This column received a heartrending email from a fervent, and horribly disillusioned, Wexford supporter during the week. Here follows a brief sample of its sentiments.

"As I walked out of Croke Park last Sunday, it struck me how different things were just 10 short years ago.

That day, we won the Leinster final against Kilkenny after the man who almost invented the term 'supersub', Billy Byrne, stormed on to score 1-2.

The Wild Swans even updated their song 'Dancing at the Crossroads' to salute him: 'Young Billy Byrne at 37/Scored a goal and two to save the day.' It was the high-water mark for Wexford hurling.

"Kilkenny people last Sunday shook hands as if after a funeral.

They believed this was the wake for Wexford hurling and now look to Dublin to take our place. In the US they have car stickers that say, 'What would Jesus do?' Well, I ask you, 'What would Nicky Rackard do?'

George O'Connor is doing fantastic work at underage level, but we need to reform the adult structures too.

Our senior clubs had played one round of fixtures by the first week in July; Kilkenny had played five.

"Let's put a plan in place and stick with it. Please don't let us be having this conversation again in five years' time. In five years' time it might be too late to rescue hurling in Wexford."

Quite.

WE REALLY NEED TO GET OUT MORE

We've got to get a life, we know, but we only confess this in case you were coming to the same conclusion about yourself after noticing one of those gaffes that only a sad, Gah trainspotter could spot.

Last week Sideline Cuts was watching the TV adaptation of Colm Toibin's 'The Blackwater Lightship', when, in a scene based in a family home, a couple of framed GAA photographs appeared in the background.

Now, the American audience that this film was primarily targeted at mightn't have batted an eyelid, or indeed, 99.9 per cent of the sane, Irish population. But Sideline Cuts did.

One of the photos was a team pic of the Kerry footballers when Paidi was over them, while the other was an action shot from either the 1999 or 2000 All Ireland hurling semi-final between Cork and Offaly. So far, so unassuming . . . the novel was written at the turn of the decade and based around that time too.

But then it hit us. That was a flashback scene, set in the late '70s or early '80s. What was Noel Kennelly doing on that wall instead of Tim Kennelly? Or Brian Whelahan's Offaly there instead of Pat Delaney's? Our night was ruined. Was yours?

sport@tribune. ie