The clocks have gone forward in Ireland and it’s full steam ahead for what has in recent years become a truncated hurling and football championship. But before the provincial action begins the winners of the National Leagues are decided. Donegal won the football on Palm Sunday, and next weekend, on Easter Sunday, Limerick will host between Cork for the hurling final at Gaelic Grounds. It has been a very competitive league campaign and we didn’t know the two finalists until the last series of games on March 21 when Limerick just held on to beat Galway and Cork scored six goals against Offaly.
Cork won the National League last year after a 27-year wait, beating Tipperary at Pairc Ui Chaoimh. Then the Rebels qualified for the All-Ireland final and after a great first half, collapsed in the second and it was Tipp who lifted the Liam MacCarthy Cup. Last year, the Cork-Tipperary NHL final, which had Waterford vs Offaly in the 1B final as the under-card, was a sell-out and similar levels of demand are anticipated this year.
In 2025, Cork had qualified for the final after the penultimate round of games and their supporters were in quick to buy tickets. This year the four county boards involved will receive allocations, which will then be filtered down through the clubs in each county. Should any tickets remain after that, there will be a public sale of tickets. A capacity crowd of 43,000 is expected at the venue on the Ennis Road on Sunday, the same venue that hosted last year’s Munster final which saw Cork eventually prevail over Limerick after extra-time and penalties. Limerick are not the force they were when winning the MacCarthy four years in a row from 2020 to 2023. But they still have a powerfully built team, who are capable of scoring points from over 70 yards from goal. But I fancy goal-hungry Cork to retain the Dr. Croke Cup.
RUSHE BOOST
FOR DUBLIN
Dublin, who play Clare in the Division 1B final in the curtain-raiser in Limerick on Sunday, got a boost last week with confirmation that Liam Rushe is making a comeback. The 35-year-old has been training with Dublin in recent weeks, having previously turned down invitations from the current manager Niall Ó Ceallacháin and his predecessor Micheál Donoghue to return. Rushe last played for Dublin in the 2022 Leinster Championship, a brief appearance off the bench against Westmeath that ended almost as quickly as it started after due to injury. Rushe started career with St Patrick’s of Palmerston, but later joined north Dublin club Na Fianna, who were managed O Ceallacháin and he is now the Dublin manger.
