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6 Teams Left In A Hurling May 24Th

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Replying To tirawleybaron:  "At the moment - Hurling does a great job of getting out of the way of the All Ireland football championship - and because of its round robin provincials - also doesn't match footballs provincials for excitement.

There is always another way - keeping 13 counties hurling in Liam Mc Carthy until 1st weekend of june - 12 until mid june, 8 until start of july.

All Ireland Hurling finals on August Bank Holiday
- Liam McCarthy on Sunday + Nicky Rackard
- Joe McDonagh Christy Ring, and Lory Meagher on the Saturday

Mid July - Semi finals in the above

Start July - qfinals in Liam McCarthy - 8 teams - provincial finals + prelim qfinal winners

Mid June - Provincial finals (4 teams) + Prelim Qfinals (8 teams)

Finish round robins on June Bank Holiday

That would mean for 2026
Munster final - Cork v Tipp
Leinster final - Galway v Dublin

Prelim qfinals
Clare v (Carlow/Laois)
Offaly v Kildare
Waterford v Wexford
Kilkenny v Tipp

To facilitate that - you would have to change Leinster to 2 x groups of 4 - all finished by mid May
A - Galway, Dublin, Offaly, Kilkenny
B - Wexford, Kildare, Carlow, Laois
Leinster Semi - Winner A v Winner B + 2nd A v 3rd A - June bank holiday

Leinster Play offs (June bank holiday)
PO1 - 4th A v 4th B,
PO2 - 2nd B v 3rd B

Loser PO1 v loser PO2 - winner into All Ireland series (played 1st weekend June)

Leinster would have 5 spots in prelim q finals - Leinster semi losers (2) + Leinster play off winners (2)"
Extending the intercounty season into August got shot down before the motion even went before Congress this year.
No point devising structures or formats that can't happen.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 20001 - 01/06/2026 12:55:44    2676997

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Replying To Viking66:  "Extending the intercounty season into August got shot down before the motion even went before Congress this year.
No point devising structures or formats that can't happen."
The fact remains that all the hurling is done by 24th May - with only a handfull of matches left after that.
SO 90% of intercounty hurling is done in 4.5 months.

Considering how only 10 counties have a realistic shot at a club all ireland - why the big panic to run off the intercounty hurling season? I know Vikings answer - so Wexford can have an over-elaborate club championship in hurling and football

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1890 - 03/06/2026 15:59:27    2677677

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Replying To tirawleybaron:  "The fact remains that all the hurling is done by 24th May - with only a handfull of matches left after that.
SO 90% of intercounty hurling is done in 4.5 months.

Considering how only 10 counties have a realistic shot at a club all ireland - why the big panic to run off the intercounty hurling season? I know Vikings answer - so Wexford can have an over-elaborate club championship in hurling and football"
How do you mean only 10 counties?
OLG won it in 2024. They only beat Cushendall by a point in the AISF. Cushendall themselves only beat Dunloy by a point in the Antrim final. And Portaferry from Down took them to ET in the Ulster semifinal. And they only beat Slaughtneil from Derry in the Ulster final by 4.
In 2025 Sars from Cork only beat Slaughtneil from Derry by a point in the AISF. Slaughtneil only beat Portaferry by a goal in the Ulster final, and needed extra time to beat Cushendall in the USF.
In the last decade clubs from Kilkenny, Laois, Wexford, Dublin, and Offaly have reached Leinster finals. In the last dozen years another Carlow club reached an AI Final.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 20001 - 03/06/2026 17:17:24    2677710

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The problem is too many players are playing Fitzgibbon/Club/County, and in many counties its hurling and football for club.
The only real way around this is for players to play for 1 or 2 of these max.
Otherwise, we have the calendar we have and nothing can be done about it.
When I started hurling, April was "club month". It was not ideal because you had no idea when you would play next but maybe its time to reduce the league and make something like April/June/August "club windows", while May/July/September/October are "county windows"? In all but a max of 8 counties, October would be club window as well.
I have not thought this through fully but at present, clubs in America are winning most with Tipp/Kilkenny/Wexford/Waterford out of the championship.

StoreysTash (Wexford) - Posts: 2102 - 04/06/2026 12:49:59    2677851

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Replying To Viking66:  "How do you mean only 10 counties?
OLG won it in 2024. They only beat Cushendall by a point in the AISF. Cushendall themselves only beat Dunloy by a point in the Antrim final. And Portaferry from Down took them to ET in the Ulster semifinal. And they only beat Slaughtneil from Derry in the Ulster final by 4.
In 2025 Sars from Cork only beat Slaughtneil from Derry by a point in the AISF. Slaughtneil only beat Portaferry by a goal in the Ulster final, and needed extra time to beat Cushendall in the USF.
In the last decade clubs from Kilkenny, Laois, Wexford, Dublin, and Offaly have reached Leinster finals. In the last dozen years another Carlow club reached an AI Final."
Only 11 counties have ever won it and only 5 in the last 20 years.

I was being generous with 10.

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1890 - 04/06/2026 14:58:54    2677903

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Replying To tirawleybaron:  "The fact remains that all the hurling is done by 24th May - with only a handfull of matches left after that.
SO 90% of intercounty hurling is done in 4.5 months.

Considering how only 10 counties have a realistic shot at a club all ireland - why the big panic to run off the intercounty hurling season? I know Vikings answer - so Wexford can have an over-elaborate club championship in hurling and football"
It is to do with the tv schedule too. RTE dictate fixtures from that point of view. It would be great if we ran the munster championship round robin into the middle of June but the clashes with football qualifiers just wouldnt allow it from a media and tv perspective. The elephant in the room is the split season. Its an issue and I see both sides of the argument. It does compress the intercounty scene into a very tight and restrictive window though and that's just a fact.

Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 579 - 04/06/2026 15:57:35    2677923

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Replying To tirawleybaron:  "Only 11 counties have ever won it and only 5 in the last 20 years.

I was being generous with 10."
6 counties in the last 20 years. May as well be smart if you are being smart.
No club from Cork, Tipp, Clare, Wexford or Offaly have won it in the last 20 years and they are all tier 1 counties. So it would be reasonable to expect another club from those counties might win it sometime. 2 other county clubs have reached finals also.
Only clubs from 7 counties have won the Football equivalent in the last 20 years either.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 20001 - 04/06/2026 16:15:56    2677928

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Football is no better, I didn't claim it was

The likes of Cavan, Fermanagh, Kilkenny, Leitrim, London, Louth, Waterford or Wexford should be pushing for a Tier 2 club title as they haven't a hope of ever winning a Club All Ireland in Football as they haven't even won a club provincial title. you could throw in Carlow, Meath, Offaly, Sligo, Kildare, Clare, Donegal, Longford, Westmeath, Tipperary and Tyrone in to that competition as they have never won an All Ireland either.


A lot is made of finishing the intercounty season early, but for 21 counties in Hurling and 19 in football, pushing the provincial and All Ireland club championships back isn't relevant at all.

In some 18 counties - Sligo, Meath, Kildare, Donegal, Longford, Westmeath, Tyrone, Mayo, Cavan, Fermanagh, Leitrim, London, Louth, Wexford, Laois, Carlow, Offaly, London. A 2nd tier title in either code would be worth celebrating as they either don't win the Senior titles in either code or haven't won for a long time.

Those 18 counties shouldn't be bothered by a delay to the club championship as their clubs don't last long once they get past their own county championship.

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1890 - 05/06/2026 11:07:37    2678066

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Replying To tirawleybaron:  "Football is no better, I didn't claim it was

The likes of Cavan, Fermanagh, Kilkenny, Leitrim, London, Louth, Waterford or Wexford should be pushing for a Tier 2 club title as they haven't a hope of ever winning a Club All Ireland in Football as they haven't even won a club provincial title. you could throw in Carlow, Meath, Offaly, Sligo, Kildare, Clare, Donegal, Longford, Westmeath, Tipperary and Tyrone in to that competition as they have never won an All Ireland either.


A lot is made of finishing the intercounty season early, but for 21 counties in Hurling and 19 in football, pushing the provincial and All Ireland club championships back isn't relevant at all.

