The extraordinary attendance at Thurles last Sunday for the two National League Hurling semi-finals has put into perspective the contribution which the Gaelic Athletic Association makes to Irish life. The official paying attendance was 38,661 but that does not reflect the true situation since all juveniles were admitted free so that the real attendance must have been very close to 50,000.

The scenes in The Square in Thurles on Sunday evening were reminiscent of many such occasions on Munster final day. On this occasion, however, four Munster counties were involved at senior level and that brought huge numbers of hurling purists together.

Although neither of the matches lived up to the excitement engendered on the terraces it must be accepted that nothing quite makes the pulse race more than a big hurling occasion in Thurles.

It is a coincidence now that the brilliant former Cork forward Gerald McCarthy is in charge of the Waterford team while his former Cork team-mates, Jimmy Barry-Murphy, Tom Cashman, Seanie O'Leary and Johnny Crowley are guiding the Cork side from the sidelines.

A grazed knuckle on McCarthy's right thumb bore ample evidence of the fact that he can still wield a camn with his charges as he prepares them for what should be a very important match for them in two week's time.

"We have some hard work to do before the final but we have a very well-balanced squad and some extremely promising young players," he said after Sunday's victory.

Certainly players such as Tom Feeney, Sean Cullinane, Tony Browne and Ken McGrath suggest that Waterford may have a bright future and few would begrudge them a break back into the limelight.

Needless to say the revival of success in Clare and Wexford in recent years has inspired Waterford and, in Gerald McCarthy, they have at their disposal a man who epitomises all that is truly great and skilful in hurling.

On the basis of what they displayed in their comprehensive defeat of Clare in the second semi-final on Sunday Cork will be very difficult to defeat. In those circumstances hurling purists have every right to expect a classic match in Thurles on Sunday week.

Waterford: (MF v Limerick at Dungarvan tonight, 7.00): D Lenane; P Hayes, M Walsh, J Phelan; G Dunphy, M Ahern, T Costello; K O'Keeffe, S Prendergast; W Hennessy, G Power, T Maher; J Frost, G Hurney, C O'Connor. Subs: C O'Brien, K Coffey, J O'Donnell, N Smith, S Briggs, S Barron, T Dunphy, P Conway, R Hearn, E Hogan, M Power, P Radley.

Tipperary: (MF v Waterford in Dungarven on Thursday) - D Breen; B Duggan, P Duggan, J Morrissey; S Maher, C Hayes, T Russell; K Mulryan, E O'Connor; J Walshe, A Fitzgerald, M Hanly; T Connors, G Stapleton, D O'Brien. Subs: T Fitzgerald, P Curran, D Maher, M Cahill, C O'Brien, C O'Donnell, F Condon, J Walshe, J Nevin.