Attendance at Páirc UÍ Chaoimh shows Wexford and Clare fans really weren’t happy

The All-Ireland quarter-final off the back of those monstrous provincial groups.

Except, at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, it felt nothing like knockout hurling. It felt nothing like the last eight. It was as if this wasn't two counties 70 minutes from the semi-finals. As Wexford and Clare did battle to take themselves closer to Liam MacCarthy, as one county's dreams were set to die in Cork, only 10,255 showed up to support them. 10,255. We were well-warned. When the fixtures were released - eventually - and it was revealed that Davy Fitzgerald and Donal Moloney would have to take their respective sides to the banks of the Lee to do battle, eyebrows were raised all over the country. Why take Wexford two and a half hours down the road? Why two hours for Clare? Why not Thurles? Why a bloody Saturday afternoon? Why not a double header with Sunday's quarter-final between Kilkenny and Limerick? Why not pack out the home of hurling? As it was, just 10,000 people were present for one of the biggest games of the season as an amazing hurling championship felt like it was petering out when it's only really getting going. https://twitter.com/TheSundayGame/status/1018162829927407617 It was Wexford who lost out in the end as Clare advanced with a 0-27 to 1-17 win. Although they had to trek to Cork to do it, it's the Banner county's first time booking a place at Croke Park since they won the All-Ireland back in 2013. Seven points from Peter Duggan and five from play for Tony Kelly did the damage in the end but the decision to put it on in Páirc Uí Chaoimh was the biggest takeaway for most hurling fans. https://twitter.com/henrymartin1/status/1018067641100128256 https://twitter.com/davr1977/status/1018147120895971328 If only there was some way we could've known that this might not have been, a) the best idea or b) the most popular idea in the world. https://twitter.com/DLynchSport/status/1016306358243774467 Another game.