County championships begin this weekend in Tipperary with hectic schedule

In any assessment of sporting greatness - either an individual or a team - longevity has to be a central plank. Good players - and teams - get to the top of their sport, but great ones build dynasties.

By that metric, John Kiely’s Limerick are among the greats of the game, drawing easy comparison with Cody’s Kilkenny and Gavin’s Dublin in football. Any lingering doubts on that front were washed away on Sunday as they swept aside Galway to claim a sixth All-Ireland title in nine years. Being a comeback win after a two-year hiatus just adds to the wonder of it all.

In the context of Limerick hurling this is phenomenal. When Kiely took over, Limerick had seven titles. In the period between 1940 and 2018 they’d won just a single All-Ireland, in 1973. They were perennial losers.

Since then, Kiely has contested 18 finals across league, Munster championship and All-Irelands, winning 17. The outlier is last year’s Munster final, which was lost on penalties. Otherwise, the record shows six All-Irelands, seven Munsters and four leagues.

It’s an astounding record, made all the more wondrous by the fact that the same core group of players were part of every win. Eight of the team that started the 2018 final again lined up on Sunday against Galway. But even that stat is somewhat misleading. The two Morrissey brothers and Darragh O’Donovan started in 2018 and were introduced as substitutes on Sunday. Then Peter Casey and Will O’Donoghue came on in 2018 and started this time.

In total that amounts to 13 of the same players featuring in both 2018 and 2026 finals. Two finals eight years apart, but little changes in Limerick. Cody in his time was noted for regularly springing new players with immediate impact. Kiely has had less need, so apprenticeships have been longer.

Sunday’s win was signposted early on and sealed in the third quarter. It was a letdown final for neutrals because Limerick were too good and Galway were too poor. The boa constrictor squeezes the life out of its prey and that’s as valid a metaphor as any for Limerick’s method. After their fluid play against Cork, this time Galway’s circulatory system was closed off. What’s surprising is that they lost by only 11 points.

The Sunday Game programme featured a nicely-worded piece by Eamon O’Shea on the year’s championship. In it he paid a warm tribute to Paul Kinnerk for his contribution to modern hurling. He has certainly activated a winning formula for Limerick, but I’m not so complimentary about the effect on hurling generally.

Kinnerk comes from a football background and much of his methodology is borrowed from that game. You think particularly of massed defenses and swarm tackling, often played on the edge with body hits and use of the spare arm. Add in the proliferation of hand passes (throws?) and the ever-present rucks and it all amounts to something unsightly.

The irony is that football has moved beyond such methods. The FRC (Football Review Committee) was set up specifically to tackle some of these issues and has in large part succeeded. Meanwhile, hurling continues to endure the legacy of football.

That’s not to take from Limerick’s massive achievement. They operate within accepted parameters and showcase this irresistible mix of physicality and skill, one which most teams struggle to live with. Oddly enough, the one team that has managed to match them most often is Cork, a side that has now become the butt of so many jokes.

Anyway, Galway floundered badly on Sunday. Trying to work the ball through congested traffic produced something like 40 turnovers. Limerick’s industrial workrate was part of the problem but Galway’s movement also lacked pace and precision in execution. Dropped balls and passes astray became routine.

Besides, some of their big names simply didn’t turn up. Whether this was stage fright is a matter of conjecture. Galway’s record in All-Ireland finals over the decades is the worst of all top hurling counties. They’ve played in 26 All-Ireland finals, losing 21 of them, which is a failure rate of over 80%.

It was telling that two of their younger players, Jason Rabbitte and Aaron Niland, were their best performers, especially early on. Goalie Darach Fahy too saved them in the first half with two fine saves from Gearoid Hegarty. However, the signs were there and by the time Aaron Gillane set up Cathal O’Neill for the Limerick goal in the third quarter the game was over.

Limerick had all the stars in this one. Their half back line was outstanding, midfield on top and forwards flourishing. What more do you need? Gillane was my pick for man of the match but you could make a solid case for several others such as Hegarty, O’Neill, Casey, Lynch and Byrnes.

As for championship 2026 generally, it was mostly forgettable. The Munster final and Clare’s All-Ireland semi were the pick of the games. Leinster was pitiful. The fault, surely, lies not with the system but with the counties who fell well short of requirements. Sadly, Tipperary belonged to that category in 2026.

And so, the entire focus now shifts to the club scene, where leagues and divisional competitions are completed and the county championships kick off this weekend with a hectic schedule.

One of the last of the divisional finals to be played off was the West’s Premier Intermediate last Saturday at Clonoulty where Eire Og and Golden/Kilfeacle served up a thriller of a game, one which went to extra time before the Annacarty lads held on to their crown with a storming finish in the final ten minutes.

This was fantastic entertainment with two teams going full pelt, a certain tension in the air at times, and the game ebbing and flowing with sustained uncertainty until the final minutes.

In a sense it was a game decided by substitutions. Eire Og fielded minus Brian Fox, Tom Fox and Darragh Kelly. These were heavy losses, which tilted expectations Golden’s way initially. Last year’s County Intermediate winners looked well placed midway through the second half. They led by six and were doing all the hurling.

They had an opportunity at that stage to “bury” the game but a combination of bad wides and the leakage of goals cost them heavily. Eire Og struck for two majors in the fourth quarter, from Paudie Bradshaw and Dinny Crosse, to send the match to extra time.

READ NEXT: Tipperary Senior Hurling Power Rankings: Round 1 - Every club ranked ahead of championship throw-in

By now Eire Og’s substitutes were beginning to impact. Darragh Kelly was hugely influential up and down the field winning possession, linking play and chipping in with three points. Tom Fox too improved matters, winning the equalising free that sent the game to added time and contributing a few more points subsequently.

Free-taker, Aidan Griffin, was also critical to the win. From 13 placed balls he split the posts with 12, which was in stark contrast to Golden, who laboured at times with their shooting and hit 20 wides over the span of the match.

Golden will have deep regrets about the game. The concession of the goals was one item but their poor shooting was just as crucial. Still, they may look at the positives. Niall Heffernan was strong at centre back and Ben Currivan was very impressive in attack, hitting 16 points, 0-6 from open play. Sam Hall too caught the eye. In their first year at this grade, they have much to be enthused about.

It was a trademark Eire Og display, staying honest throughout and really pushing on when they got advantage. With Darragh Mooney in goal and Conor O’Brien at full back they have experience. Dan Kelly deputised well at centre back and Dinny Crosse hit 2-2 in attack. I liked the play of Paudie Bradshaw too and David Fox showed great aerial ability at wing back. If they get all players back, they’ll be a force.

This weekend then sees the launch of the county series in the three main grades. A hectic schedule sees 24 matches listed for decision at Senior, Premier Intermediate and Intermediate. Followers will be spoiled for choice.

SEE MORE: Tipperary Premier Intermediate Hurling Power Rankings: Round 1 - Every club ranked ahead of championship