My review of the season in hurling I would say was quite enjoyable. Taking all grades into consideration I feel that with a limited number of teams we had some highs & lows.My high points on the hurling year would be.... Tipp's 2 in a row Munster Championship KK winning the 4 in a row some achivement but dissapointed it was Tipp they beat. Clare winning the U/21 Munster & All-Ireland finals. Carlow winning the Christy Ring for second year running & finally getting their chance to play in Liam Mc next year Dublin finally breaking through to a Leinster Final & AI QF. Waterford getting to 4 Munster Finals was some achievement in all grades I reckon especially in a strong Munster Championship All Ireland & League finals were probably the best in years Tommy Walsh having another great year Waterford v Galway last 5 mins Joe Canning , Noel McGrath , Colin Ryan & Padraig Maher had some outstanding games all year. Low Points The Cork Strike The GAA's decision making on Liam McCarthy Status put a question mark on the future of the game I could go on forever. What was your highs & lows of this years hurling championship?????

WildPundit (Tipperary) - Posts: 1709 - 15/09/2009 18:43:31    426934

Every year is a good year for hurling.

Joe Canning however was not so ood, but is still a great talent.

For me Aaron Graffin was the most improved player in the game.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 15/09/2009 20:12:26    426998

Wildpundit, i'm not going to repeat basically all you've said but I would say overall it was a good year for hurling, in particular the final had a huge audience (bigger than Ireland v Cyprus) which should stand the game in good stead. Highpoints: Dublins breakthrough - long overdue and will be back better next year. John Mullane point v Galway - individual moment of the year for me. Carlow winning the CR cup - now the real work starts. Padraic Maher's performance in the final. The evidence that the gap between KK and the rest is closing. Clare winning the U-21 - a huge boost for hurling in ALL counties. The hurling championship being far FAR better than the football snore..... Lowpoints. The decline in Wexford hurling. It's been going on for a few years but some of us die-hards cant give up supporting them when most have. The nationwide fall-off in attendances - GAA need to look at their ticket prices for next year as well as where they play their games. The continuing practice of players exercising loopholes and the general mess of the disciplinary procedure. The continuing lip service being played to club players - wait around for the summer and then get them to play 3 games in a week. Current biggest issue for me. The mess the GAA have made of the LMcC cup - why not let everyone who wants to compete do so?

Pinkie (Wexford) - Posts: 4100 - 15/09/2009 21:24:18    427077

Well it was a average year, a class final put some gloss on it.. Kilkenny and galway was good , munster championship was poor and qualifiers wer poor .. Apart from final kilkenny never looked like losein.. Also the relegation saga was a joke n cork strike..

Here a stat from last 4 finals , kilkenny have opened there scoring of each finals from henry shefflin with tap over frees in canal end and in last 3 finals they have got a goal then another straight after..! Just thought id mention it..

Lofty (Monaghan) - Posts: 727 - 15/09/2009 21:56:10    427115

I'd be more upbeat than most even without taking Tipps decent year into it. Galway were a success in Leinster I think, Dublin have improved again from last year, Laois had a fantastic year, Cork pulled it together and didnt do too bad after the trouble at the start, Waterford held their own again and werent a million miles off KK. There are negatives, however fantastic for Clare last Sunday, so keep a positive outlook lads!

tiobraid (Tipperary) - Posts: 4119 - 15/09/2009 22:09:44    427146

Think it has been a great year for hurling. Every major championship was won by different counties - Kilkenny - Senior, Galway - Minor, Cork - Intermediate, Clare - U21, Carlow - Christy Ring, All Ireland Colleges - Tipperary.
A great spread and a great boost for hurling in all these counties. Dublin making the breakthrough another big plus. Galway in Leinster a big success. Overall there is far more to be positive about compared to last year where Kilkenny did the Grand Slam and finals were poor.

On the negative side the GAA made a right balls of the Championship and the relegation issue became a joke. Antrim are still lost after playing in Leinster. Cork's strike overshadowed the NAtional League.
Overall though I think we have far more to be positive bout than negative

solo (Kilkenny) - Posts: 314 - 16/09/2009 09:48:00    427441

I think it has been a good year for hurling.

