GAELIC GAMES CHAMPIONSHIP 2008 NEWSTHE KILKENNY captain played down the tag of favourites with great enthusiasm. The Cork captain said they would worry about Munster before anything else. And everyone agreed the championship structure was still a work in progress.
With the obvious exception of two dashing air hostesses representing the new sponsors Etihad Airways - on board this year along with Guinness and RTÉ - it was business as usual at the launch of the 2008 All-Ireland hurling championship.
Beyond the formalities, however, there was a sense this could be one of the more competitive championships in years. Kilkenny's quest for a third All-Ireland in succession - a feat not achieved since the Cork team of 1978 - provides the backdrop, but there are several potential star performers in Cork, Tipperary, Galway, Limerick and, of course, Waterford.
For James Fitzpatrick, the impossibly fragile-looking Kilkenny captain, the mention of the three-in-a-row seemed like water off the back, such is its frequency.
"Sure there's a lot of talk of that," he said. "There's no point denying we're in that situation, but after a while you hear so much about that you don't take any notice, to be honest.
"We were in the same situation in 2004. Everyone expected us to walk through Leinster again, and we actually got beat by Wexford, against all the odds. So we have to be very wary of that again and don't think about jumping the gun.
"One thing is for certain: there's a lot more competition there this year. More than ever before . . .
"You had Tipp and Galway in a league final. Limerick have gained a lot of experience from last year. Cork obviously will be there again. Waterford are still there going strong. So it's probably going to be more difficult than ever to win it this year.
"Everyone is out to beat us every year, but we're just focused on the Leinster championship first."
Cork are still seen as the team most capable of toppling Kilkenny, and captain John Gardiner didn't exactly disagree. But his concerns lay solely with the Munster championship opener against Tipperary on June 8th, for obvious reasons.
"I know it's an old cliche," said Gardiner, "but you should never underestimate Tipperary, and when it comes to Cork and Tipp in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, form goes out the window. But we've seen them winning the league and know they're an impressive side.
"I also think we're looking at the most competitive championship for the past few years anyway. Munster has levelled out a lot again. Some teams were on top for a while, but any team out of four or five could win it now, no problem."
The championship format - tweaked again this year so the Munster and Leinster champions are straight into an All-Ireland semi-final - still has a transitional air to it. The open draw seems to be coming down the tracks at gathering speed.
"I can see a lot of people pushing that way," said Gardiner, "but I'd hate to see Munster go. We should focus on places where there are problems. Say Leinster, and try to bring that back to where it was before. But the Munster championship is still very strong, so I don't think you're solving anything by disbanding that. Even if you had a Munster championship, and a rest-of-Ireland championship, something like that.
"There's no ready solution, but I think we're heading towards an open draw. Maybe we could have that, play off for the All-Ireland championship, and then we could go back and play the provincial championship. That might take a bit of meaning away from them, but it's an idea anyway."
Antrim are in the bizarre situation where their Ulster championship has no bearing whatsoever on their All-Ireland status, and they were handed a first-round qualifier date against Galway - and captain Seán Delargy had only one word to describe that.
"Disaster," he said. "A disaster. But sure what can you do. You have to forget about it, and just play the cards you're dealt. Keep tearing on at it. Everybody knows there is a tier of eight or nine counties above everybody else, and then a bracket of four and five. It's hard to get the mix, and hard to please everyone.
"Coming into the Leinster championship would do us no harm, but how do you change things like that? Maybe if we start doing it on the field things will change too. But it is hard to stay motivated sometimes. Our last league game was against Kilkenny in March, and we're not out for another three weeks. That's a long time without competitive games."
Ulster hurling will make some history, however, as all nine counties will compete for the provincial title for the first time, along with London, though New York have opted out.
Ulster also have the honour of getting the championship under way with two first-round matches this weekend: Cavan host Monaghan, and Fermanagh take on Tyrone. And in true championship spirit, there won't be a puck of the ball between them.
