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Greatest Hurling Upsets Of All Time

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Replying To Mayonman:  "I hear this a lot about the Antrim Offaly game but I actually had a few pound on Antrim. They had a decent team then and leinster hurling was not great so not a huge upset in my book although it was a breakthrough victory for Antrim"
Leinster hurling wasn't great? In the 4 years before and 5 years after that final Offaly and Kilkenny both won 2 AI titles each!!!! Munster counties, well just Cork and Tipp, only won 3 AI titles in those 9 years.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 12041 - 02/06/2023 11:07:19    2483541

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We in Wexford are on the wrong end of many of these upsets (some would say typical Wexford!), but I'm going to throw in one where we were on the right side....

1976 Leinster Final. A Kilkenny side going for their sixth provincial title and third All-Ireland in a row, and who'd blown away Westmeath in their semi-final, against a Wexford team who had struggled against Kildare in their own semi-final before winning it by four points.

The result? Wexford 2-20, Kilkenny 1-6.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2252 - 02/06/2023 11:47:26    2483549

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Replying To Mayonman:  "I hear this a lot about the Antrim Offaly game but I actually had a few pound on Antrim. They had a decent team then and leinster hurling was not great so not a huge upset in my book although it was a breakthrough victory for Antrim"
Leinster hurling was not great? Leinster teams won four of the ten All-Ireland's in the 1980s (the same as Munster) and five of the ten in the 1990s (also the same as Munster).

As I wrote above, what happened that year was that Offaly were poor. But they shocked Kilkenny in the Leinster final. That was the real shock in 1989. Antrim beat Offaly three times that year. Twice in the NHL in addition to the All-Ireland semi-final.

CARPS (Carlow) - Posts: 601 - 02/06/2023 12:47:40    2483565

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "We in Wexford are on the wrong end of many of these upsets (some would say typical Wexford!), but I'm going to throw in one where we were on the right side....

1976 Leinster Final. A Kilkenny side going for their sixth provincial title and third All-Ireland in a row, and who'd blown away Westmeath in their semi-final, against a Wexford team who had struggled against Kildare in their own semi-final before winning it by four points.

The result? Wexford 2-20, Kilkenny 1-6."
The 1960 AI final where we won by 10 points was a fair shock too at the time apparently although long before I was born!

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 12041 - 02/06/2023 12:49:01    2483566

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Replying To CARPS:  "Leinster hurling was not great? Leinster teams won four of the ten All-Ireland's in the 1980s (the same as Munster) and five of the ten in the 1990s (also the same as Munster).

As I wrote above, what happened that year was that Offaly were poor. But they shocked Kilkenny in the Leinster final. That was the real shock in 1989. Antrim beat Offaly three times that year. Twice in the NHL in addition to the All-Ireland semi-final."
NHL results meant very little back then. There were numerous shocks as many counties put so little pass on it.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 12041 - 02/06/2023 13:00:13    2483571

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There was also the Centenary Cup played in 1984. It was a knockout tournament to celebrate 100 years of the GAA.

Laois beat Limerick, Tipperary & Galway
Roscommon beat Wexford

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centenary_Cup

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 02/06/2023 13:23:32    2483576

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Replying To Viking66:  "NHL results meant very little back then. There were numerous shocks as many counties put so little pass on it."
In actual fact, the league was taken more seriously then than it is now. Because the All-Ireland was straight knock out, back then, and half the teams only had one game a year.

And the league was even moreso a preserve of the "traditional" counties than the championship: Clare and Wexford didn't win league titles in the 1990s, but Cork, Kilkenny and Tipperary did.

CARPS (Carlow) - Posts: 601 - 02/06/2023 14:04:49    2483586

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Lads - I give you the 1971 National Hurling League

[url=]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1971%E2%80%9372_National_Hurling_League

Where Wicklow beat Westmeath, Kildare and drew with Galway 1-6 to 2-3

liam500 (Wicklow) - Posts: 175 - 02/06/2023 15:17:08    2483608

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Not exactly one of the greatest hurling upsets of all time but Limerick beating Cork in the first round of the Munster championship by a point in 2001 to knock them out was an incredible result.

The Limerick team of the mid 90s were gone into decline and Cork were defending Munster champions and had won the all Ireland in 99.

No one gave us a hope, I still remember the complete silence on the Cork terrace when the final whistle blew.. They were utterly shocked.

I couldn't talk properly for a few days afterwards my throat was so raw.. Great day for Limerick hurling..

skillet (Limerick) - Posts: 1065 - 02/06/2023 15:22:01    2483609

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Would anyone consider Loughgiel Shanrocks winning the All Ireland club in 2012 ? Didnt they beat Na Piarsaigh of Limerick in the semi final by around 9 points and won the final
beating Coolderry who had been fairly impressive in the Leinster and All Ireland series.

WildPundit (Tipperary) - Posts: 1709 - 02/06/2023 15:27:08    2483611

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Replying To CARPS:  "Carlow 1-17 Cork 1-12, National Hurling League, October 1962. Carlow had just won the All-Ireland intermediate championship, and it was their first game as a senior team.

Christy Ring scored 0-7 for Cork.

