Aaron Gillane is rated to be fit for the All-Ireland hurling final on Sunday week against Waterford. Former Kilkenny sharpshooter Aidan 'Taggy' Fogarty admits 'tongues are starting to wag' about Brian Cody's future as Cats boss but insists he should remain at the helm for another season at least.

No fuss, no fanfares, just the satisfaction of knowing that they served their county to the limits of their capability. Limerick's Aaron Gillane is on course to be ready to play his part in the All-Ireland hurling final on Sunday week after being released from hospital yesterday morning.

Waterford legend John Mullane has rowed back from his prediction that Limerick were unstoppable in the race for the All-Ireland title and is now putting his weight behind his home county.

Sirens echo through the Northside air as Shane O'Neill glances up into an echoey landscape, the price of this strange day written clearly in his eyes.

Limerick's pair of gunslingers must be the best wing-forward combo in hurling. They're certainly the most under-rated.

The first literary reference of hurling dates the sport to BC during the battle of Moytura in County Mayo. In Irish mythology , hurling is often associated with warriors such as Cuchulainn and Fionn Mac Cumhail.

In hurling was banned when the Statute of Kilkenny was introduced after the invasion of the Normans but this had little effect as people continued to play the sport.

In many parts of Ireland, however, hurling is a fixture of life. A hurling pitch is similar in some respects to a rugby pitch but larger.

There are H -shaped goalposts at each end, formed by two posts, which are usually 6—7 metres 20—23 feet high, set 6.

A net extending behind the goal is attached to the crossbar and lower goal posts. The same pitch is used for Gaelic football ; the GAA, which organises both sports, decided this to facilitate dual usage.

Lines are marked at distances of 14 yards, 21 yards and 65 yards 45 yards for Gaelic football from each end-line. Shorter pitches and smaller goals are used by youth teams.

Teams consist of fifteen players: a goalkeeper, three full backs, three half backs, two midfielders, three half forwards and three full forwards see diagram.

The panel is made up of 24—30 players and five substitutions are allowed per game. An exception can now be made in the case of a blood substitute being necessary.

From 1 January , the wearing of helmets with faceguards became compulsory for hurlers at all levels. This saw senior players follow the regulations already introduced in at minor and under 21 grades.

The GAA hopes to significantly reduce the number of injuries by introducing the compulsory wearing of helmets with full faceguards, both in training and matches.

Hurlers of all ages, including those at nursery clubs when holding a hurley in their hand, must wear a helmet and faceguard at all times.

Match officials will be obliged to stop play if any player at any level appears on the field of play without the necessary standard of equipment.

Senior inter-county matches last 70 minutes 35 minutes per half. All other matches last 60 minutes 30 minutes per half. For teams under and lower, games may be shortened to 50 minutes.

Timekeeping is at the discretion of the referee who adds on stoppage time at the end of each half. There are various solutions for knockout games that end in a draw, such as a replay, or what the rules refer to as "Winner on the Day" measures such as extra time 20 minutes , further extra time 10 more minutes , or a shoot-out.

The general trend is that the GAA have been trying to reduce the need for replays, to ease scheduling. Scoring is achieved by sending the sliotar between the opposition's goal posts.

The posts, which are at each end of the field, are H posts as in rugby football but with a net under the crossbar as in football.

The posts are 6. If the ball goes over the crossbar, a point is scored and a white flag is raised by an umpire. If the ball goes below the crossbar, a goal , worth three points, is scored, and a green flag is raised by an umpire.

A goal must be scored by either a striking motion or by directly soloing the ball into the net. The goal is guarded by a goalkeeper.

For example, the All-Ireland final finished: Clare 0—20 Tipperary 2— Thus Clare won by "twenty points to nineteen" 20 to Likewise, 0—10 would be referred to as "ten points", never "zero ten".

Players may be tackled but not struck by a one handed slash of the stick; exceptions are two-handed jabs and strikes. Jersey-pulling, wrestling, pushing and tripping are all forbidden.

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The first written reference to hurling dates back to BC. It is a stick and ball game, played by teams of 15 on a rectangular grass pitch with H-shaped goals at each end.

The primary objective is to score by driving the ball through the goals or putting the ball over the bar and thereby scoring a point.