The round-robins of the provincial hurling championships have concluded.
Leinster
Kilkenny
Leinster final – 1st place – Won three, Drew two
Back in a seventh straight Leinster final after an undefeated run through through the round-robin, Derek Lyng will be pleased with his side’s showing so far in 2024. Injuries to key players Eoin Cody, Adrian Mullen and goalkeeper Eoin Murphy against Antrim could have disrupted their flow but they have coped to keep their title defence on the road.
Cody returned from an ankle injury in time to supply the match-winning goal against Dublin while also earning a penalty in their win over Wexford on Sunday.
A scoring difference of plus 35 along with a total of 155 points is another plus, but a shock draw against Carlow is a black mark on their homework.
Dublin
Leinster final – 2nd place – Won three, Drew one, Lost one
Back in a Leinster final for the first time since 2021, Dublin have surpassed expectations in Leinster this year. Their late two-goal rally to earn a draw against Wexford gave them a promising start in the competition, and they will be disappointed with how they fumbled what would have been a famous victory over Kilkenny.
Galway have struggled with Dublin teams in the past and first home defeat for the Tribesmen in Leinster round-robin history confirmed that. Dónal Burke has also emerged as one of the top forwards in the competition with 2-51 banked before Dublin’s rematch against Kilkenny.
Wexford
All-Ireland Preliminary Quarter-Final – 3rd place – Won two, Drew one, Lost two
After a brief period of over-reliance on Lee Chin, Keith Rossiter will be pleased with how Wexford’s other top forwards have flourished during the series. Chin remains the top scorer in the championship with 3-54, but Cian Byrne, Conor McDonald, Cathal Dunbar and Rory O’Connor are among the volunteers who have emerged to share the load. They hit a combined 2-9 against Kilkenny at the weekend.
A controversial penalty was all that kept them out of the Leinster final, but they will progress to the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final where they will face the runners-up of the Joe McDonagh Cup final between Laois and Offaly.
Galway boss Henry Shefflin. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
Galway
Out of championship – 4th place – Won two, Drew one, Lost two
There’s lots to unpack for Galway after an early exit from the All-Ireland championship. The Henry Shefflin era remains trophyless after three years, which brings into question whether or not he will continue as Galway manager. Some of the older players who were part of the 2017 All-Ireland-winning team may also consider their future.
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David Burke’s sending off was a major flashpoint of their defeat to Dublin, making his way in the 16th minute when his side were leading by four points.
The Wexford loss also hurt Galway’s chances, they were unconvincing against Carlow, and could only manage a draw against a Kilkenny side that was without Eoin Murphy, Adrian Mullen and Eoin Cody.
Antrim
Out of championship – 5th place – Won two, Lost three
Antrim have lots of positives to draw from the 2024 championship, leading with their historic victory over Wexford. And when it came to a straight shootout with Carlow for Liam MacCarthy Cup status, it was Darren Gleeson’s side who prevailed.
They made Galway work for their victory, and could even have sprung a shock win had Ryan McGarry not been sent off. Dublin found Antrim hard to shake too, leading by just four points in the early stages of the second half before eventually taking charge.
Preserving their place in the top tier championship is a big plus for Antrim, and they will hope to build on that position in 2025.
Carlow
Relegated to Joe McDonagh Cup – 6th place – Drew one, Lost four
The Joe McDonagh champions of 2023 will be returning to the competition next year, but Carlow produced a mighty fight in the Liam MacCarthy contest. They caused the shock of the championship when they held Kilkenny to a draw while Galway needed the intervention of Conor Whelan and Conor Cooney in the final quarter to avoid a shock defeat.
A six-point loss to Antrim condemned them to relegation although the loss of Chris Nolan to a red card seemed to be a big factor in the result. His dismissal occurred just before the second half got underway when there was just a point between the sides.
On another positive note, Marty Kavanagh finished as the fourth-highest scorer of the championship with 1-46 to his name.
Munster
Limerick
Munster final – 1st place – Won three, Lost one
The defending Munster and All-Ireland champions still appear to be a potent force as they look to complete a provincial six in-a-row.
The low moments first: Clare dominated them for 50 minutes of the Munster opener and they were overturned by a seemingly poor Cork outfit. Injuries have emerged again following the loss of key forward Peter Casey to a season-ending broken ankle, while Séamus Flanagan pulled up with a hamstring issue which could make him a doubt for the final. Seán Finn picked up a hamstring injury against Cork while Darragh O’Donovan is still working his way back from a calf injury.
The upsides for Limerick are their imperious displays against Waterford and Tipperary, winning those games by a margin of 10 and 15 points respectively.
