At two minutes to four this Sunday afternoon, the summer starts for real – the national anthem, Semple Stadium and the Munster senior hurling championship. It’s Clare and Limerick and there will be nothing spared.

Myself and about 28,000 people can’t wait. It’s remarkable, considering there are only five hurling counties in Munster, that this is only the fourth time in 20 years these two teams have met in the Munster championship. The three previous tended to be memorable, with 1995 and 1996 standing out.

The vagrancies of the GAA have seen the sides meet twice in the last three years, but on each occasion outside of Munster. Since this draw was made back in October, Sunday 24 May has been on the horizon for both counties, who appear to have kept all their eggs for this basket, choosing to leave the handbrake on for most of the league.

Limerick, in particular, have become a summer team, clearly getting out of Division 1B doesn’t overly concern them because from that so-called hurling backwater they won a Munster championship in 2013 and brought Kilkenny to the brink in Croke Park last August.

This is a nice trick if you can carry it off, and it would appear that’s what they have in mind this year as well because their league form was nothing short of abysmal and included a home loss to high-flying Offaly.

They ended their involvement in the junior competition a day before Clare were tussling to the death with Kilkenny in Nolan Park. While the Banner hurled the Cats to an inch of relegation, Limerick were meekly rolling over by 12 points to the Dubs in Croke Park.

Yet, the bookies have Limerick as the favourites. The thinking is that the sight of the Clare jersey will remind the Shannonsiders of the All-Ireland semi-final of 2013, a day that Limerick will feel they didn’t turn up to in Croke Park. That’s extra motivation for a team that takes such defeats personally.

Last summer this same outfit travelled to Thurles, somewhat slighted that home advantage was pedalled as the main reason behind their 2013 success over Tipp. They duly went to the home of hurling and dumped Eamon O’Shea’s much heralded favourites out of the Munster championship.

So there is plenty of logic in placing the favourites mantle on the men in green. Squad wise, they will line out (very unusually for them) without a Quaid in goal and lacking the strength of the also injured David Breen. They are introducing, in all likelihood, youngsters Cian Lynch, a player I have seen a few times over the last six months and I’ve been impressed, and fellow former minor star Tom Morrissey from Ahane.

These two will provide the new blood beside such veterans as Downes, Dowling, Hannon, Wayne McNamara, Gavin O’Mahony, Richie McCarthy, Paudie O’Brien and Seamus Hickey. I say veterans, but that octet have an average age of about 24. Such passes for experienced these days.

Adding two new players to a well-established group every year is about right and you’d have to like Limerick’s mix.

In the other corner are Clare, All-Ireland champions of 20 months ago, but shorn of at least four all-stars from that dream team. With Podge Collins gone to football, Colm Galvin to the States, Brendan Bugler suspended, and hamstring woes claiming Conor McGrath, Davy Fitzgerald’s squad will be tested for depth.

Having won the last three All-Ireland U-21 titles, there is plenty of raw material available to Clare but, as Limerick are all too aware, U-21 prowess doesn’t always translate to senior. The Banner have already taken the cream of their recent underage crop to senior level and on Sunday they will be throwing one or two more into their blend. Look for national unknowns such as Bobby Duggan, Aaron Cunningham, Gearoid O’Connell and maybe Cathal “Tots” O’Connell to make appearances.

The loss of Conor McGrath will shift a lot of the forward burden on to the board shoulders of Shane O’Donnell, a player that is still U-21. He will wear number 14 and Richie McCarthy will have his hands full there. That could be the battle that decides the war.

Another duel worth watching will be Tony Kelly and whoever has the job of shackling him. I’m hearing Seamus Hickey might get that job and the winner of that contest will be my bet for man of the match. There will be sweepers, two-man full forward lines, tactics galore and all of that in the middle of the whirlwind that can be Munster championship.

The heart says Clare will take off running this year, but the draw is 8/1 and these two haven’t ended all square in the championship since 1970. I’d take it if it was offered to me now. A replay would see McGrath and Bugler back in harness, without them the head might lean towards Limerick and the revenge for 2013 so uppermost in their minds.

These two also meet in the football championship, this time on Saturday night in Ennis, and Clare will be narrow favourites to qualify for a crack at Cork. We’ll have at least one win over the oldest of rivals this weekend.

Meanwhile in far away Ruislip on Sunday afternoon, the potential footballing dark horses for 2015, Roscommon, start their campaign with a game against London. They will beat the Exiles and this will be the first step in what could be a long road for the Rossies.

Up north, Cavan and Monaghan get their campaigns underway and the smart money should be on the visitors to Kingspan, Breffni Park in Sunday’s TV curtain raiser before the hurling. Monaghan have contested the last two Ulster finals, shocking the then All-Ireland champions Donegal in 2013, so they’ll surely have enough for Cavan. Or will they?

Despite faring well in Division 1 of the football league, reaching the semi-finals and giving Dublin plenty of it in the last four, Monaghan are now going into an Ulster championship match as odds on favourites. Up against them are a team that held their own in Division 2.

Sleeping giants that Cavan are, they never shake in their boots at the prospect of neighbours Monaghan, and this is, after all, the Ulster championship. Favourites need not apply. Monaghan should escape Breffni Park, but I’d be guessing only by the skin of their teeth.

Enjoy the national anthem wherever you’re hearing it this weekend.