It was a weekend of disappointment salvaged by the happiness joy of being there to witness the joy of Waterford’s passage to the All Ireland hurling final.

It had started with great hopes, a little dream of Rovers winning the Cup and the icing on the cake, European football in Tallaght 2009. Denis Behan’s goal put paid to that as An Maor watched Cork City dump Rovers out of the Cup.

Saturday morning and the hopes rose again. The Dubs will beat Tyrone, and then it’s Wexford. Sure aren't we as good as in the All Ireland Final? At the same time, AM’s young lad was on his way in to town to avail of a birthday present from his uncle in a trip on a speedboat on the Sea Safari. Word arrived that due to the weather it had been cancelled. A rash few words from AM suggested bringing him in to see Dublin. At the last minute, given the weather conditions and forecast, and bearing in mind the evacuation of the Hogan the previous week, it was decided he was better off at home.

The disappointment over the cancelled speedboat ride, the cancellation of the previous
weeks Rovers v Sunderland game and now the cancellation of a trip to the Dubs caused tears and a cry of "I hate the weather! And so with a guilty heart AM set off.

On then into Croker and down into the depths of the Cusack for the chicken and salad roll, tea and the chat. Sure we all paid lip service to Tyrone. Just what the Dubs need, a decent test. Talk too of the Olympics and the boxers and the usual wonder would the game start on time? We wondered too would the game be on at all, given the eye witness reports of flooding around the country of places not mentioned in the papers or the news.

Up on into the perch in the lashings of rain to watch Monaghan ladies beat Sligo. 12.30 and the floodlights were already on, such was the weather. It was the smallest crowd AM has ever seen at a game in Croke Park. Not too many came in either for the wonderful game between Mayo and Kerry. In rain at times as bad as the previous week, in Galway v Kerry, it was a moment of genius from Cora Staunton and a mix up on the Kerry goal line that saw Mayo come out on top by a point.

Then the steady stream of Dubs started to come in. One telling AM how at the end of the Dublin Wexford match he cheered a Wexford point. "What you cheering that for?" his friend asked. "Sure there’s none of them left to cheer it!" he quipped. Oh how we laughed!

Inside AM spied what he thought were the lads with the big red rucksack type thing that they poured soup from. Soup he though, ideal for the day that was in it. As AM approached, he saw it was a soup of a different kind the lads were selling. The big red sacks were full of bottles of Bud and they looked to be doing a decent trade.

The teams came onto the field and the crowd continued to stream in. Given the wet conditions it was like opening the envelope at an awards ceremony as AM and his colleagues gave their verdict as to where the seats were. "I'm afraid you're in the rain", "in the rain and under the drips" , 'should be safe if the wind doesn't change" or "you'll be dry".

As the rain lashed down, the teams paraded, had a minute’s silence and the anthem was sung. Word was out that Ronnie Drew has passed away. Would his passing be an inspiration for the Dubs? First ten minutes Dublin had good possession but missed 1-3 between wides and a shocking pass from Mossy Quinn with the goal open. Alan Brogan went off injured too. From there on, Dublin were second best almost all over the field.

As a Dub it was awful to watch. Passes misplaced, handling errors, not passing quick enough, being caught isolated in possession by the Tyrone blanket defence. The full back line being torn asunder, silly wides. Then some relief in a Conal Keaney goal only for Tyrone to quickly get another goal in reply!

Half time and well would the Dubs come out with a bit of fight and make a game of it?
No. Three quick Tyrone points and the gap had widened further. A text came to say the young lad was grand as they had gone to 'Attack Of the Clones', as AM watched another ‘Attack from Tyrone’. The Tyrone fans were in full voice, gloating at Dublin’s display. In the Canal End it all got too much for some fans and they were escorted out by the Gardai.

As the Dubs left the ground, the hearts left some of the Dubs, they stopped chasing back and gave up. It was awful to watch. Eventually the game ended. The ground emptied quickly to leave a mess of empty seats and discarded plastic ponchos. Was AM glad the young lad didn't have to witness the drubbing of the Dubs. He caught the last few minutes on the TV. ‘Attack of the Clones’ was much better he said.

Sunday morning and back into Croker again. Over the tea and hot chicken roll talk again of the Olympics, flooding, a big match postmortem and who would get the Dublin job?
So, what happened Dublin? The GPA were to blame argued one. The Dublin backroom staff was too big, too many voices to listen to. Were they, as the Americans say, all 'on message? The referee didn't do us any favours, only four or five of the team are any good. A few of them should go back to the hurling. Did they think they were in the final already? The game was delayed a week, Dublin had prepared for a date the previous Saturday. Tyrone played a stormer, the weather and a host of other
reasons. Players not playing for their clubs another reason.

So who to take the reins now? Although some felt Dave Billings wanted it there was no way any of those involved in the current setup should be considered for the job.
A clearout was needed on both the playing and managerial front. So was it an outsider that was needed? One lad suggested getting an Aussie Rules coach or the nearest thing available - possibly the Stynes brothers! Another lad reckoned that they should get a Rugby League lad into the backroom team. Boylan, who rumour has it turned down an approach to manage Meath again, was one suggestion, Joe Kernan another.

The few Kerry Maor, who fear Tyrone more than any other team left, suggested Micko. How would Jason Ryan do with this Dublin team? The County Board would never go for an outsider though would they? It would have to be a Dub so, Mick Deegan and Brian Mullins were the names that came to many lips. Jokingly, Dessie Farrell’s name was suggested too.

Around the corridors for the past few weeks have been lads and ladies with laptops asking for pledges to make Croke Park Carbon Neutral. A noble cause to be taken on by the GAA. Yet, despite the well meaning initiative, there are little or no recycling bins in the stadium. Each day AM gets a plastic water bottle and rather than dump it with the rest of the rubbish AM tends to take it home. Look around the fine stadium at the end of any match and you will see the place littered in newspapers, plastic mineral bottles and a
host of other readily recyclable materials.

On then up again to the perch with the crowd coming in at a steady pace and the rain for the best part holding off. The minor Cork and Galway teams came on and treated us all to a wonderful game. Both goalkeepers pulled off fantastic saves. The late save by the Galway keeper as good as you'll ever see (or as one Waterford fan put it - "Cummins would have got an All Star for that!"). Galway won a close game and now go on to meet Kilkenny in the final.

So who was to meet Kilkenny in the Senior final? The crowds continued to come in, amongst them AFR and his fine daughter. Indeed, AM and his colleagues thought that there was a very high turnout by the fairer sex. All the while Dubliners music played on the PA with a picture of the late Ronnie Drew. The music stopped and to a fanfare each team came onto the field.

A parade, a minute’s silence and anthem, later the ball was thrown in and the g