In some 18 counties - Sligo, Meath, Kildare, Donegal, Longford, Westmeath, Tyrone, Mayo, Cavan, Fermanagh, Leitrim, London, Louth, Wexford, Laois, Carlow, Offaly, London. A 2nd tier title in either code would be worth celebrating as they either don't win the Senior titles in either code or haven't won for a long time.

Those 18 counties shouldn't be bothered by a delay to the club championship as their clubs don't last long once they get past their own county championship."
Our Footballers are still playing, so we couldnt start our club championships now .

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 20001 - 05/06/2026 11:50:27    2678094

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Replying To tirawleybaron:  "Football is no better, I didn't claim it was

The likes of Cavan, Fermanagh, Kilkenny, Leitrim, London, Louth, Waterford or Wexford should be pushing for a Tier 2 club title as they haven't a hope of ever winning a Club All Ireland in Football as they haven't even won a club provincial title. you could throw in Carlow, Meath, Offaly, Sligo, Kildare, Clare, Donegal, Longford, Westmeath, Tipperary and Tyrone in to that competition as they have never won an All Ireland either.


A lot is made of finishing the intercounty season early, but for 21 counties in Hurling and 19 in football, pushing the provincial and All Ireland club championships back isn't relevant at all.

In some 18 counties - Sligo, Meath, Kildare, Donegal, Longford, Westmeath, Tyrone, Mayo, Cavan, Fermanagh, Leitrim, London, Louth, Wexford, Laois, Carlow, Offaly, London. A 2nd tier title in either code would be worth celebrating as they either don't win the Senior titles in either code or haven't won for a long time.

Those 18 counties shouldn't be bothered by a delay to the club championship as their clubs don't last long once they get past their own county championship."
Our Footballers are still playing, so we couldnt start our club championships now .
And as regards any club in the country winning an AI all it takes is an exceptional group to come along at the same time, and that wouldn't be dependent on the county you are from.
A Tyrone club was in the AI final only 2 years ago. A Mayo club hasnt been in one in around 10 years. As you say, a long time ago?

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 20001 - 05/06/2026 11:56:29    2678096

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Replying To tirawleybaron:  "Football is no better, I didn't claim it was

The likes of Cavan, Fermanagh, Kilkenny, Leitrim, London, Louth, Waterford or Wexford should be pushing for a Tier 2 club title as they haven't a hope of ever winning a Club All Ireland in Football as they haven't even won a club provincial title. you could throw in Carlow, Meath, Offaly, Sligo, Kildare, Clare, Donegal, Longford, Westmeath, Tipperary and Tyrone in to that competition as they have never won an All Ireland either.


A lot is made of finishing the intercounty season early, but for 21 counties in Hurling and 19 in football, pushing the provincial and All Ireland club championships back isn't relevant at all.

In some 18 counties - Sligo, Meath, Kildare, Donegal, Longford, Westmeath, Tyrone, Mayo, Cavan, Fermanagh, Leitrim, London, Louth, Wexford, Laois, Carlow, Offaly, London. A 2nd tier title in either code would be worth celebrating as they either don't win the Senior titles in either code or haven't won for a long time.

Those 18 counties shouldn't be bothered by a delay to the club championship as their clubs don't last long once they get past their own county championship."
I wouldn't agree with tiering the football club championship the way you're saying. Strong clubs can come from counties which are weaker at intercounty level. The likes of Éire Óg and O'Hanrahan's were very competitive at different stages. We've had the Nire well able to match the Cork and Kerry champions in some years. Clonmel likewise. St. Gall's were the best team in the country at one point. Mullinaghta winning Leinster. There's a very long list of clubs that have competed at a high level from lower level counties.
How would you even decide to tier it and how would you align it with a county team's performance?
Then you have counties like Galway, Dublin and Cork who are dual, meaning championship matches are every second weekend and will often have teams going as far as All-Ireland club finals. Very difficult to get a championship played off in time.

WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2893 - 05/06/2026 12:06:41    2678101

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Replying To tirawleybaron:  "Football is no better, I didn't claim it was

The likes of Cavan, Fermanagh, Kilkenny, Leitrim, London, Louth, Waterford or Wexford should be pushing for a Tier 2 club title as they haven't a hope of ever winning a Club All Ireland in Football as they haven't even won a club provincial title. you could throw in Carlow, Meath, Offaly, Sligo, Kildare, Clare, Donegal, Longford, Westmeath, Tipperary and Tyrone in to that competition as they have never won an All Ireland either.