Shane O'Donnell in action for Clare. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Clare
Munster final – 2nd place – Won three, Lost one
Reaching a third consecutive Munster final will please Brian Lohan, backboned by impressive wins over Cork, Waterford and Tipperary. One major point of frustration is their failure to maintain composure in a winning position against Limerick, and ultimately losing their round-robin opener.
Another meeting with John Kiely’s side in a provincial decider will be the arena where they will seek redemption as well as a first Munster title since 1998.
Shane O’Donnell is arguably in the best form of his career, serving in a new playmaker role with great efficiency. Tony Kelly scored a crucial goal against Waterford but his match fitness remains a slight concern following his return from injury.
Cork
All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final – 3rd place – Won two, lost two
From the precipice of second premature championship exit in-a-row, to a heroic charge for a third-place finish. With their championship on the line, Pat Ryan’s side mustered a a season-saving performance to defeat Limerick, and strengthened their case for a spot in the preliminary quarter-finals all the more after burying Tipperary.
It’s the second time in three seasons they’ve lost first two games but still managed to qualify. Alan Connolly’s hat-trick of goals against Tipperary has elevated his status to one of the most exciting forwards in the country. Cork also broke the Munster round-robin scoring record in their, bringing them to 11-107.
Waterford
Out of championship – 4th place – Won one, drew one, lost two
A much improved set of results, but the outcome remains the same for Waterford: exit stage left. Davy Fitzgerald’s side appeared to be on course to break the curse of their round-robin record with a first-round win over Cork. But following that up with a draw against Tipperary was a step back, and ultimately stands out as the result that condemned them to the same fate.
The loss to Clare was a further dent to their chances, although the game was ultimately decided by a hotly disputed ’65 at the end of the game. Victory was possible against Limerick as well when they reduced the gap to two points after 55 minutes. But their challenge faded as they were outscored 0-9 to 0-1 for the remainder.
Tipperary
Out of championship – 5th place – Drew one, lost three
Tipperary appear to be in a crisis as they limp out of 2024 with the worst scoring difference of the teams in Munster on -33. While other teams in the Munster championship averaged at least two goals per game, Tipperary only managed two in total.
Their fate was sealed after their 18-point defeat to Cork although they did summon a spirited performance in their last round against Clare, falling short by just three points. Their draw against Waterford was another redeeming moment but overall, this was a disappointing campaign for Liam Cahill’s team.
Similar to Galway, there could be departures among some of their more experienced player. Cahill’s position will also come into focus but he was bullish when asked about this, insisting that he is confident he will remain with the team in 2025.
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Report card: How will every county reflect on their hurling provincial championship?
Leinster
Kilkenny
Leinster final – 1st place – Won three, Drew two
Back in a seventh straight Leinster final after an undefeated run through through the round-robin, Derek Lyng will be pleased with his side’s showing so far in 2024. Injuries to key players Eoin Cody, Adrian Mullen and goalkeeper Eoin Murphy against Antrim could have disrupted their flow but they have coped to keep their title defence on the road.
Cody returned from an ankle injury in time to supply the match-winning goal against Dublin while also earning a penalty in their win over Wexford on Sunday.
A scoring difference of plus 35 along with a total of 155 points is another plus, but a shock draw against Carlow is a black mark on their homework.
Dublin
Leinster final – 2nd place – Won three, Drew one, Lost one
Back in a Leinster final for the first time since 2021, Dublin have surpassed expectations in Leinster this year. Their late two-goal rally to earn a draw against Wexford gave them a promising start in the competition, and they will be disappointed with how they fumbled what would have been a famous victory over Kilkenny.
Galway have struggled with Dublin teams in the past and first home defeat for the Tribesmen in Leinster round-robin history confirmed that. Dónal Burke has also emerged as one of the top forwards in the competition with 2-51 banked before Dublin’s rematch against Kilkenny.
Wexford
All-Ireland Preliminary Quarter-Final – 3rd place – Won two, Drew one, Lost two
After a brief period of over-reliance on Lee Chin, Keith Rossiter will be pleased with how Wexford’s other top forwards have flourished during the series. Chin remains the top scorer in the championship with 3-54, but Cian Byrne, Conor McDonald, Cathal Dunbar and Rory O’Connor are among the volunteers who have emerged to share the load. They hit a combined 2-9 against Kilkenny at the weekend.
A controversial penalty was all that kept them out of the Leinster final, but they will progress to the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final where they will face the runners-up of the Joe McDonagh Cup final between Laois and Offaly.
Galway
Out of championship – 4th place – Won two, Drew one, Lost two
There’s lots to unpack for Galway after an early exit from the All-Ireland championship. The Henry Shefflin era remains trophyless after three years, which brings into question whether or not he will continue as Galway manager. Some of the older players who were part of the 2017 All-Ireland-winning team may also consider their future.
David Burke’s sending off was a major flashpoint of their defeat to Dublin, making his way in the 16th minute when his side were leading by four points.
