A Summer OF Hurling

Yes my good friends it is that time again, a summer of GAA action is just around the corner. With the NHL and NFL almost over it is time to get yourself set for Championship Season. This year like all years promises to be a summer filled with drama, fight, passion, intensity and the odd upset by the underdog!!

Oh yes this must be my favourite time of the year as an avid GAA man nothing gets me going as much as the clash of the ash, a day out in Croke Park or even better for the hurling fan, a day trip to Thurles for a Muster Senior Hurling Championship match.

This is the Holy Grail for hurling fans, the atmosphere the history and the anticipation all add to an experience like no other. The only downside can be the Irish weather!!!

In recent years the Munster Championship has been the main highlight of the hurling championship in the early summer as the Connacht championship no longer exists, Ulster is lagging behind with only Antrim in anyway capable of challenging the lesser teams in Leinster and Leinster itself being a relative stroll in the park for Brian Cody’s all powerful an conquering cats.

Last year was the first year of a new format in Leinster which saw the addition

of Galway and Antrim at the Quarter Final stage. Again this year they will compete with the Leinster Regulars. The fact that this is the second year and both teams second attempt to crack Leinster is a mouth watering one. They both now have one years experience under their belts and another hard winter of league Hurling. However with Galway lining up in this year’s division 1 NHL final I feel they could be the main threat once again to Kilkenny’s Leinster Crown. At the same time I feel Dublin once again under the leadership of Anthony Daly could again cause waves as they have a relatively easy Quarter final match against the winners of Laois and Carlow. Then Offaly and Wexford both traditionally strong hurling counties are both well capable of causing and upset but my personal feeling is that Offaly are the more likely to over come their quarter final opponents of Antrim rather than Wexford overcoming Kilkenny to reach the semi-finals.

However much I would love to see an upset in the ranks I do expect to see Galway and Kilkenny lining out in Croke park on July 5^th in the Leinster final, and as it is a final anything can happen but don’t underestimate the challenge of Galway who may be league champion by then, and the factor of revenge for the Portumna contingent to beat their Ballyhale counterparts after their All-Ireland Club championship defeat on St. Patricks day.

Now we come to Munster, the home of the best Provincial championship year in year out. This years I expect will not disappoint as usual with Cork Set to play in the league final against Galway, Clare reaching the Division 1A final along with the turmoil in limerick to the quiet building up of speed and form in Tipperary to the return of the old guard in Waterford for what may be their last attempt to gain All-Ireland Glory.

The fireworks that are an almost guarantee will kick off on May 30^th when the Reigning Champions meet League finalists Cork in Thurles. What a way to start off this championship with this clash of two Hurling Giants. This game is closely followed a week later when the men of the Deise take on the banner again in Thurles. Like all muster championship hurling match’s this promises to be a sell out, with Davey Fitzgerald taking on his native Clare and the Old guard of Waterford hurling, coming back for one last go at that all allusive All-Ireland Medal that they crave so badly. This looks like the last summer we may see such hurling icons as Tony Browne, Ken McGrath and Dan Shanahan grace the championship field of Ireland with their county. Again an explosive battle is almost guaranteed. Then we see the introduction of the last team to start their all Ireland assault in Munster, as limerick face the winner of Cork and Tipperary. Justin McCarthy’s young charges will be overwhelming underdogs in this one as the try and shake off the turmoil and discontent of a winter of player protest and fighting. Can they do it??? I fear they don’t have a hope of being any where near either team come the final whistle and the Qualifies will be their only chance of a victory this summer. All in all I expect Waterford to have too much for a Clare team who have spent the winter hurling in Division 1A, even though they have made the final I don’t think they will be sharp enough for an ever improving Waterford team who just missed out on a league final birth finishing in third place of Division 1. Their opponents will be the winner of Cork and Tipperary as limerick will not be at the races. This is a hard one to call as Tipperary have been the closest to beating Kilkenny in recent years but they have to overcome a Cork team in form and in the Division 1 final.

Over all a huge summer of hurling is on the horizon and I feel that this is the year of a new champion, no disrespect to Kilkenny and their hunger but I feel this year will be too much and we will have a new champion come September.

A Video of one of the greatest matches in recent Munster hurling history: