What is a Hurling MATCH?????

[Armchair Activist]

With the inevitable outcome of the Leinster hurling final that saw an ever rampant Kilkenny team demolish an ill-hearted, weak Wexford side one has to ask where does the future lie for hurling?

So what is a Hurling MATCH???? This is most defiantly the question the 40 international ambassadors that were invited along to to watch yet another Henry Shefflin & Co. expedition display. Hopefully the All-Ireland final might provide a degree of competitiveness with the predicable Cats v Rebels lineout unless a major upset is caused along the way.

So how can the game be saved for the neutral or even encourage non-championship counties or even foreign states to take up the greatest game in the world?

Its common knowledge that nothing provides more bandwagon jumpers than success... if we want children to start playing hurling we could start by providing them with heroes and role models. Just look at the success our national and provincial rugby teams have had in recent years and the explosive amount of youngsters that have taken to rugby clubs across the country. Or the impact on Irish soccer caused by the Jack Charlton era in the early 90’s.

Well I thoroughly believe that a successful campaign by Dublin or any other of the larger populated counties would do wonders for the future of hurling and would do no harm for RTE ratings either!

[meriwether]

Hurling was at its zenith in the 1990's.
Clare, Offaly, Wexford, Cork, Tipp and Kilkenny all won All-Irelands. Offaly/Kilkenny and Clare/Tipp provided compelling entertainment. In that decade, Limerick came close twice, and Galway won 3 U21's, 3 Minors, and at least 3 clubs, if not 4.
This doesn't happen often, but hopefully, these counties will rise again.

[popper]

Dublin beat Kilkenny relatively easily in the minor final and Dublin and Offaly are in the under 21 final so Leinster is not a lost cause. Nor would I write off Waterford as potential challengers to Kilkenny and Cork although I accept that the most likely outcome is that one or the other will win it.

Shefflin is pure brilliance but will retire in a year or two and KK could be in for a relative lean time in the near future if under age is any indication.

[White Horse]

The first step must be to try and make it a national game, rather than localised to a few counties.

I suppose you have to look at schools and how many offer hurling as an option.

[Eirenua]

Hurling is thriving in Munster, Waterford or Limerick will be crowned Munster champions on Sunday. Tipp Minors are strongly fancied to beat Cork, so a good repersentation at both finals. Leinster is different how ever and its time to include Galway in the Leinster C'ship. They declined the offer four years ago, so perhaps now is a good time to reopen negotiations. BTW dont write Limerick or Galway out of this years All-Ireland

[Armchair Activist]

Dublin beat Kilkenny relatively easily in the minor final and Dublin and Offaly are in the under 21 final so Leinster is not a lost cause. Nor would I write off Waterford as potential challengers to Kilkenny and Cork although I accept that the most likely outcome is that one or the other will win it.

Shefflin is pure brilliance but will retire in a year or two and KK could be in for a relative lean time in the near future if under age is any indication.

As both a Hurling & Wexford man I sincerely hope that Dublin if anyone can go on to successful senior campaigns having enjoyed some minor success. Like Galway I believe this will not be the case. Kilkenny WILL continue to dominate the game for many years to come. Young talents like Richie Power, Tommy Walsh, Cha Fitzpatrick and John Tennyson will provide replacements for greats like Shefflin, Brennan, Comerford etc. As for Waterford I think the cats will be seeking revenge for their League final upset and that their main men Tony Brown and Dan Shanahan won’t have the legs to compete for the duration against a fairly youthful Kilkenny side!!!!!!

Ps. the cats pissed on the powder

[An Ghearb]

With the inevitable outcome of the Leinster hurling final that saw an ever rampant Kilkenny team demolish an ill-hearted, weak Wexford side one has to ask where does the future lie for hurling?

So what is a Hurling MATCH????

I notice you didn't feel the need to start this thread the day after the third Limerick-Tipp match.

[Amach na Casca]

Leinster is a joke and totally uncompetitive. The Munster Championship is thriving this year though, and keeping interest in the game alive. The last time there was a limerick/waterford munster final was in 1934. While kilkenny/wexford meet in the leinster final every year nearly, with kilkenny usually winning easily. Its a 1 county province at the moment.

The competiton will really come alive during the Quarter Finals, I feel. Kilkenny are by no means certs to win the All-Ireland. Cork/Waterford/Galway/Limerick will all have something to say about that.

[Armchair Activist]

Leinster is a joke and totally uncompetitive. The Munster Championship is thriving this year though, and keeping interest in the game alive. The last time there was a limerick/waterford munster final was in 1934. While kilkenny/wexford meet in the leinster final every year nearly, with kilkenny usually winning easily. Its a 1 county province at the moment.

The competiton will really come alive during the Quarter Finals, I feel. Kilkenny are by no means certs to win the All-Ireland. Cork/Waterford/Galway/Limerick will all have something to say about that.

I hope your right but the game needs the other Leinster teams to come good also..... is there much point even allowing Laois and Dublin compete in the hurling championship as all they do is help Kilkenny build up match fitness and confidence

[cain1798]

Hurling actually reached it's zenith with the '87 and '88 back to back wins by Galway with people like John Cummins, Tony Keady, Joe Cooney, Brendan Lynskey, Noel Lane, Eanna Ryan, Michael Coleman, Conor Hayes, Pete Finnerty, Ollie Kilkenny, Sylvie Linnane and others I can't recall.

Been all downhill since

In terms of the state of Leinster hurling, it's pretty dire to say the least. Counting this year, Kilkenny have won nine of the last 10 titles, with Wexford's victory in 2004 the only exception. It's been almost as bad before. They won eight out of ten in the late 60s, early to mid 70s.

To be honest, I don't think the solution is in moving teams across provincial boundaries or the like. It's the longer, slower but in my opinion surer process of bedding down hurling in those counties where it's not existing and providing the supports to counties like Dublin, Laois, Offaly and Wexford at underage level.