A lot is made of finishing the intercounty season early, but for 21 counties in Hurling and 19 in football, pushing the provincial and All Ireland club championships back isn't relevant at all.

In some 18 counties - Sligo, Meath, Kildare, Donegal, Longford, Westmeath, Tyrone, Mayo, Cavan, Fermanagh, Leitrim, London, Louth, Wexford, Laois, Carlow, Offaly, London. A 2nd tier title in either code would be worth celebrating as they either don't win the Senior titles in either code or haven't won for a long time.

Those 18 counties shouldn't be bothered by a delay to the club championship as their clubs don't last long once they get past their own county championship."
Can't help thinking you're being a little inconsistent.

Here, you're basically saying to several counties/teams: "there's no need for you to even be bothered with that competition, because you probably wouldn't go very far in it anyway".

But in other threads, you're trying to find a way to add more counties to the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, despite the fact that they probably wouldn't go very far there either.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3765 - 05/06/2026 15:32:09    2678177

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "Can't help thinking you're being a little inconsistent.

Here, you're basically saying to several counties/teams: "there's no need for you to even be bothered with that competition, because you probably wouldn't go very far in it anyway".

But in other threads, you're trying to find a way to add more counties to the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, despite the fact that they probably wouldn't go very far there either."
each thread has a different topic.

The consistent them is that the hurling championship is a closed shop and the stronger counties do little to spread the game, and the weaker ones have little hope anyway.

The solution for hurling is amalgamation in weaker areas and more access to higher level hurling once amalgamated.

There is no reason why a 14 county hurling All Ireland wouldn't be possible if you added 4 amalgamated regions
Connacht, Ulster, North Leinster, Laois/Wicklow/Kildare/Carlow and add them to the 5 Munster and 5 Leinster.

Then if Laois, or Antrim or Westmeath get promoted, just recut the regions to suit - like the Kerry football senior championship.
Over time, that can be extended to 16 teams.

A 2 tier club championship is a no brainer - half of the counties in the competitions (in both codes) will never will an all Ireland club - so why not have a 2nd tier.

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1890 - 10/06/2026 16:45:34    2678891

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Replying To tirawleybaron:  "each thread has a different topic.

The consistent them is that the hurling championship is a closed shop and the stronger counties do little to spread the game, and the weaker ones have little hope anyway.

The solution for hurling is amalgamation in weaker areas and more access to higher level hurling once amalgamated.

There is no reason why a 14 county hurling All Ireland wouldn't be possible if you added 4 amalgamated regions
Connacht, Ulster, North Leinster, Laois/Wicklow/Kildare/Carlow and add them to the 5 Munster and 5 Leinster.

Then if Laois, or Antrim or Westmeath get promoted, just recut the regions to suit - like the Kerry football senior championship.
Over time, that can be extended to 16 teams.

A 2 tier club championship is a no brainer - half of the counties in the competitions (in both codes) will never will an all Ireland club - so why not have a 2nd tier."
How do you tier the club championships? I've listed off a good number of clubs from weaker counties who were very competitive at club level. Is someone's opinion on whether a county has a club which can win an All-Ireland the only measure of whether that county's clubs should be in tier 1? Antrim have more football club All-Irelands than Donegal and have been in 3 finals.
It'd be next to impossible to tier, given how clubs can fluctuate due to the number of them, compared to county teams.
Club teams come along like Kilmurry-Ibrickane who are capable of competing at provincial level. Likewise Clonmel in the past, Doonbeg, The Nire, Newcastle West etc.

WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2893 - 10/06/2026 18:11:17    2678904

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Replying To tirawleybaron:  "each thread has a different topic.

The consistent them is that the hurling championship is a closed shop and the stronger counties do little to spread the game, and the weaker ones have little hope anyway.

The solution for hurling is amalgamation in weaker areas and more access to higher level hurling once amalgamated.

There is no reason why a 14 county hurling All Ireland wouldn't be possible if you added 4 amalgamated regions
Connacht, Ulster, North Leinster, Laois/Wicklow/Kildare/Carlow and add them to the 5 Munster and 5 Leinster.

