National Forum

Two-Group Leinster SHC

(Oldest Posts First) - Go To The Latest Post


Replying To Pikeman96:  "As I keep pointing out, including whenever it's suggested for football, that provincial championships should be run as stand-alone knockout competitions between the League and the All-Ireland Championship, with no actual bearing on or link to the All-Irelands:

If you do that, they'll go the way of the camogie provincial championships. A "nice to win, but doesn't really matter". In time, they'd be no more than a glorified Walsh Cup or Munster Hurling League, and would have no more standing than either of them."
Wouldn't be so sure about that. The national hurling league is standalone and doing fine for what it is. With the history and tradition of provincial championships, as long as they keep their place in the calendar, I think they'd be ok. Irrelevant talk in hurling anyway as the Munster SHC is bringing in lot of money.

(Football is only one step away from standalone provincial championships after essentially having standalone finals this year. It seems however that the clamour to reward provincial winners might win out.)

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 9805 - 08/06/2026 09:10:30    2678609

Link

Replying To legendzxix:  "Wouldn't be so sure about that. The national hurling league is standalone and doing fine for what it is. With the history and tradition of provincial championships, as long as they keep their place in the calendar, I think they'd be ok. Irrelevant talk in hurling anyway as the Munster SHC is bringing in lot of money.

(Football is only one step away from standalone provincial championships after essentially having standalone finals this year. It seems however that the clamour to reward provincial winners might win out.)"
Nonsense. The national hurling league is a warm up competition. You tried this over on the football thread. GAA is built on local competition. County, provincial , All Ireland. Thats the system. The league is glorified pre season.

Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 567 - 08/06/2026 10:19:00    2678618

Link

Replying To Tadhg2020:  "Nonsense. The national hurling league is a warm up competition. You tried this over on the football thread. GAA is built on local competition. County, provincial , All Ireland. Thats the system. The league is glorified pre season."
Some impressive crowds in the national hurling league despite being the "warm up competition" you call it. Crowds are voting with their feet.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 9805 - 08/06/2026 11:23:39    2678629

Link

Replying To legendzxix:  "Wouldn't be so sure about that. The national hurling league is standalone and doing fine for what it is. With the history and tradition of provincial championships, as long as they keep their place in the calendar, I think they'd be ok. Irrelevant talk in hurling anyway as the Munster SHC is bringing in lot of money.

(Football is only one step away from standalone provincial championships after essentially having standalone finals this year. It seems however that the clamour to reward provincial winners might win out.)"
We'll have to agree to disagree, and we'll never find out who's right, because only way to get an answer would be to actually move to a system of National League - standalone provincial championships - start afresh with All-Ireland Championship. And I can't see that ever happening.

I really do believe though that if it did, it'd only be matter of time before the provincial championships would slip right down the pecking order. The traditional pomp and rivalry might sustain the Munster SHC in particular for a few years all right, but even that would be taken nowhere near as seriously after a few years.

Just suppose that three or four years in, Limerick & Cork are due to meet in a Munster Final but have also been drawn into the same group of the All-Ireland Championship and are due to meet again in the first round of that, a week or two later.

Do you really think both sides would bust a gut to win that Munster Final, or would it be more of the type of "shadow boxing" that you see when two teams meet in the League, a few weeks ahead of having to meet again in Championship?

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3763 - 08/06/2026 11:43:49    2678633

Link

Replying To Tadhg2020:  "Nonsense. The national hurling league is a warm up competition. You tried this over on the football thread. GAA is built on local competition. County, provincial , All Ireland. Thats the system. The league is glorified pre season."
Don't forget that the All-Ireland SHC was traditionally knockout and the All-Ireland Final was traditionally on the 1st Sunday in September. Galway traditionally entered the championship at the semi-final change bar 1959-69 when they competed in Munster.

