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McDonagh Cup Link To All-Ireland To Be Removed?

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2 groups of 4 in Leinster might suit best. Group winners into semi finals. 2nd and 3rd into quarter finals. 4th placed into relegation playoff.
Group A: Kilkenny, Wexford, Antrim, Kildare.
Group B: Galway, Dublin, Offaly, Laois.
Round 1 winners should play each other in Round 3 and ideally the top 2 seeds don't play each other in Round 1.
Most likely Kilkenny v Wexford and Galway v Dublin in Round 3 for example will be for the group win. Antrim v Kildare and Offaly v Laois in Round 3 would be for avoiding the relegation playoff and making the quarter finals.
While 3 from 4 hasn't suited football. It might suit Leinster hurling where there is the threat of relegation. The knockout rounds might attract more crowds so could suit Leinster having 3 knockout rounds.
Example quarter finals: Wexford v Offaly and Dublin v Antrim.
Example semi finals: Kilkenny v Dublin or Antrim and Galway v Wexford or Offaly.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 8929 - 12/06/2025 10:43:49    2616868

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Am I alone in thinking there's too many tiers in hurling as it is?

Personally think Joe/Ring should merge as well as Nicky/Lory.

Three tiers seems reasonable. Must be tough being at the bottom in the Meagher and seeing so many tiers above you to climb.

trimmer (Meath) - Posts: 545 - 12/06/2025 11:42:13    2616892

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Replying To trimmer:  "Am I alone in thinking there's too many tiers in hurling as it is?

Personally think Joe/Ring should merge as well as Nicky/Lory.

Three tiers seems reasonable. Must be tough being at the bottom in the Meagher and seeing so many tiers above you to climb."
Seeing as those Counties have about 10 clubs between them they're not going to be rising too far.

Seanfanbocht (Roscommon) - Posts: 2406 - 12/06/2025 12:01:41    2616896

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Replying To trimmer:  "Am I alone in thinking there's too many tiers in hurling as it is?

Personally think Joe/Ring should merge as well as Nicky/Lory.

Three tiers seems reasonable. Must be tough being at the bottom in the Meagher and seeing so many tiers above you to climb."
Yes and no. There can a be a quick drop off in standard in hurling. This year's league had every block of 7 evenly balanced. Next year possibly has 8 and 9 in 1A. 6, 7, 15 and 16 in 1B and so on. That might shape if 3 lower tiers of 8 instead of 4 lower tiers of 6 should be considered.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 8929 - 12/06/2025 12:26:16    2616905

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Replying To trimmer:  "Am I alone in thinking there's too many tiers in hurling as it is?

Personally think Joe/Ring should merge as well as Nicky/Lory.

Three tiers seems reasonable. Must be tough being at the bottom in the Meagher and seeing so many tiers above you to climb."
Doesn't help either when New York get parachuted in out of nowhere

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 2390 - 12/06/2025 13:08:13    2616921

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Replying To trimmer:  "Am I alone in thinking there's too many tiers in hurling as it is?

Personally think Joe/Ring should merge as well as Nicky/Lory.

Three tiers seems reasonable. Must be tough being at the bottom in the Meagher and seeing so many tiers above you to climb."
Yes no need for four tiers. It was be difficult to get enthusiasm to play in that 4th.

Canuck (Waterford) - Posts: 3108 - 12/06/2025 14:43:27    2616955

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Replying To Canuck:  "Yes no need for four tiers. It was be difficult to get enthusiasm to play in that 4th."
There are actually five tiers at the moment!

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2944 - 13/06/2025 11:22:40    2617153

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Replying To trimmer:  "Am I alone in thinking there's too many tiers in hurling as it is?

Personally think Joe/Ring should merge as well as Nicky/Lory.

Three tiers seems reasonable. Must be tough being at the bottom in the Meagher and seeing so many tiers above you to climb."
Don't see that there is too many tiers. Doubt counties at bottom tier see it as too many more they see it as more realistic opportunities to be competitive which is a good thing. No?

KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3780 - 13/06/2025 11:36:27    2617158

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Replying To trimmer:  "Am I alone in thinking there's too many tiers in hurling as it is?

Personally think Joe/Ring should merge as well as Nicky/Lory.

Three tiers seems reasonable. Must be tough being at the bottom in the Meagher and seeing so many tiers above you to climb."
Any team at the bottom of the Lory Meagher worrying about the tiers above them would be getting way ahead of themselves. Why are they worrying about having to win the tiers above them if they can't win their own tier?

There's no real churn between the tiers in hurling, and definitely no consistent rising through the ranks. This year's Lory Meagher group had 6 teams. All 6 teams were either in the Lory Meagher the year it started in 2009, or the year they started fielding (Lancashire, 2015). Truth is Lory Meagher teams can't hack it at Nicky Rackard level.

Similarly, 4 of this years 6 Nicky Rackard teams were there back in 2006 when it started, and 5 of the 6 teams in this year's Christy Ring were there in 2006 too.

There's a small number of honourable exceptions; Donegal and Tyrone were initially in the Lory Meagher but became consistent Nicky Rackard winners. Sligo were Rackard level before spending a few years down in Lory Meagher and then a few seasons in Christy Ring. They're back in the Rackard now though.

CastleBravo (Meath) - Posts: 1684 - 13/06/2025 14:47:42    2617206

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