That Carlow team would reach two consecutive Leinster finals. They came really close to a breakthrough. However, in 1965, they suddenly went into a tailspin. The county would remain in the doldrums for four decades. Eventually they re-emerged in the mid 2000s."
now that is a shock result for sure..

Fairplayalways (Offaly) - Posts: 1034 - 02/06/2023 15:32:27    2483612

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Replying To mickcunningham:  "westmeath beating kerry to win the 1999 u 21 all ireland great day"
It was Mick but this thread is about hurling

Jack_Sparrow (Westmeath) - Posts: 1018 - 02/06/2023 17:00:12    2483624

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I would agree with an earlier poster that it's championship the real shocks are. I mean I've seen Kerry hurlers draw with Kilkenny in the league and beat Clare when they were all ireland champions. However that was when the big teams were "wintering well".Chanpionship wins are the real shocks.

CiarraiMick (Dublin) - Posts: 3678 - 03/06/2023 10:03:07    2483655

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Replying To CARPS:  "In actual fact, the league was taken more seriously then than it is now. Because the All-Ireland was straight knock out, back then, and half the teams only had one game a year.

And the league was even moreso a preserve of the "traditional" counties than the championship: Clare and Wexford didn't win league titles in the 1990s, but Cork, Kilkenny and Tipperary did."
Limerick won the most. Wexford and Offaly spent alot of the decade in div2 yet still won AIs.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 12041 - 03/06/2023 10:15:29    2483662

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Replying To WildPundit:  "Would anyone consider Loughgiel Shanrocks winning the All Ireland club in 2012 ? Didnt they beat Na Piarsaigh of Limerick in the semi final by around 9 points and won the final
beating Coolderry who had been fairly impressive in the Leinster and All Ireland series."
They have won 2 AI club titles. Antrims strongest clubs are very strong so no surprise really. Slaughtneil from Derry have been in the top 6 clubs in the country the last few years and Dunloy beat them this year.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 12041 - 03/06/2023 10:17:18    2483663

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Replying To WildPundit:  "Would anyone consider Loughgiel Shanrocks winning the All Ireland club in 2012 ? Didnt they beat Na Piarsaigh of Limerick in the semi final by around 9 points and won the final
beating Coolderry who had been fairly impressive in the Leinster and All Ireland series."
They had the great Liam Watson of course. 3 - 6 or something in the final? Phenomenal goal scorer. Ended up with Warwickshire and won Lory Meagher.

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 2583 - 03/06/2023 10:32:30    2483672

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Replying To CARPS:  "In actual fact, the league was taken more seriously then than it is now. Because the All-Ireland was straight knock out, back then, and half the teams only had one game a year.

And the league was even moreso a preserve of the "traditional" counties than the championship: Clare and Wexford didn't win league titles in the 1990s, but Cork, Kilkenny and Tipperary did."
Very true. I well remember Dublin playing in league in 70s against the big teams who had all of their stars hurling league unless they were injured.

Team selections varied little as there were not that many matches, and you didn't just pick lads to play in championships just on basis of maybe two or three - at most - championship games the year before, or club. So league was way you kept your spot, and they were fiercely contested.

Some of great games of those periods were the Clare/Kilkenny league finals 1977 and 1978, and when Galway started to beat the top teams in the league including winning the final the year they reached the 1975 AI final.

Big days for Dublin and other lesser beings were wins and even draws against the elite. Some fantastic league games back then.

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 2583 - 03/06/2023 10:42:04    2483674

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "We in Wexford are on the wrong end of many of these upsets (some would say typical Wexford!), but I'm going to throw in one where we were on the right side....

1976 Leinster Final. A Kilkenny side going for their sixth provincial title and third All-Ireland in a row, and who'd blown away Westmeath in their semi-final, against a Wexford team who had struggled against Kildare in their own semi-final before winning it by four points.

The result? Wexford 2-20, Kilkenny 1-6."
Yes, that day finished a few KK greats, incl. Eddie Keher. From what I remember, Martin Quigley was unbeatable the same day! From what I've seen of Wexford play, he's probably the finest player to wear the purple n gold. But more recently, Chin is right up there with him,

foreveryoung (USA) - Posts: 1926 - 04/06/2023 06:01:24    2483863

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Replying To slayer:  "There was also the Centenary Cup played in 1984. It was a knockout tournament to celebrate 100 years of the GAA.

Laois beat Limerick, Tipperary & Galway
Roscommon beat Wexford

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centenary_Cup"
Interesting! Laois's three wins were by a point and they lost by 15 in the final, meaning their scoring difference was -12 by the time it was over. I wonder if that's the most games played in a knockout competition, or the most wins anyway, by a team who ended up with a negative scoring difference. Leitrim 1994 in the football (Connacht/All-Ireland) springs to mind.

Tacaí Liatroma (Leitrim) - Posts: 1042 - 04/06/2023 22:11:50    2484065

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Replying To Fairplayalways:  "now that is a shock result for sure.."
1956 - Limerick were Munster champions and should have won Munster in 1956. However in that year's league they lost to both Kerry and Westmeath.

KnockaineyAbú (Limerick) - Posts: 96 - 04/06/2023 23:32:51    2484084

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