As I pointed out in previous posts Galway are the cuckoo in the nest of Leinster Hurling. Ideally the future of the Leinster SHC would involve 6 Leinster teams and we need to try and build towards that goal. Galway's presence at underage and senior hinders the efforts to improve the standard of the Leinster minnows (Carlow, Kildare, Laois, Westmeath).

saorkick (Dublin) - Posts: 33 - 08/06/2026 12:23:16    2678642

Link

Replying To saorkick:  "Don't forget that the All-Ireland SHC was traditionally knockout and the All-Ireland Final was traditionally on the 1st Sunday in September. Galway traditionally entered the championship at the semi-final change bar 1959-69 when they competed in Munster.

As I pointed out in previous posts Galway are the cuckoo in the nest of Leinster Hurling. Ideally the future of the Leinster SHC would involve 6 Leinster teams and we need to try and build towards that goal. Galway's presence at underage and senior hinders the efforts to improve the standard of the Leinster minnows (Carlow, Kildare, Laois, Westmeath)."
Does it? How were those counties progressing before Galway entered the Leinster Championship?
Are you advocating for Galway going back to being parachuted straight into a semi-final?
Kildare are at a much higher level how than they were before Galway were in Leinster.
Their development has nothing to do with Galway either way.

WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2884 - 08/06/2026 13:49:56    2678673

Link

Replying To Pikeman96:  "We'll have to agree to disagree, and we'll never find out who's right, because only way to get an answer would be to actually move to a system of National League - standalone provincial championships - start afresh with All-Ireland Championship. And I can't see that ever happening.

I really do believe though that if it did, it'd only be matter of time before the provincial championships would slip right down the pecking order. The traditional pomp and rivalry might sustain the Munster SHC in particular for a few years all right, but even that would be taken nowhere near as seriously after a few years.

Just suppose that three or four years in, Limerick & Cork are due to meet in a Munster Final but have also been drawn into the same group of the All-Ireland Championship and are due to meet again in the first round of that, a week or two later.

Do you really think both sides would bust a gut to win that Munster Final, or would it be more of the type of "shadow boxing" that you see when two teams meet in the League, a few weeks ahead of having to meet again in Championship?"
Good point. Limerick and Cork produced a reasonable league final when they were meeting a few weeks later. From football this year, in the very unlikely scenario of Congress delegates agreeing to separate the provincials from the All Ireland - the All Ireland draw should take place after the provincial championships for the reason you outlined.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 9805 - 08/06/2026 15:39:51    2678702

Link

Replying To legendzxix:  "Some impressive crowds in the national hurling league despite being the "warm up competition" you call it. Crowds are voting with their feet."
Nothing compared to the Munster Championship though. You conveniently left that part out.

Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 567 - 08/06/2026 18:43:22    2678726

Link

Replying To saorkick:  "Don't forget that the All-Ireland SHC was traditionally knockout and the All-Ireland Final was traditionally on the 1st Sunday in September. Galway traditionally entered the championship at the semi-final change bar 1959-69 when they competed in Munster.

As I pointed out in previous posts Galway are the cuckoo in the nest of Leinster Hurling. Ideally the future of the Leinster SHC would involve 6 Leinster teams and we need to try and build towards that goal. Galway's presence at underage and senior hinders the efforts to improve the standard of the Leinster minnows (Carlow, Kildare, Laois, Westmeath)."
If you want to reduce the leinster championship to a development competition that's fine. That will have repercussions when it comes to AI series qualification though.

Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 567 - 08/06/2026 18:45:05    2678727

Link

Replying To legendzxix:  "Good point. Limerick and Cork produced a reasonable league final when they were meeting a few weeks later. From football this year, in the very unlikely scenario of Congress delegates agreeing to separate the provincials from the All Ireland - the All Ireland draw should take place after the provincial championships for the reason you outlined."
I was at the game. Limerick were comfortable throughout. The result was never in doubt

Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 567 - 08/06/2026 18:47:50    2678728

Link