Then if Laois, or Antrim or Westmeath get promoted, just recut the regions to suit - like the Kerry football senior championship.
Over time, that can be extended to 16 teams.

A 2 tier club championship is a no brainer - half of the counties in the competitions (in both codes) will never will an all Ireland club - so why not have a 2nd tier."
Well, the amalgamated counties concept is imaginative anyway. I'll give you that.

How do you apply it to the Minor & U20 championships as well, and how do you address the inherent difficulty? i.e.:

- if these counties need to be amalgamated to bring them to a higher level, then surely that needs to start at a young age.

- but if there's just one team for all of Laois/Wicklow/Kildare/Carlow (for example), then only six to eight players from each of these counties get to play inter-county, instead of full squads of approx. 30 from each county. How does that help the other 22 or more?

Also consider geography. Presume "Team North Leinster" and "Team Rest of Leinster" (i.e. Laois/Wicklow/Kildare/Carlow) would play in the Leinster Championship. That would mean "Team Ulster" playing in Munster. Is that feasible?

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3765 - 10/06/2026 22:12:27    2678926

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The word is Cork fans not travelling to Thurles next week or Croker Park for Galway game. Saving themselves for the final against overselves in July. Is that corkiness or arrogance?

hlynch12 (Limerick) - Posts: 97 - 10/06/2026 23:21:18    2678931

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Replying To WanPintWin:  "How do you tier the club championships? I've listed off a good number of clubs from weaker counties who were very competitive at club level. Is someone's opinion on whether a county has a club which can win an All-Ireland the only measure of whether that county's clubs should be in tier 1? Antrim have more football club All-Irelands than Donegal and have been in 3 finals.
It'd be next to impossible to tier, given how clubs can fluctuate due to the number of them, compared to county teams.
Club teams come along like Kilmurry-Ibrickane who are capable of competing at provincial level. Likewise Clonmel in the past, Doonbeg, The Nire, Newcastle West etc."
Antrim have the same number of club all Irelands as Clare and Waterford, and more than Limerick or Wexford. Only 1 less than Tipp.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 20001 - 10/06/2026 23:41:22    2678934

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Replying To hlynch12:  "The word is Cork fans not travelling to Thurles next week or Croker Park for Galway game. Saving themselves for the final against overselves in July. Is that corkiness or arrogance?"
Good one. Some tickets went on general sale yesterday and were snapped up in minutes. Limerick raging hot favorites for the AI, and rightly so. If ye had converted half those wides last Sunday ye would have won easy. Hopefully, we can get over Offaly, who are much improved team.

bloodandbandage (Cork) - Posts: 584 - 11/06/2026 08:57:22    2678953

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Replying To Viking66:  "Antrim have the same number of club all Irelands as Clare and Waterford, and more than Limerick or Wexford. Only 1 less than Tipp."
True. Hurling is already tiered though, as the levels are much lower in some counties, many with only a handful of hurling clubs. The winners of some county championships go into the All-Ireland intermediate and junior championships.
However, football is much more difficult to tier, as there are and have been strong clubs from many counties, including those considered weaker at intercounty level.

WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2893 - 11/06/2026 09:31:25    2678958

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "Well, the amalgamated counties concept is imaginative anyway. I'll give you that.

How do you apply it to the Minor & U20 championships as well, and how do you address the inherent difficulty? i.e.:

- if these counties need to be amalgamated to bring them to a higher level, then surely that needs to start at a young age.

- but if there's just one team for all of Laois/Wicklow/Kildare/Carlow (for example), then only six to eight players from each of these counties get to play inter-county, instead of full squads of approx. 30 from each county. How does that help the other 22 or more?

Also consider geography. Presume "Team North Leinster" and "Team Rest of Leinster" (i.e. Laois/Wicklow/Kildare/Carlow) would play in the Leinster Championship. That would mean "Team Ulster" playing in Munster. Is that feasible?"
Wouldn't the North Leinster team be pretty much the Westmeath team? Maybe the odd 1 or 2 from Louth and Longford?

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 20001 - 11/06/2026 09:59:27    2678960

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