SFAIROPLAYTKILKHENNY Eboss ARE BEATABLE..

FIVE of the main talking points from the GAA weekend.

Limerick lose League title

How much should we read into Limerick’s surprise defeat to Kilkenny in the League semifinal? Our hunch is not too much.

John Kiely’s annoyance at the performance seemed genuine and he’ll beat them with that stick in the coming weeks.

But, ultimately, he only fielded nine of the team that won last year’s All-ireland, albeit Declan Hannon and Sean Finn (inset) were back on the field.

It’s long forgotten now but Limerick lost by nine points at home to Cork in the 2022 League. Nobody was speaking about it come the end of that season.

Tyrone implosion

With the dubious benefit of hindsight, Brian Dooher (below) would surely not have diluted the Tyrone team that he took to Croke Park on Sunday, when they shipped a 21-point defeat to Dublin.

With Darragh Canavan, Padraig Hampsey, Peter Harte, Conn Kilpatrick and Michael Mckernan all absent, the 2021 All-ireland winners were, by Dooher’s admission, “embarrassed” by the current holders, who seem to be going from strength to strength.

Dooher has been here before having overseen a six-goal pummeling from Kerry in the 2021 League but this is the last thing they needed going into the Championship.

Baffling penalty decision comes back to haunt Wexford

Before a ball was kicked over the weekend Wexford sat in second place in Division Four yet dropped to third despite a ninepoint victory over promotion rivals Longford.

That’s because it left only themselves and Leitrim level on 10 points and, despite Wexford’s far superior scoring difference, Andy Moran’s side go to Division Three next year on foot of their head-to-head advantage having won the clash between the two sides by 3-7 to 2-9 in round three.

But that came courtesy of a bizarre last-gasp penalty, the reason for which it was awarded remaining elusive to those who have seen footage of the ‘offence’.

Plenty riding on Division Three final

Although Clare failed in their bid to win promotion from Division Three after a heavy defeat to Down, the chances are they won’t be playing in the Tailteann Cup anyway.

That’s because they have a very negotiable route to the Munster final for the second year running, which would knock the 16th team in the League standings out of the All-ireland group stage.

That 16th team will be whoever loses the Downwestmeath

Division Three final next Saturday, though the loser could still avoid the Tailteann Cup by reaching a provincial final.

Rugby and soccer set to return to Croke Park

Given the success of opening Croke Park to rugby and soccer internationals from 2007-10, which netted the GAA €36m, it’s surprising that neither code has been played at headquarters in the interim.

But that’s all set to change in the coming months as it emerged that, following meetings of the GAA’S Management Committee and Central Council over the weekend, the European Champions Cup semi-final is in line to be played there, among other games, including a pre-season soccer friendly.

UPMC Nowlan Park in

Kilkenny is also being lined up to host Leinster’s URC games in the early part of next season.

&