The Wexford loss also hurt Galway’s chances, they were unconvincing against Carlow, and could only manage a draw against a Kilkenny side that was without Eoin Murphy, Adrian Mullen and Eoin Cody.
Antrim
Out of championship – 5th place – Won two, Lost three
Antrim have lots of positives to draw from the 2024 championship, leading with their historic victory over Wexford. And when it came to a straight shootout with Carlow for Liam MacCarthy Cup status, it was Darren Gleeson’s side who prevailed.
They made Galway work for their victory, and could even have sprung a shock win had Ryan McGarry not been sent off. Dublin found Antrim hard to shake too, leading by just four points in the early stages of the second half before eventually taking charge.
Preserving their place in the top tier championship is a big plus for Antrim, and they will hope to build on that position in 2025.
Carlow
Relegated to Joe McDonagh Cup – 6th place – Drew one, Lost four
The Joe McDonagh champions of 2023 will be returning to the competition next year, but Carlow produced a mighty fight in the Liam MacCarthy contest. They caused the shock of the championship when they held Kilkenny to a draw while Galway needed the intervention of Conor Whelan and Conor Cooney in the final quarter to avoid a shock defeat.
A six-point loss to Antrim condemned them to relegation although the loss of Chris Nolan to a red card seemed to be a big factor in the result. His dismissal occurred just before the second half got underway when there was just a point between the sides.
On another positive note, Marty Kavanagh finished as the fourth-highest scorer of the championship with 1-46 to his name.
Munster
Limerick
Munster final – 1st place – Won three, Lost one
The defending Munster and All-Ireland champions still appear to be a potent force as they look to complete a provincial six in-a-row.
The low moments first: Clare dominated them for 50 minutes of the Munster opener and they were overturned by a seemingly poor Cork outfit. Injuries have emerged again following the loss of key forward Peter Casey to a season-ending broken ankle, while Séamus Flanagan pulled up with a hamstring issue which could make him a doubt for the final. Seán Finn picked up a hamstring injury against Cork while Darragh O’Donovan is still working his way back from a calf injury.
The upsides for Limerick are their imperious displays against Waterford and Tipperary, winning those games by a margin of 10 and 15 points respectively.
Clare
Munster final – 2nd place – Won three, Lost one
Reaching a third consecutive Munster final will please Brian Lohan, backboned by impressive wins over Cork, Waterford and Tipperary. One major point of frustration is their failure to maintain composure in a winning position against Limerick, and ultimately losing their round-robin opener.
Another meeting with John Kiely’s side in a provincial decider will be the arena where they will seek redemption as well as a first Munster title since 1998.
Shane O’Donnell is arguably in the best form of his career, serving in a new playmaker role with great efficiency. Tony Kelly scored a crucial goal against Waterford but his match fitness remains a slight concern following his return from injury.
Cork
All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final – 3rd place – Won two, lost two
From the precipice of second premature championship exit in-a-row, to a heroic charge for a third-place finish. With their championship on the line, Pat Ryan’s side mustered a a season-saving performance to defeat Limerick, and strengthened their case for a spot in the preliminary quarter-finals all the more after burying Tipperary.
It’s the second time in three seasons they’ve lost first two games but still managed to qualify. Alan Connolly’s hat-trick of goals against Tipperary has elevated his status to one of the most exciting forwards in the country. Cork also broke the Munster round-robin scoring record in their, bringing them to 11-107.
Waterford
Out of championship – 4th place – Won one, drew one, lost two
A much improved set of results, but the outcome remains the same for Waterford: exit stage left. Davy Fitzgerald’s side appeared to be on course to break the curse of their round-robin record with a first-round win over Cork. But following that up with a draw against Tipperary was a step back, and ultimately stands out as the result that condemned them to the same fate.
The loss to Clare was a further dent to their chances, although the game was ultimately decided by a hotly disputed ’65 at the end of the game. Victory was possible against Limerick as well when they reduced the gap to two points after 55 minutes. But their challenge faded as they were outscored 0-9 to 0-1 for the remainder.
Tipperary
Out of championship – 5th place – Drew one, lost three
Tipperary appear to be in a crisis as they limp out of 2024 with the worst scoring difference of the teams in Munster on -33. While other teams in the Munster championship averaged at least two goals per game, Tipperary only managed two in total.
Their fate was sealed after their 18-point defeat to Cork although they did summon a spirited performance in their last round against Clare, falling short by just three points. Their draw against Waterford was another redeeming moment but overall, this was a disappointing campaign for Liam Cahill’s team.
Similar to Galway, there could be departures among some of their more experienced player. Cahill’s position will also come into focus but he was bullish when asked about this, insisting that he is confident he will remain with the team in 2025.
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Assessment Time Leinster SHC Munster SHC