The last of the Páirc Uí Chaoimh Munster football finals takes place this weekend and wouldn’t it be nice if it could match some of the drama the rickety old stadium (only 38 years old, mind you) provided down through the years. In 1976, the first Cork-Kerry clash at the stadium was a draw, played out with referee John Moloney from Tipperary spending most of his time making sure the crowd didn’t encroach onto the field. On that crazy July afternoon, the entire pitch was ringed with thousands of people for whom there was no room in the stands or terrace. No real health and safety at work then.

Then there was the replay, famous for Sean Walsh’s goal. The Kingdom, behind and on the way out, took a short free and Walsh fired chest-high for goal. The ball was caught on the line, or behind the line, depending on where you are from. Brian Murphy caught it, the umpire reached for the green flag and Kerry were saved. If that wasn’t enough for Cork, they had a goal disallowed minutes later for a square ball.

In 1983 there was the incredible finish that saw Cork score a last-second goal from Tadgh Murphy – a goal that prevented Kerry from winning their ninth successive Munster crown. Were Kerry caught on the hop? You could say that; they had forgotten to bring the Munster Cup with them and Cork had to lift the minor trophy that was luckily still in the ground.

Sunday is goodbye to all that. Cork will want to sign off with a win and they should get it. Despite the fact that two weeks ago they were almost caught by Tipp in the same ground, they look to be better than Kerry.

I saw the Kingdom struggle to put Clare away in Cusack Park the same weekend that Cork were almost tripped up by Tipp. This Kerry team might be hard to beat, but on that day’s evidence they will not be a force this year. One player should never carry 14 others on a GAA team, but Colm Cooper’s influence on this Kerry side was uniquely seismic and they don’t appear to have an idea of how to replace it. In Ennis, Kerry looked very limited and Cork, for all their inconsistencies, do have quality in the right places. At home, the week before their hurlers are looking to sign off from Páirc Uí Chaoimh with a Munster title, there can only be one result. The Rebels with something small to spare.

Matches galore

July of course means provincial finals every weekend and serious qualifiers with some big guns dropping by the wayside. The hurling this weekend is very tasty with one or two nice appetisers for the only non-knockout match of the weekend, but still the most important: the Leinster hurling final. Believe it or not, Kilkenny have played nine senior hurling championship matches since their last game in Croke Park. Now there’s a record that will never be beaten. Last year they played in Tullamore (versus Offaly), Portloaise (twice, Dublin), Nowlan Park (Tipperary) and Thurles (twice, Waterford and Cork). This year, they have played in Nowlan Park (Offaly) and Tullamore twice (Galway). So it must be odd for them to run out onto such a strange field.

This could be a humdinger and I firmly believe that the Dubs will put it up to the Cats and push them all the way. The defending champions are listed at 9/4 in places and that’s a lot of value.

The case for Kilkenny is strong. They looked exceptional in dealing with Galway and some new faces like Joey Holden and Conor Fogarty have emerged, while JJ, Jackie and Tommy looked positively youthful.

The other side of that coin is that it took them two games to get rid of a fitful Galway and they only did it when every single one of the changes Brian Cody made paid off. They are playing for the third weekend in a row and time doesn’t appear to be on Michael Fennellly or Henry Shefflin’s side.

Kilkenny are beatable like they have never been before in Cody’s reign. The air of invulnerability that they used to carry is gone and the Dubs were the ones that first took it from them. On their way to a brilliant Leinster championship last summer they took the Cats in a replay and that was the start of the decline of the Cody empire. Sunday will really tell us whether it is being rebuilt.

The Dubs took care of Wexford in an almost professional manner that impressed. Not at full strength nor full pelt, they won comfortably enough. This is the game they want: Kilkenny in Croke Park and with hopefully a fully fit Danny Sucliffe. I have a strong fancy for them.

Tipp and Galway just can’t be called because who knows which two teams will turn up. The home side seem to have pressed the implosion button in recent times and Galway might fancy their chances to physically dominate them – they certainly have the personnel to do so. My gut says they will. It is very hard to see Tipperary come back into the reckoning this year. Victory on Saturday would be a decent start, but they do not carry anything like the threat of three or four years ago. Neither of these teams has won a championship match since 2012, so something has to give. I think Tipp will.

In Cusack Park in Ennis, the All-Ireland champions begin their rehab after losing to Cork with a tricky looking qualifier against what will surely be a fired-up Wexford. Nobody can see Clare losing and that bothers both Davy Fitzgerald and Clare fans.

This is a game made for Wexford to give one of their traditional, out-of-the-blue fighting performances – the kind that shocked Kilkenny in 2004. I can see them starting in the Banner’s faces and not leaving there for the full 70 minutes. They are not the 6/1 outsiders the bookies think. This game will be close and as a Clareman I’d take a one-point win if it was offered. Forget the Yellow Bellies that tell you they would too – they fancy this.

One of those times I don’t mind being wrong, there’s a real chance of the upset here.