Intercounty 2021

New season details have been released

Inter County Leagues to begin in May, Championship in June and to be completed by the end of August

Club championship can begin as soon as the county team are finished with provincial championships in November and all Ireland finals in February 2022

Limerick beaten again. Kiely won't be happy, wonder will he go off on another rant like last week? They seem rattled. Was it 2 sent off today??

Bonner Maher gone for the year for Tipp, injured.

Dublin Kerry in a draw in Semple. That Kerry attack is something but their defence is in the horrors

Kiely can't be happy. Looks like all teams want a piece of Limerick. Let's hope we can leep the trend come championship.

Some lopsided scorelines this weekend. Kerry look like they are on a mission. Munster will be the least of their problems.

Clare shocked Waterford in the hurling. Waterford never really got going. It was a poor game overall, you'd fancy Tipp still against them next Sunday

Cian O Sullivan retired today. Only the 8 AI medals in his back pocket

Antrim were disappointing as well against Dublin. It's hard to say whether Dublin are improving or Antrim are going backwards at a rate of knots. Laois showing just how far they have yet to go against Wexford. This was really the traditional boys against men stuff.

Galway shocked. Wow
Kilkenny about to beat Wexford after extra time l.
Great days hurling so far

Some goal by Tony Kelly in the dying embers of the first half, Tipp v Clare. Good knock forward by the other Clare forward.

Tipperary deserve their win.
So its Limerick v Tipperary and Kilkenny v Dublin.
Is the back door an open draw? I can't remember how it worked last year. Can we get anyone?

Edit: I see on Proc that Cork, Waterford and Clare on one side of the draw with Laois, Wexford and Galway on the other

https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2021/0706/1233500-kildare-stun-wexford-in-leinster-u-20-championship/

Good to see another possible hurling county enter the scene

Tipp Ex wrote:https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2021/0706/1233500-kildare-stun-wexford-in-leinster-u-20-championship/

Good to see another possible hurling county enter the scene

Saw that. Fantastic, but Kilkenny and Wexford have not been having it all their own way over the past ten years at under age in Leinster.

All-Ireland SHC Qualifiers Round 1
Clare 2-25 Wexford 2-22, Semple Stadium, 1.30pm FT

Clare pull through by 3 after having being well ahead early in the game.

Meanwhile a mighty tussle going on between Waterford and Laois with the lead changing hands several times. Waterford now 2 points ahead.

Waterford get another goal in the last five minutes to win by five.

Waterford 3-23; Laois 2-21 FT

Pity Laois couldn't push through in the end.

So we play either a resurgent but beatable Clare or a clearly off form Waterford who haven't fired this year yet. I'd be full of hope against either

Tipp Ex wrote:Pity Laois couldn't push through in the end.

So we play either a resurgent but beatable Clare or a clearly off form Waterford who haven't fired this year yet. I'd be full of hope against either

I think I'd prefer Clare. They seem to be mentally tough and extremely honest but I'd prefer the challenge of playing against that than against the mercurial Waterford. Just!

Joe McDonagh Cup final

Westmeath 2-28; Kerry 1-24 FT
Westmeath got their goals and then kept Kerry at arms length for the remainder of the game.

Podsy wrote:

Tipp Ex wrote:Pity Laois couldn't push through in the end.

So we play either a resurgent but beatable Clare or a clearly off form Waterford who haven't fired this year yet. I'd be full of hope against either

I think I'd prefer Clare. They seem to be mentally tough and extremely honest but I'd prefer the challenge of playing against that than against the mercurial Waterford. Just!

Better the devil you know, I suppose. I remember when Cork were in Division 1B of the league and played Laois up in Portlaois. There was only a hop of the ball between them at the end. A high delivery hopped in the Cork square, right in front of a Laois forward. He took a mighty swing at it - and missed! Cork won by just two points, I believe, and gained promotion over Limerick.

Just in case anyone doesn't know, the Leinster hurling final between Kilkenny and Dublin starts at 7.30 on RTE.

C'mon the Dubs! A Leinster double beckons.

Podsy wrote:

Tipp Ex wrote:Pity Laois couldn't push through in the end.

So we play either a resurgent but beatable Clare or a clearly off form Waterford who haven't fired this year yet. I'd be full of hope against either

I think I'd prefer Clare. They seem to be mentally tough and extremely honest but I'd prefer the challenge of playing against that than against the mercurial Waterford. Just!

Same here, the weather today will take a lot out of the teams that are out again next week. Waterford have had more rest and will always raise their game another 20% against us. Add the fact that we seem incapable of countering any gameplan Waterford put in place against us.

Clare will be tough but we should be capable of beating them if we can somehow come up with a cohesive persistent performance.

I would be more worried about Clare, battle hardened and have had 3 good performances. Certainly playing for their manager who is maxing their ability, Waterford without de burca, o’keeffe and a half for Barron are struggling although would still fancy cork

Sean wrote:I would be more worried about Clare, battle hardened and have had 3 good performances. Certainly playing for their manager who is maxing their ability, Waterford without de burca, o’keeffe and a half for Barron are struggling although would still fancy cork

Fair points, too, Sean.
I'm not suggesting that either would be easy, of course.

I can see a route to a semi final here.
Draw Clare, beat them. Draw Dublin as provincial finalists, beat them. Ya ya, its a long shot

Dublin are really really bad, a significant number of average hurlers, and a couple of really poor hurlers. I cannot understand how any management team can look at Kilkenny and say we will allow them take every puck out short, kk have showed tonight how comfortable they are playing through the lines, Dublin are a shambles

Superb game here in the Páirc, Limerick rattled but responding well

Limerick were formidable in the second half. They simply brushed Tipperary aside. It looks like their name is on the All-Ireland again. Kilkenny seem the only team which might stick with them physically, but Limerick are far more skillful.