The Munster and Leinster senior hurling finals have been decided following a dramatic weekend of hurling action. All-Ireland champions Limerick and Clare will clash in the Munster final, while Dublin and Kilkenny are set to meet in the Leinster decider. Unfortunately, the championship journey has ended for Waterford and Galway.
In a commanding display, Limerick defeated Waterford by 30 points to 2-14 at the Gaelic Grounds. Clare secured their spot in the Munster final by overcoming Tipperary with a score of 1-24 to 24 points in Thurles.
Over in the Leinster championship, Dublin eliminated Galway with a scoreline of 2-27 to 1-24 at Pearse Stadium. This match saw Galway reduced to 14 men, which contributed to their downfall. Kilkenny narrowly edged past Wexford, winning 1-24 to 2-20 at Nowlan Park, setting up a much-anticipated final against Dublin.
The defeat marks a significant moment for Galway, whose manager Henry Shefflin reflected on the loss and the toll it takes. Shefflin, appointed as Galway’s manager in 2021 and contracted until the end of the 2026 season, shared his feelings post-match:
“I’m very low obviously because you put a lot into this and you just weigh up your family and everything that goes into it. So for us, though that’s why we do sport. It’s easy to sit at home and watch the TV and do these things but you have to front up and go out there. That’s what I decided to do but your family put a lot into it and there’s a lot of things that go around. For me, it will hurt for a few days, take a break and try and get back to normal after a couple of days and see how things lie down at that stage.”
With the championship dream over for Galway and Waterford, the spotlight now shifts to the preliminary quarter-finals of the All-Ireland. Cork and Wexford, having been ousted from the main provincial competitions, will now aim to keep their championship hopes alive.
In other news, Antrim secured their status in Leinster by defeating Carlow 4-22 to 2-22, thereby relegating Carlow.
As the championship progresses, fans can look forward to some thrilling encounters, with both the Munster and Leinster finals promising to deliver high-stakes hurling at its finest.
