Hurling books its second date with destiny as Kilkenny and Galway finish level.

Despite all the predictions of a proper Kilkenny backlash against a team that dared cross the Shannon in July, smack their bottoms and take their Leinster crown, Galway confirmed their status as worthy opponents of this legendary team.

From the very start, there were signs that Galway were not here as a supporting act to this particular drama. The Galway players were clearly intent on making their physical presence felt as the opening couple of minutes saw a number of Kilkenny players bundled over as if they were 1st-years in the school yard playing against sixth-years who had been held back for indiscipline. Indeed, they were lucky that referee Barry Kelly had not yet had a chance to get up to speed with this fiercely-contested duel or there could have been a couple of yellow cards dished out. The next omen that this was going to be no ordinary day for Kilkenny was when JJ Delaney fluffed a line ball that led straight to one of Galway’s first attacks of the day.

Galway stunned as they steadfastly refused to allow Kilkenny forwards get even the slightest twinge of comfort as they denied them possession time and time again while picking off their scores from play with a composure that was astonishing and which belied the pre-match belief that they would be the ones to have leaden feet from their lack of experience of All-Ireland finals.

Indeed, it was the Cats who seemed to be without a plan of any cohesive nature as they completely failed to get any kind of grip on the game. Twenty minutes into the game and they had just one point from play while Galway were motoring nicely, having scored a goal and five.

At the interval, there wasn’t a great margin (five points), but it already looked as if Kilkenny were gone. It was, like the Leinster final, a place where these players were not used to being while playing for their county – outplayed, out-foxed, out-manoeuvred, out-muscled… They looked out from every angle: plan A was not allowed by their opponents and they struggled to find a plan B.

In the second half, Kilkenny did seem to find one. A few changes in position occurred, but the by far the most significant was that of Henry Shefflin adopting a more central role of commander-in-chief and Minister for Mayhem. He burst through, knocking forward shots that were destined to become scores the instant they left the bas of his hurley. He passed well and became a focal point for the whole KK team to galvanise around.

At the other end, Galway were finding it harder to pick off their scores. Kilkenny were doing a better defensive job and long-range efforts were wayward. The Nore-siders conceded three yellow cards in the half but it was acceptable collateral damage as far as they were concerned. As the Galway wide tally mounted, Kilkenny levelled and then moved ahead.

A goal against the run of play put Galway two points up again. Kilkenny levelled again and, with less than three minutes to go, had a penalty. A goal would almost certainly have ended the match. Shefflin looked to his manager for guidance. Cody shook his head and left the decision in hands of he would be King of Nine All-Ireland Medals. Shefflin sent the ball almost vertical straight between the sticks. A guaranteed lead in the closing minutes was better than a fluffed goal.

“I’ll f***ing get you the next time!” Brian Cody has some kind words of advice for his opposite number

Joe Canning – who hadn’t fluffed his lines all day – missed a very scoreable point after that and looked like Galway had somehow managed to shoot themselves in the foot. But there was to be one final twist. A free to Galway. Cody lost the head and launched into a bullying attack on officials. Cunningham made a “mouthy” gesture with his hand opening and closing and Cody then began to vent his frustration on him. Canning took an extra breath to relax himself and nailed the free.

The first All-Ireland Senior Hurling replay since a match in 1959 when Kilkenny were again in action. On that occasion, it was Waterford who were their opponents. The replay was held on a sweltering hot October day and it was Kilkenny who came out second best. Will history repeat itself?

We’ve beaten Kilkenny ?! Ned Power can’t believe his own eyes as Waterford emerge victorious on the day of the last All-Ireland senior hurling replay in 1959

“My Father: A Hurling Revolutionary, the life and times of Ned Power” is out on paperback.  Click here for further information, pre-order and excerpt.

There was a time not so long ago when I couldn’t finish a book – I literally could not get to grips with reading the whole thing through to the end without nodding off or getting distracted in some way and only ending up reading a couple of pages at a time, then losing the momentum of the story and finally abandoning it.

The only books during that time that kept me interested enough to finish them were “The Gingerman” and “One Hundred Years of Solitude“. Those days are long gone and I’ve no trouble flying through books these days, but the length of the book is an important factor in measuring how much you enjoy it.

All credit to the likes of War and Peace, but I’m firmly on the side of keeping it brief. If a book sticks to the essence of the story without deviating too much, staying humorous as much as possible, then it will entertain and grab you and you won’t want to put it down. Moreover, if it hasn’t waffled on, then you’ll want to read more by the same author.

There is a problem with a lot of GAA books, hurling books and other sports books in that they are overloaded with waffle. There’s a dilemma, for sure, to be faced by the authors of such books: If they are being written primarily for the benefit of the fans of the subject, then the assumption is that the fan/buyer will want to know as much as possible about their beloved subject. The tendency, therefore, is to make sure to cram as many facts, figures, scores and results as possible into the thing.

The trouble with that is that it makes it boring and that has been a problem that has plagued such books. They become reference books.

In setting out to write this book, ( about former Waterford hurler and skills coach Ned Power) I wanted it to be not so much a reference book but entertaining in the first place, and devoid of the boring overload of technical detail that drags down similar books.  Hopefully, that’s been achieved – we’ll see what people have to say…

“My Father: A Hurling Revolutionary, the life and times of Ned Power” is out on paperback.  Click here for further information, pre-order and excerpt.

“My Father: A Hurling Revolutionary, the life and times of Ned Power” is out on paperback at the end of November 2009.  Click here for further information, pre-order and excerpt.

Tipperary's Patrick Maher tries to put some metres between him and Michaeal Walsh (l) and Stephen Molumphy (r)

Waterford suffered their second Munster Final defeat in a row in Páirc Uí Chaoimh yesterday. Again, it was Tipperary who were their torturers, running in a seven-point victory against the Déise hurlers.

Although there was no denying the fact that Tipp deserved their win, the scoreline did flatter them somewhat in the end. For this match was one of high intensity and high skill levels. Ultimately it was Tipperary that showed their skill levels to be that little bit sharper, particularly in the latter stages of the match, when some of Waterford’s best performers went a little blunt. They produced eight wides during the second half. Tipperary, meanwhile, kept their level up throughout and, crucially, they got the goal from which there was to be no way back.

But Waterford will have taken some heart from this match. For most of the game, they were toe-to-toe with a team that used to be beating quite regularly up to a few years ago; a team that has won an All-Ireland only two seasons ago, let’s not forget.

Next up for Waterford is Cork. If they had a look at the game between Cork and Tipperary, they will have seen that there isn’t a whole lot to be terrified of. Certainly, it’s heartening to see Cork coming back to something like their best, but if Michael Ryan’s charges produce a similar performance on July 29th, then they should manage to overcome Cork.

Another note of positivity was the continued rehabilitation of Eoin Kelly to inter-county hurling. He came on towards the end and contributed well to the overall play, as well as assuming free-taking duties from a visibly tiring Maurice Shanahan.

Finally, there may have been some doubts as to the wisdom of including Tony Browne in the starting line-up, but he proved that there is some amount of life in the old dog yet. He was one of Waterford’s best players in a game where no Déise player produced anything less than a highly competent performance. If he’s fit for the next game, then there’s no reason why he shouldn’t play against Cork. And if he does, it will increase our chances of victory.

“My Father: A Hurling Revolutionary, the life and times of Ned Power” was released in November 2009 and was long-listed for the William Hill Irish Sports Book of the Year in 2010.  Click here for further information, pre-order and excerpt.