The main event
After a rip-roaring couple of weeks, the Munster Senior Hurling Championship reaches its conclusion on Sunday. For the second time this year, Clare face Limerick in the championships – this time, there’s silverware at stake.
Clare’s conquest of the current All-Ireland champions in late April decimated an aura of invincibility that cloaked Limerick in the weeks leading into the championships – they had not lost a game since 2019 up to that point. The illusion shattered following the 1-24 to 2-20 win for the Banner in Ennis, and with it, the notion that Limerick would waltz their way to another Munster crown – let alone an All-Ireland.
Limerick have recovered somewhat since that loss, reaching the All-Ireland championship after a 3-25 to 1-30 win over Cork two weekends ago. Clare, meanwhile, finished the round robin stage of the competition strongly, closing out with a win over 2-22 to 3-18 win over Cork.
Playing second fiddle?
The other big game of the day is the Leinster hurling final, but in truth it is hard to gauge where both Kilkenny and Galway are at. While the Munster championship has been all mysteries and whodunits, it seemed likely from the start of the season that Kilkenny and Galway would face off for the silverware, and so it has proved.
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Their round-robin meeting ended in a draw but it was hard to shake the feeling that both sides were holding something back. Equally their last days out, so Galway get comprehensively outclassed for 35 minutes by Dublin before ultimately rescuing a draw, while Kilkenny lost out to Wexford that were flirting with relegation after losing out themselves to Westmeath.
Good luck sorting through all that for a formline.
So are Kilkenny and Galway just keeping their powder dry? Will whoever emerges from the bear pit in Munster be too knackered to launch an All-Ireland challenge? Or is Leinster hurling simply not at the standard of the Munster fare this year? Do Derek Lyng and Henry Shefflin even know the answer to those questions?
This weekend should tell a lot ...
[ Denis Walsh: We are living in the golden age of hurling and we should revel in itOpens in new window ]
Tailteann Cup
The preliminary quarterfinals take place at the weekend with two streaming on GAAGO. Underdogs New York will be looking for another scalp after beating Leitrim in the Connacht when they take on Carlow. Down’s game against Longford will also be on the service. Cavan, Meath, Antrim and Limerick are already through to the quarterfinals of the Tailteann Cup.
TV and fixtures
SATURDAY JUNE 10th
Tailteann Cup, Preliminary quarterfinals
Offaly v Wexford, Glenisk O’Connor Park, 4pm
Carlow v New York, Netwatch Cullen Park, 5pm (Streaming on GAAGO)
Fermanagh v Laois, Brewster Park, 6pm
Down v Longford, Páirc Esler, 7pm (Streaming on GAAGO)
SUNDAY JUNE 11th
Leinster SHC final Kilkenny v Galway, Croke Park, 4pm (Live on RTÉ)
Munster SHC final Clare v Limerick, LIT Gaelic Grounds, 1.45pm (Live on RTÉ)
Team news
KILKENNY: Eoin Murphy, Mikey Butler, Huw Lawlor, Tommy Walsh, Mikey Carey, David Blanchfield, Darragh Corcoran, Richie Reid, Paddy Deegan, Tom Phelan, John Donnelly, Billy Ryan, Martin Keoghan, TJ Reid, Eoin Cody. Subs: Aidan Tallis, Conor Delaney, Cillian Buckley, Pádraig Walsh, Conor Fogarty, Alan Murphy, Cian Kenny, Timmy Clifford, Walter Walsh, Richie Hogan, Billy Drennan.
GALWAY: Eanna Murphy, Jack Grealish, Gearóid McInerney, Darren Morrissey, Padraic Mannion, Daithi Burke, Fintan Burke, Joseph Cooney, Ronan Glennon, Tom Monaghan, Conor Cooney, Kevin Cooney, Conor Whelan, Brian Concannon, Evan Niland. Subs: Darach Fahy, TJ Brennan, Eoin Lawless, Adrian Tuohey, Seán Linnane, Cathal Mannion, Tiernan Killeen, Liam Collins, Declan McLoughlin, Jason Flynn, Donal O’Shea.
CLARE: Eibhear Quilligan, Adam Hogan, Conor Cleary, Rory Hayes, Diarmuid Ryan, John Conlon, David McInerney, David Fitzgerald, Cathal Malone, Peter Duggan, Tony Kelly, Aidan McCarthy, Ryan Taylor, Shane O’Donnell, Mark Rodgers. Subs: Eamonn Foudy, Cian Nolan, Ian Galvin, Shane Meehan, Aron Shanagher, Aaron Fitzgerald, Robin Mounsey, Paul Flanagan, Cian Galvin, Keith Smyth, Seadna Morey.
LIMERICK: Nickie Quaid, Michael Casey, Dan Morrissey, Barry Nash, Diarmaid Byrnes , Declan Hannon, Kyle Hayes, Darragh O’Donovan, William O’Donoghue, Gearoid Hegarty, Cathal O’Neill, Tom Morrissey, Aaron Gillane, Seamus Flanagan, Peter Casey. Subs: David McCarthy, Conor Boylan, Ronan Connolly, Aaron Costello, Colin Coughlan, Adam English, Richie English, Cian Lynch, Graeme Mulcahy, Oisin O Reilly, David Reidy.