For me the high point was seeing Clare win the Under 21 championship last Sunday. I'm not a Clare man and it's Limerick or nothing in terms of my support, but to see a non-traditional county take on the mighty cats and have the self belief they showed to win it was a special achievement. All credit to the management and the players, it was a fine team. Second, just about was Kilkenny's second goal in the Senior final. It was Kilkenny all out. They weren't apologising for the penalty they got nor were they standing up admiring the scoreboard, they won the next puck out, drove it back down into enemy territory and worked a brilliant move for a goal. It was Kilkenny all out.

The low point for me was the start of the second half in the Limerick V Tipp all-Ireland semi final. We were 13 points down and missed 2 frees. Tipp got the next 2 balls & scored points. In 1981 we came back from being 13 points down to Tipp. In 1996 we came back from being 10 points down to them. In 2009, sadly that fight was not there. It was an extremely low point.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 16/09/2009 10:00:04    427451

Definately more optimistic now than at the same stage last year. There are now at least two genuine contenders for a next years betting and just about all counties (except Wexfords and Antrim maybe) have some chinks of light to look towards improvement next year.

Clare winning the U21 is massive for the game as a whole in my opinion.

Galway Minors may be able to do what many promising underage galway teams have not done in the past and move it up to senior.

Laois should be rightly proud of themselves and have a right run at shaking a few more next year.

Waterfords Seniors may have come to the end of a great decade but they too have good underage successes to bolster.

The Dubs had a great year and confidence will breed results, more late appearances in the championship to follow and they will break through at some stage

Cork, Offaly, Limerick have issues with older players, board struggles and competition from rugby etc but they will ebb and flow and expect a big year form one of them soon.

I also think the League was well fought and taen seriously more this year than in the past and that goes to make it a year round sport and more of a challenge for all.

There are downsides (the GAA should be ashamed of the relegation mess but enough has been written about that) but all in all there is plenty to be bouyant about at the back end of the year.

EamonCorcoran (Tipperary) - Posts: 167 - 16/09/2009 10:08:29    427456

By its own high standards I thought this year was a very poor year for the Hurling Championship. From what I saw, and I didn't see the final, there was no remotely epic game this year. Most years there are 4/5. It was very predictable as well.

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12295 - 16/09/2009 10:12:17    427460

Right I've been saving this for a while, but I'm going to let rip now..

Lads I'm sick of this condescending approach towards Clare. People here have really short memories. We came within 2 points of Tipp this year, we hammered Limerick and Waterford out the gate last year, and we have had very strong minor and U21 teams for the last 3-4 years (fair enough this year is the first time the rest of the country saw it but it had been building for some time, these players dont just appear out of thin air!)

Don't get me wrong. I greatly appreciate the well-wishers outside Clare on our U21 success, it's great to see such dignity and sportmanship. But to put out this idea that we're "making a breakthrough" or are currently "doing well for a non-traditional county" is complete garbage...we're as traditional and as proud a hurling county as Tipp or KK.

Thanks.

banner_boy (Clare) - Posts: 1285 - 16/09/2009 10:43:18    427491

A wonderful final disguises the fact that most of the rest of the championship was pretty ordinary. Galway made some progress but ultimately showed the same old failings when the real pressure of knockout started. Both semi-finals were won with ease: Tipp in a canter and Kilkenny without having to move from second gear. Limerick and Wexford regressed significantly while the media hype about Dublin proved largely unfounded as they came up short when they had a serious chance of making the last four.

football first (None) - Posts: 1259 - 16/09/2009 10:59:33    427502

we're as traditional and as proud a hurling county as Tipp or KK.

