and minor hurlers will make a joint bid to get to their respective All-Ireland final when they line out this Sunday in Croke Park.