Tailteann Cup teams
OFFALY: Ian Duffy, Lee Pearson, Declan Hogan, David Dempsey, Cian Donohoe, Peter Cunningham, Ciaran Donnelly, Conor McNamee, Aaron Leavy, Jordan Hayes, Ruairi McNamee, Anton Sullivan, Cian Farrell, Joe Maher, Nigel Dunne. Subs: Corey White, Bernard Allen, Jamie Evans, Morgan Tynan, Cormac Delaney, Jack O’Brien, Nigel Bracken, Aaron Brazil, Mark Abbott, Luke Egan, Shane Tierney.
WEXFORD: Darragh Brooks, Brian Cushe, Dylan Furlong, Michael Furlong, Eoin Porter, Glen Malone, Páraic Hughes, Liam Coleman, Niall Hughes, Alan Tobin, Eoghan Nolan, Kevin O’Grady, Robbie Brooks, Mark Rossiter, Ben Brosnan. Subs: Anto Larkin, Conor Carty, Cian Hughes, Conor Kinsella, Darragh Lyons, Brian Molloy, Liam O’Connor, Dean O Toole, John Tubritt, Cathal Walsh, Richard Waters.
CARLOW: Johnny Furey, Shane Buggy, Mikey Bambrick, Mark Furey, Niall Hickey, Shane Clarke, Ciarán Moran, Conor Doyle, Jordan Morrissey, Conor Crowley, Josh Moore, Ross Dunphy, Colm Hulton, Darragh Foley, Jamie Clarke. Subs: Ciaran Cunningham, Liam Roberts, Liam Brennan, Jonah Dunne, Aaron Amond, Eric Molloy, Padraic Deering, Finbarr Kavanagh, Paddy Regan, Seanie Bambrick, Bryan McMahon.
NEW YORK: Brendan Cole, Jamie Boyle, Alan Campbell, Shane Bolger, Robert Wharton, Mark Ellis, Bill Maher, Johnny Glynn, Liam Kearney, Daniel O’Sullivan, Shane Brosnan, Shane Carthy, Jack Reilly, Gavin O’Brien, Adam Loughlin Stones. Subs: Tiernan Mathers, Luke Kelly, Connell Ahearne, Mikey Brosnan, Matthew Queenan, Killian Butler, Peter Fox, Colin Keane, James Breen, Padraig Studdard.
FERMANAGH: Sean McNally, Luke Flanagan, Ché Cullen, Lee Cullen, Shane McGullion, Jonathan Cassidy, Cian McManus, Ryan Jones, Brandon Horan, Conor McShea, Ryan Lyons, Ronan McCaffrey, Ultán Kelm, Darragh McGurn, Sean Quigley. Subs: Jack Kelly, Garrett Cavanagh, Josh Largo Elis, Declan McCusker, Aidan Breen, Oisin Smyth, Garvan Jones, Tommy McCaffrey, Conor McGee, Conal Jones, Ciaran Corrigan.
LAOIS: Killian Roche, Sean Greene, Trevor Collins, Robert Pigott, Padraig Kirwan, Mark Timmons, Patrick O Sullivan, Kieran Lillis, Damon Larkin, Colm Murphy, Paul Kingston, James Finn, Mark Barry, Evan O’Carroll, Eoin Lowry. Subs: Scott Osborne, Seamus Lacey, Alex Mohan, Sean O’Flynn, Kevin Swayne, Ciaran Burke, Dylan Kavanagh, Damien O Connor, Niall Corbet, Brian Daly, Cathal Doyle.
DOWN: Niall Kane, Anthony Doherty, Pierce Laverty, Patrick McCarthy, Gerard Collins, Ryan Magill, Daniel Guinness, Shane Annett, Odhran Murdock, Ceilum Doherty, Donach McAleenan, Liam Kerr, Andrew Gilmore, Pat Havern, Eugene Branagan. Subs: John O’Hare, Miceal Rooney, Conor Francis, Ryan McEvoy, Danny Magill, Ross Carr, Jerome Johnston, Conor Fitzpatrick, Patrick Branagan, Eamon Brown, Rory Mason.
LONGFORD: Patrick Collum, Patrick Fox, Andrew Farrell, Bryan Masterson, Iarla O’Sullivan, Michael Quinn, Peter Lynn, Ryan Moffett, Darren Gallagher, Joe Hagan, Dessie Reynolds, Aaron Farrell, Keelin Mc Gann, Dylan Farrell, Oran Kenny. Subs: Mícheál Hughes, Peter Foy, Fergal Sheridan, Daire O Brien, Ciarán Scanlon, James Kiernan, Barry O’Farrell, Ruairí Harkin, Matt Duffy, Tadhg McNevin, Darragh Doherty.