I dont think anyone would disagree that they are as traditional or proud as tipp or kk but clare have not been anywhere as near as successful as these counties which is why it was good to see them win an all-ireland title this year.

bad.monkey (USA) - Posts: 4649 - 16/09/2009 11:29:56    427546

fair enough bad monkey, of course we're not as successful as Tipp or KK, but we still deserve respect, certainly as much as galway, waterford, limerick etc given that we've won just as much (if not more!).

banner_boy (Clare) - Posts: 1285 - 16/09/2009 12:06:18    427587

banner_boy wrote: Don't get me wrong. I greatly appreciate the well-wishers outside Clare on our U21 success, it's great to see such dignity and sportmanship. But to put out this idea that we're "making a breakthrough" or are currently "doing well for a non-traditional county" is complete garbage...we're as traditional and as proud a hurling county as Tipp or KK. I'm sorry I don't agree with you. I don't even consider Limerick as an established county because there are only 3 - Kilkenny, Cork and Tipp. Outside of that you have Limerick with 7 All-Irelands, Dublin with 6, Wexford with 5 (??), Offaly with 4, Galway with 3. This is the Clare u21's first time winning the munster or All-Ireland crown correct? Well is that not a breakthrough? For Limerick to win a Munster or all-Ireland at any level from minor up would be a breakthrough in my eyes as we're not doing that right now. So no, Clare are not a traditional hurling county as there is no record of long term repeated success.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 16/09/2009 12:08:20    427590

A great year for Hurling, Galway added alot to the hurling in Leinster and the Qualifiers.
I would add to the previous submissions - The Club Semi final Cushendall v De La Salle a thriller up to the last minute of normal time but when the 70 yard sideline cut flew over the bar to equalise for De La Salle it was heartbreaking for the Ruairi Ogs with only one outcome in extra time.
Its not always the skill and intensity it can also be the romance of the game e.g. Tyrone winning their first ever piece of hurling silverware in the form of the Lory Meagher (in Croke Park) on Saturday 11th July and most likely there were big eleventh night celebrations in the four hurling clubs of Tyrone.

Brian_Coyote (Antrim) - Posts: 346 - 16/09/2009 12:33:43    427622

best moment for pure skill and to show what an art hurling is Eoin Kelly ( Waterford ) first time volley against KK saved from PJ Ryan. two bits of sheer brilliance.

personal point of view simon lambert made a last minute block on Wexford player dont know who??? was about to equailise in Leinster semi final then he went up the other field and got winning point. ( what a 2 point swing )

MURPHB33 (Dublin) - Posts: 166 - 16/09/2009 13:01:16    427656

Slight correction there slayer - Galway have 4 senior titles, 8 minors and 9 U21's but I would not agree with banner-boy re Clare having 3 seniors, 1 minor and 1 U21 means they can be now classed with the likes KK and Cork just yet!

tommy k (Galway) - Posts: 3470 - 16/09/2009 13:17:39    427681

A great year for hurling.

Clare under 21. History.
Galway and Antrim in Leinster. History.
Carlow again winning the Christy, Tyrone the Lowry and Meath winning the Nicky.
The All Ireland Final - probably the best final in a long long time.
Kilkenny Galway match.
The rising of the Dubs as a force continuing.
Some great young players - Maher, McGrath, Canning, etc
Laois proving us all wrong.
Club all ireland saw great matches in the semi's.
The League final.

But best of all:

4 in a row. One of the great teams ever.

The low points:
The continuing weakness of Wexford and Offaly. As a Leinster man I'd love to see these two great hurling counties back where they belong but given the lack of under age talent (especially in Wexford), I'm slightly concerned. I think Wexford without injuries would probably have put on a much better show and hopefully Offaly in the League in Division 1 will help.
The Cork strike again and its disruption of the league.
The relegation fiasco.
The Plan A fiasco.
Clare manager's comments about their relegation to Division II - their own fault they couldn't beat an unfit team of 14 Cork lads - and a lack of respect to teh counties down there. Lets hope Wexford get promoted.

Puddersthecat (Kilkenny) - Posts: 1692 - 16/09/2009 13:34:31    427700

My Highpoint: Dublin making a breakthrough. Reached the leinster final for the first time in 18 years or so and ataking som ebig scalps in the league.

My Lowpoint: Not making the semi final. A great oppurtunity missed!

ConnollyDub (Dublin) - Posts: 2007 - 16/09/2009 13:40:24    427710

Its funny that the only posters who think it was a poor year for hurling are from Cavan, Monaghan and All.

solo (Kilkenny) - Posts: 314 - 16/09/2009 16:48:27    427946