Biggest weekend to date in HC
June 04, 2013
The pace quickens in the Hurling Championship next weekend
Leinster host quarter- final action on Saturday and Sunday while Munster stages its first semi-final on Sunday. All-Ireland champions, Kilkenny and Munster champions, Tipperary will both be in action on the three-match programme, all of which will be covered live on TV.
The line-up is as follows:
Saturday June 8
Leinster GAA Senior Hurling Championship Quarter-final
Wexford v Dublin, Wexford Park, 7.00pm (Live on RTE)
Sunday June 9
Leinster GAA Senior Hurling Championship Quarter-final
Offaly v Kilkenny, Tullamore 3.30pm (Live on RTE)
Leinster GAA Senior Hurling Championship Quarter-final
Limerick v Tipperary, Gaelic Grounds, 4.00pm (Live on TV3)
WEXFORD V DUBLIN, WEXFORD PARK, SATURDAY, 7.00
A semi-final date with Offaly or Kilkenny on June 23 is the prize for the winners of a clash between two counties who last met in the championship in 2009 when Dublin won by two points. It was Dublin's first championship win over Wexford since 1990.
The counties have already met twice this year with Dublin winning both. They beat Wexford by 1-19 to 0-16 in the Walsh Cup final in Enniscorthy on February 10 and had an easier win (3-19 to 0-15) in the Allianz League Division 1B clash in Wexford Park on 24 March. Paul Ryan scored 0-12 for Dublin in the Walsh Cup game while David 'Dotsy' O'Callaghan (1-3), Conor McCormack (1-3) and David Treacy (0-6) were Dublin's top scorers in the League game.
Dublin were promoted from 1B (Played 6, Won 5, Lost 1) while Wexford (Played 5, Won 2, Drew 1, Lost 2) finished fourth on the table.
Last Five Championship Clashes
2009: Dublin 0-18 Wexford 1-13 Leinster semi-final)
2008: Wexford 2-15 Dublin 1-15 (Leinster semi-final) (Replay)
2008: Wexford 2-13 Dublin 0-19 (Leinster semi-final) (Draw)
2007: Wexford 2-14 Dublin 3-10 (Leinster semi-final)
2002: Wexford 3-15 Dublin 2-12 (Leinster semi-final)
Wexford 4, Dublin 1
Last Championship clash
Dublin 0-18 Wexford 1-13, Leinster semi-final, Nowlan Park, 21 June 2009 Alan McCrabbe scored 0-10 for Dublin as they edged to a two-point win over Wexford, for whom Diarmuid Lyng (0-7) and Nicky Kirwan (1-0) were top scorers
Did You Know?
That Wexford last reached the Leinster final in 2008.
That Dublin's last Leinster title win was in 1961.
OFFALY v KILKENNY, TULLAMORE, SUNDAY, 2.00
This will be their first meeting in the championship since 2008 when Kilkenny won a Leinster semi-final clash by 2-24 to 0-12. Kilkenny's dominance ove
Offaly has been overwhelming for over a decade. Indeed, Offaly's last championship win over Kilkenny was in the 1998 All-Ireland final.
Since then the counties have met eight times with Kilkenny winning all of these fixtures. The closest Offaly came was in the 2002 Leinster semi-final when they lost by nine points.
Kilkenny are attempting to regain the Leinster title, having had their seven-year reign as champions ended by Galway last year. Offaly's last Leinster title win was in 1995.
Kilkenny go into the championship as All-Ireland and Allianz Hurling League winners, having taken the latter crown last month. Their record in Division 1 (including 1A for the group games) was: Played 7, Won 5, Lost 2. Offaly finished third in 1B (Played 5, Won 3, Lost 2)
Next Sunday's winners will play the winners of Dublin v Wexford in the semifinal on June 23.
Last Five Championship Clashes
2008: Kilkenny 2-24 Offaly 0-12 (Leinster semi-final)
2007: Kilkenny 1-27 Offaly 1-13 (Leinster semi-final)
2005: Kilkenny 6-28 Offaly 0-15 (Leinster semi-final)
2002: Kilkenny 2-20 Offaly 1-14 (Leinster semi-final)
2001: Kilkenny 3-21 Offaly 0-18 (Leinster semi-final)
Kilkenny 5; Offaly 0
Did you know?
That this will be the first time since 1998 that Kilkenny have played in the Leinster quarter-final. They started out in the semi-final every year since then. That Offaly reached 17 Leinster finals in 1980-2000 but have qualified just once (2004) since then.
LIMERICK v TIPPERARY, GAELIC GROUNDS, SUNDAY, 4.00
They have met 64 times in the championship (62 in Munster, one in the All-Ireland semi-final (2009) and one in the All-Ireland qualifiers (2004) with the results standing as follows: Tipperary 33; Limerick 21; Draws 10. Limerick are seeking their first win over Tipperary in the championship since 2007 while Tipperary are bidding for a treble over the Shannonsiders, having won in 2009 and 2012.
Tipperary are setting out in pursuit of the Munster three-in-a-row, a landmark they last reached in 1987-88-89. Limerick last won the Munster title in 1996.
They meet for a second successive year, with Tipperary having won by four points (2-20 to 1-19) last year.
It was quite a turnaround as Limerick led by 1-16 to 1-9 after 54 minutes before Tipperary recovered and out-scored their rivals by 1-11 to 0-3 from there on. Tipperary reached the Division 1 final of this year's Allianz Hurling League, losing to Kilkenny. Tipperary record reads: Played 7, Won 4, Lost 3. Limerick (Played 6, Won 4, Drew 1, Lost 1) lost the 1B final to Dublin, thus missing out on promotion for a second successive year.
Next Sunday's winners will play Clare or Cork in the Munster final on July 14.
Last Five Championship Clashes
2012: Tipperary 2-20 Limerick 1-19 (Munster quarter-final)
2009: Tipperary 6-19 Limerick 2-7 (All-Ireland semi-final)
2007: Limerick 0-22 Tipperary 2-13 (Munster semi-final) (After extra-time)
2007: Limerick 1-24 Tipperary 2-21 (Munster semi-final) (After extra-time)
2007: Limerick 1-19 Tipperary 1-19 (Munster semi-final) Draw
Tipperary 2; Limerick 1; Draws 2.
Did you know?
That this will be Limerick's first Munster senior championship game in the Gaelic Grounds since 2007 when they lost a semi-final (second replay) to Tipperary by three points after extra-time.
That Tipperary are the only Munster county under new management this year, with Eamonn O'Shea having replaced Declan Ryan at the end of last season.
ALL-IRELAND SENIOR HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP BRIEFS
Laois have reached the Leinster semi-final for the first time since 2001. Wins over Antrim and Carlow have booked them in for a last four clash with defending Leinster champions, Galway in Portlaoise on Sunday week (June 16).
Clare's win over Waterford in Thurles last Sunday was their first success in the provincial campaign since 2008. It was also the first time since 2008 that Waterford lost a Munster first round game. Clare will meet Cork in the Munster semi-final on June 23. Tweet
