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Club Hurling

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Replying To ElGranSenor:  "A lot of mistakes and bad shooting in Thurles but given the conditions and the intensity the game is being played at, it's understandable

Wouldn't say Ballygunner have faced a team with the intensity, athleticism, and physicality of the Martins' in a long time"
That was one tough game of Hurling, there'll be plenty of sore battered bodies after that.

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 2650 - 21/12/2025 17:37:18    2649115

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15 points from Ballygunner in the second half, have to give them a lot of credit, Martins' had them under the pump but Ballygunner just went to a level in the second half that I would say hardly any other club side is able to match, their half-back line were dominant off the Martins' puck-outs and that gave them a platform to keep on playing good ball after good ball into the full-forward line

Martins' now know the level they need to get to (Although Rathnure are a coming side in Wexford)

Good win for Loughrea today, they'll be up against it though if Ballygunner play at the level they did in the second half today

ElGranSenor (Wexford) - Posts: 770 - 21/12/2025 20:05:37    2649129

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Replying To ElGranSenor:  "15 points from Ballygunner in the second half, have to give them a lot of credit, Martins' had them under the pump but Ballygunner just went to a level in the second half that I would say hardly any other club side is able to match, their half-back line were dominant off the Martins' puck-outs and that gave them a platform to keep on playing good ball after good ball into the full-forward line

Martins' now know the level they need to get to (Although Rathnure are a coming side in Wexford)

Good win for Loughrea today, they'll be up against it though if Ballygunner play at the level they did in the second half today"
Loughrea thrive being underdogs.

BigBàsMan (Galway) - Posts: 255 - 21/12/2025 20:49:08    2649134

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Replying To BigBàsMan:  "Loughrea thrive being underdogs."
Will be a great final. Killeen will be a huge loss, but up to the next man up to make that difference.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17963 - 21/12/2025 21:14:18    2649138

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A first for Connacht having teams in senior, Inter and junior finals? I'll include football in that too.

I actually can't believe Loughrea have never won an all Ireland. Shows how much I know about Hurling.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11858 - 22/12/2025 12:57:33    2649182

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Replying To Viking66:  "Will be a great final. Killeen will be a huge loss, but up to the next man up to make that difference."
I wouldn't rule him out yet. But even if he's gone, Jamie Ryan goes to midfield. Darren shaughnessy back full forward or win forward. Martin McManus stays in. Or Sean sweeney to midfield. Makes no difference. They have huge depth but Cullen has been exceptional this year and he's only u20

BigBàsMan (Galway) - Posts: 255 - 22/12/2025 16:58:33    2649220

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Replying To yew_tree:  "A first for Connacht having teams in senior, Inter and junior finals? I'll include football in that too.

I actually can't believe Loughrea have never won an all Ireland. Shows how much I know about Hurling."
It nearly happened in 2022/3 in hurling. St Thomas lost to Dunloy in the Senior SF though.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17963 - 22/12/2025 18:08:20    2649232

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Replying To yew_tree:  "A first for Connacht having teams in senior, Inter and junior finals? I'll include football in that too.

I actually can't believe Loughrea have never won an all Ireland. Shows how much I know about Hurling."
It nearly happened in 2022/3 in hurling. St Thomas lost to Dunloy in the Senior SF though.
And thats not a dig at Tom's, only Ballyhale and Birr have reached more finals than Dunloy, who reached 5 finals, and only Portumna, Athenry and Rathnure reached as many as Dunloy.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17963 - 22/12/2025 18:14:03    2649234

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Replying To yew_tree:  "A first for Connacht having teams in senior, Inter and junior finals? I'll include football in that too.

I actually can't believe Loughrea have never won an all Ireland. Shows how much I know about Hurling."
It nearly happened in 2022/3 in hurling. St Thomas lost to Dunloy in the Senior SF though.
And thats not a dig at Tom's, only Ballyhale and Birr have reached more finals than Dunloy, who reached 5 finals, and only Portumna, Athenry and Rathnure reached as many as Dunloy.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17963 - 22/12/2025 18:34:05    2649237

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Replying To yew_tree:  "A first for Connacht having teams in senior, Inter and junior finals? I'll include football in that too.

I actually can't believe Loughrea have never won an all Ireland. Shows how much I know about Hurling."
Great to see Easkey and Tooreen in finals. Would be incredible if they could get over the line.
Loughrea have been very competitive for most of the last two decades, but lost a lot of finals (winning 1 out of 7), mainly to the great Portumna team. The one title they did win in that time took them to the All-Ireland final, where they lost to another great Ballyhale team.
The more recent iteration were unlucky to lose to Thomas's a few years ago, but have now done 2-in-a-row. They're a very balanced team, with a strong panel and plenty quality around the pitch.
Ballygunner will obviously be a massive test of them, but I'm interested to see how they get on in Croker.

WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2694 - 22/12/2025 18:54:32    2649245

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Connacht for the hurling treble!

35OLT (USA) - Posts: 103 - 10/01/2026 11:05:35    2650510

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Two brilliant finals as a neutral to watch..Easkey definitely hard done by for sending off as there was a worse tackle not long after..
Tooreen left to much to do at the end but most unlucky to lose another final..
Credit to all clubs involved..

CTGAA10 (Limerick) - Posts: 2634 - 10/01/2026 19:39:04    2650596

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Replying To CTGAA10:  "Two brilliant finals as a neutral to watch..Easkey definitely hard done by for sending off as there was a worse tackle not long after..
Tooreen left to much to do at the end but most unlucky to lose another final..
Credit to all clubs involved.."
Agreed, a credit to the four clubs involved, great entertainment.

tireoghainabu (Tyrone) - Posts: 448 - 10/01/2026 20:13:07    2650605

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Absoloutely heartbroken for Tooreen. They did us proud in a football mad county .

S1234 (Mayo) - Posts: 632 - 10/01/2026 22:27:31    2650618

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Replying To S1234:  "Absoloutely heartbroken for Tooreen. They did us proud in a football mad county ."
Their day will come again. Great club.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17963 - 11/01/2026 03:47:28    2650629

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Great nights entertainment 2 great games decided by fine margins in the end.

Red card obviously a big moment in first game easkey did great to get ahead and unlucky not to see this out there definitely an all ireland in that team if they can regroup and come back from this one.

Second game startrd slow but tooreen burst into life before half time and thought they had enough done tbh in normal time to win it but that free st the end to draw it was incredible to have not just the distance but the accuaracy from there with that pressure faur play to him for doing so. Goals in extra time killed tooreen who didnt seem to be looking for them during the game but managed to get them when they needed them makes you wonder why they didnt go for it earlier. Hope tooreen will be back again to give it a rattle like easkey theres and all ireland in them.

One thing i wanted to add is the club championship is a great spectacle for all and brings great excitement this time of year showing that hurling in alot of the so called weaker counties not only isnt dead but there is a great hunger for it in clubs who value it and back there teams to play it some county boards could do with taken a leaf out of these clubs books.

ITSCHOLAR (Carlow) - Posts: 320 - 11/01/2026 11:13:11    2650633

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Replying To ITSCHOLAR:  "Great nights entertainment 2 great games decided by fine margins in the end.

Red card obviously a big moment in first game easkey did great to get ahead and unlucky not to see this out there definitely an all ireland in that team if they can regroup and come back from this one.

Second game startrd slow but tooreen burst into life before half time and thought they had enough done tbh in normal time to win it but that free st the end to draw it was incredible to have not just the distance but the accuaracy from there with that pressure faur play to him for doing so. Goals in extra time killed tooreen who didnt seem to be looking for them during the game but managed to get them when they needed them makes you wonder why they didnt go for it earlier. Hope tooreen will be back again to give it a rattle like easkey theres and all ireland in them.

One thing i wanted to add is the club championship is a great spectacle for all and brings great excitement this time of year showing that hurling in alot of the so called weaker counties not only isnt dead but there is a great hunger for it in clubs who value it and back there teams to play it some county boards could do with taken a leaf out of these clubs books."
Fantastic two matches, great standard and excitement, not sure the need to have a cut off county boards. What suggestions do you have?

Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 2532 - 11/01/2026 12:30:36    2650637

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Replying To Claretandblue:  "Fantastic two matches, great standard and excitement, not sure the need to have a cut off county boards. What suggestions do you have?"
Probably worded harshly towards county boards. Trying ti say is theres great people involved with great teams in weaker counties where hurling playsbsecond fiddle by a long way.

Why dont these county boards pick the brains of these people see what there doing to progress the standards in there clubs to a point where there serious contenders for all ireland titles.

ITSCHOLAR (Carlow) - Posts: 320 - 11/01/2026 13:28:33    2650640

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Presume you're referring to Toureen as an example, Mayo is a football county, there's no point in debating that, they could win a football All Ireland in the next ten years, they will never win a hurling one, it's reality, dual counties that are successful in both codes don't exist unless the county is huge in population and high standards already exist.

Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 2532 - 12/01/2026 09:41:47    2650748

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Replying To Claretandblue:  "Presume you're referring to Toureen as an example, Mayo is a football county, there's no point in debating that, they could win a football All Ireland in the next ten years, they will never win a hurling one, it's reality, dual counties that are successful in both codes don't exist unless the county is huge in population and high standards already exist."
That doesn't mean that children in the county shouldn't get the opportunity to play hurling. There are plenty of counties where every child has access to Football who never have won an AI in Football, or arent going to win one in the next 10 years.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17963 - 12/01/2026 12:09:16    2650777

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