Hurling’s mad-cap summer proves a breath of fresh air

Inside Track with John McIntyre

IT’S not much more than eight weeks ago when there appeared to be an almost collective resignation about the outcome of this year’s All-Ireland hurling championship. Kilkenny and Tipperary had just served up another battle royale in the National League final at Nowlan Park with Michael Fennelly’s storming individual performance powering the Cats to glory in a high intensity contest.

Nobody could have imagined back then what was about to unfold in what has proven an electrifying championship so far. In fact, the title race has been blown apart with shock results littering the summer hurling landscape. Three of the four favourites for the Liam McCarthy Cup didn’t even reach their provincial finals, while two Division 1B teams have qualified for the All-Ireland semi-finals.

Kilkenny, Tipperary, Galway and an emerging Clare had been perceived as the teams with the greatest firepower. After all, Limerick had failed – again – to emerge from the second division of the league; a callow Cork were relegated; Dublin were crucified by Tipp in the league semi-final in Thurles; gallant Waterford were perceived as being in decline; while Offaly and Wexford were so far off the pace, they hardly merited consideration in the context of winning titles.

But the first real indication that the 2013 championship was going to buck the trends of the past decade or so was Offaly having the temerity to score four goals – and concede none – against Kilkenny in the opening round of the provincial title race in Tullamore. With Henry Shefflin still injured and a few of their other marquee names struggling for form, suddenly some fault lines were being exposed in their ranks. The injuries began to mount too for the champions, but they were still expected to take care of Dublin in the subsequent Leinster semi-final.

After a disastrous year in 2012 and falling heavily in the league semi-final last April, the critics thought the Dubs were a busted flush and that assessment wasn’t hard to justify. But two tough battles in overcoming an admittedly moderate Wexford outfit had steeled Liam Rush and company for Kilkenny. They ought to have won in Portlaoise the first day – an injury time TJ Reid point saving the title holders – but they finished the job in the replay with Danny Sutcliffe netting the all important goal.

On the other side of the draw, Galway were in among the minnows but a defensively set up Laois caused them too many problems for comfort last month. They were still strong favourites to see off Dublin in the provincial final, but the Tribesmen were only a pale shadow of the team which had taken Kilkenny apart on the same occasion 12 months previously. Only Joe Canning and Shane Kavanagh, ironically the one player who hadn’t featured in the league, really measured up on the day, although substitutes Andy Smith, Damien Hayes and Aidan Harte did add some ballast to the team’s sails. It still couldn’t prevent a 12 point drubbing as a revitalised Dublin celebrated a first Leinster crown since 1961.

Over in Munster, there was similar upheaval. Tipperary, who we now all have to accept are lacking the physicality and primary ball winners to build on their epic All-Ireland triumph of 2010, collapsed in the closing stages against a typically fire and brimstone Limerick challenge, while Cork put paid to the provincial ambitions of a wasteful Clare in the other semi-final. It all cleared the way for the first Munster final between the Shannonsiders and the Rebels since 1992.

Not surprisingly, the Gaelic Grounds was packed to the rafters last Sunday and the match was still on a knife edge when Pat Horgan was harshly dismissed moments before half-time. The teams were deadlocked at ten points each, but the sweltering heat was always going to make it extra hard for the 14 Cork players to survive and they could manage five points in the second-half as Limerick, driven on by their passionate supporters, powered to a first Munster title since 1996.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.