The early noughties was a great period for hurling. You had that great Kilkenny team under Brian Cody, Cork had a serious team as well, Tipp were strong, and there was that great Waterford team, of Ken McGrath Tony Browne Paul Flynn and John Mullane, that was so unlucky not to win an all Ireland.
Wexford nearly beat Cork in that drawn 2003 all Ireland semi final, Clare were past their 1995 to 1998 peak, but they got to an all Ireland final in 2002, and they could have knocked out both Kilkenny and Cork in 2004 and 2005 respectively. That period from the early nineties until around the mid noughties, was my favourite era for hurling to be honest.