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Hurling Championship 2026

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Here's hoping for a cracking and sporting final tomorrow. May the best team win. Even though I would prefer to see Limerick win it, I don't disklike Galway and would not begrudge them the title. Let's just say, they are not Cork nor even Tipperary.

foreveryoung (USA) - Posts: 2607 - 18/07/2026 15:38:58    2686172

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Limerick by 12 tomorrow

TommyBermingham (Kildare) - Posts: 43 - 18/07/2026 21:53:53    2686211

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Galway for Liam. Can't see past Limerick though

RoyalStalwart24 (Meath) - Posts: 47 - 19/07/2026 13:16:14    2686239

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Routine stuff for Limerick so far, 5 ahead could easily be double that. Do Galway have gears to deliver a much improved 2nd half performance?

Gaa_lover (USA) - Posts: 4052 - 19/07/2026 16:23:00    2686246

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Obviously a very one sided final, I was hoping Galway might put up a display but they never really got going at all. Too many mistakes and a Limerick team who chased them down in 2's and 3's for most balls. Young Rabbitte did well but ball was hard got up to him. You have to wonder would it have been a closer game if Cork had been there. I'm sure it won't be long again before we see Galway back in a final again.

Square_B (Leitrim) - Posts: 2276 - 19/07/2026 17:08:53    2686251

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Replying To Square_B:  "Obviously a very one sided final, I was hoping Galway might put up a display but they never really got going at all. Too many mistakes and a Limerick team who chased them down in 2's and 3's for most balls. Young Rabbitte did well but ball was hard got up to him. You have to wonder would it have been a closer game if Cork had been there. I'm sure it won't be long again before we see Galway back in a final again."
Might have been closer but i think we did Cork a bit of a favour sparing them that today.

To think alot of Galway people i spoke to said they were glad Limerick won the semi as they reckon Clare would have been tougher.

Seniorleague (Galway) - Posts: 186 - 19/07/2026 17:16:38    2686253

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All so easy for Limerick could have won by 20 points if they wanted too. The best GAA team for me over the last few decades. Dublin footballers was good but this is more or less the the same group that won Limerick their 1st All-Ireland in 2018 since 1973.

Gaa_lover (USA) - Posts: 4052 - 19/07/2026 17:19:25    2686257

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Replying To Gaa_lover:  "All so easy for Limerick could have won by 20 points if they wanted too. The best GAA team for me over the last few decades. Dublin footballers was good but this is more or less the the same group that won Limerick their 1st All-Ireland in 2018 since 1973."
2 of the best teams of all time without a doubt.

This Limerick era have won 6 All Ireland's in 9 years including a 4 in a row.
Dubs won 8 All Ireland's in 10 years, 9 in 13 years, including 6 in a row.


As for today, it was men against boys and Limerick were a different class altogether. As you say, they could easily have won by 20pts if they wanted to.
Kiely is some manager.

Limerick had 10 different scorers and but for the Galway goalie they could have had 3 goals. Out of their 1-29 all but 5pts were from play. Outstanding.
Galway only scored 8pts from play.

I thought Galway would put up more of a challenge tbh but it just goes to show how good Limerick were today.
Fully deserved and they are a credit to the GAA.
Congrats and enjoy the celebrations.

The other counties have a hell of a lot of work to do to reach the level on show today. Limerick are the standard bearer once again.

Fionn (Dublin) - Posts: 5189 - 19/07/2026 19:35:15    2686291

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Congratulations to Limerick who are top of the chart again after losing out surprisingly to Dublin last year. Limerick's dominance is beginning to look a lot like Kilkenny's dominance in the previous couple of decades. I know it won't be discussed in media nor GAA circles but the gap between teams in Munster and Leinster is widening. People will point to Galway defeating Cork in the semi-final but I think this is a one-off rather than the norm. There was a significant gap between the two teams in the final today. Galway, Dublin and Offaly were all well beaten by Munster opposition in the latter stages of this year's hurling championship. Since Kilkenny's decline, no other county in the province of Leinster have been able to beat their Munster counterparts when it matters. If current trends continue then the All-Ireland hurling championship will be fought out between Munster counties in the future; with their Leinster counterparts watching from the sidelines. I don't think this is good for the hurling championship as there are a limited number of teams at All-Ireland standard prior to Leinster's current decline.

wicklowsupport (Wicklow) - Posts: 2260 - 19/07/2026 20:54:16    2686304

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Replying To wicklowsupport:  "Congratulations to Limerick who are top of the chart again after losing out surprisingly to Dublin last year. Limerick's dominance is beginning to look a lot like Kilkenny's dominance in the previous couple of decades. I know it won't be discussed in media nor GAA circles but the gap between teams in Munster and Leinster is widening. People will point to Galway defeating Cork in the semi-final but I think this is a one-off rather than the norm. There was a significant gap between the two teams in the final today. Galway, Dublin and Offaly were all well beaten by Munster opposition in the latter stages of this year's hurling championship. Since Kilkenny's decline, no other county in the province of Leinster have been able to beat their Munster counterparts when it matters. If current trends continue then the All-Ireland hurling championship will be fought out between Munster counties in the future; with their Leinster counterparts watching from the sidelines. I don't think this is good for the hurling championship as there are a limited number of teams at All-Ireland standard prior to Leinster's current decline."
This year was only the 1st year of the plan, plenty good hurlers to come through for us and hopefully better days in Croke Park

ColmFlaherty (Galway) - Posts: 174 - 19/07/2026 22:14:46    2686311

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My All-Star team:

1. Nickie Quaid
2. Ronan Glennon
3. Cillian Trayers
4. Barry Nash
5. Diarmuid Byrnes
6. Will O'Donoghue
7. Kyle Hayes
8. Tony Kelly
9. Tom Monaghan
10. Gearoid Hegarty
11. Aidan O'Connor
12. Cathal O'Neill
13. Jason Rabbitte
14. Brian Hayes
15. Peter Casey

ColmFlaherty (Galway) - Posts: 174 - 19/07/2026 22:34:29    2686316

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Replying To wicklowsupport:  "Congratulations to Limerick who are top of the chart again after losing out surprisingly to Dublin last year. Limerick's dominance is beginning to look a lot like Kilkenny's dominance in the previous couple of decades. I know it won't be discussed in media nor GAA circles but the gap between teams in Munster and Leinster is widening. People will point to Galway defeating Cork in the semi-final but I think this is a one-off rather than the norm. There was a significant gap between the two teams in the final today. Galway, Dublin and Offaly were all well beaten by Munster opposition in the latter stages of this year's hurling championship. Since Kilkenny's decline, no other county in the province of Leinster have been able to beat their Munster counterparts when it matters. If current trends continue then the All-Ireland hurling championship will be fought out between Munster counties in the future; with their Leinster counterparts watching from the sidelines. I don't think this is good for the hurling championship as there are a limited number of teams at All-Ireland standard prior to Leinster's current decline."
As recently as 2015 kilkenny were accused of destroying hurling with their dominance. It was their 8th all ireland in 10 seasons and they won it easily. They haven't won one since.
These things can change.

Seniorleague (Galway) - Posts: 186 - 19/07/2026 22:51:10    2686318

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Replying To ColmFlaherty:  "This year was only the 1st year of the plan, plenty good hurlers to come through for us and hopefully better days in Croke Park"
Unfortunately Galway hurlers have consistently performed poorly in All Ireland finals. 21 lost out of 26. There is nothing positive for Galway to take out of today. They were abysmal from start to finish.

endgame (Roscommon) - Posts: 2750 - 19/07/2026 23:28:30    2686323

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Replying To ColmFlaherty:  "This year was only the 1st year of the plan, plenty good hurlers to come through for us and hopefully better days in Croke Park"
Absolutely. Today came a bit to early for this Galway group. I'm sure they'll have better days ahead.

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 4613 - 20/07/2026 07:02:30    2686328

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Great occasion, but not a great game. Limericks big players all stood up, Lynch, Gillane, Hayes, Hegarty, Byrnes, all of them really, most of Galways didnt. Rabbitte did well on Casey, but found Finn hard to deal with. Whelan looked a little off from the start, Cathal Mannion didnt get on as much ball either.
Pints in Gills and Kennedys after were great though!

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 20287 - 20/07/2026 09:01:16    2686331

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It wasn't Galway's day yesterday

I have to say Galway fans are a class act, great craic and banter all day even in defeat, stayed until the end and never got nasty or bitter.

Class city, beauty county and even better people.

Going forward if its not going to be us (Limerick), I hope its Galway all the way

LimerickandProud (Limerick) - Posts: 288 - 20/07/2026 09:17:41    2686334

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Replying To endgame:  "Unfortunately Galway hurlers have consistently performed poorly in All Ireland finals. 21 lost out of 26. There is nothing positive for Galway to take out of today. They were abysmal from start to finish."
Didn't realise that stat tbh. Poor enough return.

Nearly as bad as the Mayo footballers record in Finals, unfortunately

Fionn (Dublin) - Posts: 5189 - 20/07/2026 10:03:51    2686338

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Replying To Fionn:  "2 of the best teams of all time without a doubt.

This Limerick era have won 6 All Ireland's in 9 years including a 4 in a row.
Dubs won 8 All Ireland's in 10 years, 9 in 13 years, including 6 in a row.


As for today, it was men against boys and Limerick were a different class altogether. As you say, they could easily have won by 20pts if they wanted to.
Kiely is some manager.

Limerick had 10 different scorers and but for the Galway goalie they could have had 3 goals. Out of their 1-29 all but 5pts were from play. Outstanding.
Galway only scored 8pts from play.

I thought Galway would put up more of a challenge tbh but it just goes to show how good Limerick were today.
Fully deserved and they are a credit to the GAA.
Congrats and enjoy the celebrations.

The other counties have a hell of a lot of work to do to reach the level on show today. Limerick are the standard bearer once again."
Surely time to address the elephant in the room Fionn and start the serious conversation of splitting Limerick in two?? ;)

TrueBlue35 (Dublin) - Posts: 360 - 20/07/2026 10:10:07    2686339

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Replying To endgame:  "Unfortunately Galway hurlers have consistently performed poorly in All Ireland finals. 21 lost out of 26. There is nothing positive for Galway to take out of today. They were abysmal from start to finish."
Well I'd say the one positive from yesterday was that we learned the one plan can't always work, it's a bad thing and a good thing though.

ColmFlaherty (Galway) - Posts: 174 - 20/07/2026 10:18:23    2686340

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Replying To giveitlong:  "Limerick even at 4/9 looks generous. Everything Galway touched turned to Gold the last day, and their work rate was off the charts. It will be very hard if not impossible to repeat that. It is not possible to state how poor Cork were, and the room Galway shooters were afforded. Limerick played poorly but still won, a sign of a very good team. Only hope I see for Galway is if Limerick feel they have enough done in the first half and slacken a bit."
Well there you have it and it was predictable I am sorry to say. Galway hurlers have not been able to give it everything in 2 consecutive games since the 1980s. It is a mystery, but their would not have been enough yesterday anyway against that Limerick effort.

giveitlong (Galway) - Posts: 1329 - 20/07/2026 10:44:05    2686342

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