Sunday results
Munster SHC: Clare 2-33 Waterford 4-21 (report), Tipperary 1-22 Cork 0-29 (report)
Leinster SFC quarter-finals: Meath 0-25 Westmeath 4-18 (report), Louth 1-25 Wexford 0-11 (report), Wicklow 2-14 Dublin 2-16 (report), Kildare 2-20 Laois 2-15 (report)
Ulster SFC quarter-final: Monaghan 0-27 Cavan 2-14 (report)
Joe McDonagh Cup: London 0-15 Westmeath 1-22
Christy Ring Cup: Wicklow 2-12 Derry 1-14, Kerry 5-18 Donegal 2-22
Nicky Rackard Cup: Mayo 1-25 Tyrone 5-16
Lory Meagher Cup: Lancashire 2-15 Leitrim 2-26, Monaghan 3-22 Cavan 1-15, Warwickshire 3-12 Longford 4-24
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Seán Moran’s report on the Cork victory over Tipp is in now. Thanks for joining us today, and we’ll see you again next Sunday for more Championship action. Hopefully it’s as good as today was. Goodnight!
[Cork reverse roles with impressive second half to down All-Ireland champions Tipperary]
Ger McNally was at Newbridge as Kildare opened their Championship with a five-point win over Laois.
[Kildare record hard-fought win over Laois to move into Leinster last four]
Monaghan overcame a potential banana skin against Cavan in Clones. Colm Shalvey watched as the second half produced two goals and a red card.
[Vital saves from Rory Beggan help Monaghan to ward off Cavan comeback in Clones]
Gordon Manning was in Cusack Park to watch Clare and Waterford play out a thriller with plenty of goals.
[Clare withstand late Waterford rally to take opening points in Ennis]
Next week will see Tipperary face Waterford, with both sides needing to pick up points if they want to have a realistic chance of advancing through the province.
Meanwhile, Cork face Limerick with plenty of confidence despite coming unstuck against the Treaty County in the League final a couple of weeks ago.
There would be no upset for the Leinster champions, Louth, who coasted past Wexford in Cullen Park. Dan Bannon reports.
[Louth get Leinster defence off to winning start against Wexford]
Even with some cracking action in Munster hurling, the biggest result of the weekend might well be Westmeath four-goal victory over Meath in Leinster football. Sean Wall was in Tullamore to see this upset.
[Westmeath knock Meath out of Leinster in seismic shock in Tullamore]
Tipp had a good go at the end there, but their third quarter was really poor. They let Cork get too much of a lead in that period and couldn’t pull it back.
Full-time: Tipperary 1-22 Cork 0-29
73 Mins: Darragh McCarthy has an effort at goal but it’s half-blocked. It’s called back for advantage, and McCarthy taps it over. A goal in it. Tipperary 1-22 Cork 0-28
70 Mins: Alan Walsh gets a great score, winning a high fetch and then showing surprising deftness to spin and pop it over.
Goal for Tipperary! Alan Tynan has a speculative effort from 20 yards, but it’s low and driven, and right in the corner. Tipperary 1-21 Cork 0-28
68 Mins: Darragh McCarthy gets another free to reduce the gap to five. Tim O’Mahony comes off after a super game. Shane Barrett scores another super effort from way out wide. Tipperary 0-21 Cork 0-27
66 Mins: Darragh Stakelum gets his first a sub. Cork have slackened a small bit the last few minutes. Tipperary 0-20 Cork 0-26
64 Mins: Sam O’Farrell gets his first score since come in. Then O’Donoghue misses a shot he should have got really. Tipperary 0-19 Cork 0-26
62 Mins: Darragh McCarthy is bundled over for a free. He pops it over amid Cork boos for his routine. It’s only Tipp’s fifth score of the half. Then Alan Connolly goes close for a goal at the other end. Tipperary 0-18 Cork 0-26
59 Mins: William Buckley nips in on a breaking ball, gathers it and guides it over from out wide. Tipperary 0-17 Cork 0-26
57 Mins: Tim O’Mahony got a superb score there, but there’s concern for Rob Downey who took a heavy fall. Tipperary 0-17 Cork 0-25
56 Mins: Alan Connolly twists and turns, leaving Robert Doyle no choice but to stand off and let him tap another over. Darragh McCarthy responds with a free, but Barrett strikes back for Cork. Tipperary 0-17 Cork 0-24
54 Mins: Michael Breen breaks a simple rule, catching the ball a third time. Cork are getting so much pressure on the Tipp backs now. Connolly slots the free over. Tipperary 0-16 Cork 0-22
52 Mins: Buckley and Connolly each score to put it out to a four point lead. Barrett then wins free, and they look like they’re getting stronger as the half goes on. Connolly puts it over. Tipperary 0-16 Cork 0-21
Kildare enjoy a four point lead in their Leinster quarter-final. 57 Mins: Kildare 1-18 Laois 2-11
48 Mins: William Buckley gets the loose ball and feeds Barry Walsh, who pops over his fourth of the game. Tipperary 0-16 Cork 0-18
46 Mins: Alan Connolly misses a free that he should have put over. Then there’s great fielding from Eoin Downey and Michael Breen in turn. But no scores for either side. Tipperary 0-16 Cork 0-17
43 Mins: Oisín O’Donoghue does Trojan work to earn a free, which Forde taps over. Then Brian Hayes responds for Cork, his first of the game. Rob Downey wins a great fetch again, is fouled, and then Tipp argue so the ball is moved up. Tim O’Mahony gets it over. Tipperary 0-16 Cork 0-17
41 Mins: Noel McGrath replaces John McGrath. William Buckley nearly got in around the back, but was deemed to have fouled Michael Breen. So far the Tipp full-back line have done pretty well. Tipp 0-15 Cork 0-15
40 Mins: Barry Walsh puts Cork in front with a simple finish. Eoin Downey fetches a beautiful high ball, but is penalised for going through a Tipp player, and sees yellow. Easy free for Forde. Tipperary 0-15 Cork 0-15
36 Mins: Bryan O’Mara pulls down Barry Walsh clumsily, hurting himself in the process. It’ll be a level game when he gets back up and the free is taken. Tipperary 0-14 Cork 0-13
35 Mins: Darragh McCarthy is on for Stefan Tobin. Tipp get a free right away but it’s at halfway, so no involvement for McCarthy yet. Eoghan Connolly pops it over. Tipperary 0-14 Cork 0-13
Seán Moran is in Thurles as the second half is just about to throw in:
“A pleasant sunny afternoon in a packed Thurles was the setting for the renewal of last year’s All-Ireland final. Cork would have felt the pressure to atone for that disaster whereas Tipp, as champions, would have wanted to lay down a marker after a league dominated by their opponents and Limerick.
A scrappy, error-prone first half ended with the teams level on 0-13 each. Tipperary showed a modicum more economy and led by three on three occasions.
This was despite a blazing start by Cork captain, Darragh Fitzgibbon, who scored three of his team’s first four points and ended the half with four. Eoghan Connolly’s switch onto him helped to stem the flow. More inclined to give away free, the visitors were punished by Jason Forde’s accuracy, which yielded five points.
Cork’s young guns fired well and William Buckley shot his third to equalise at the end of the first half. No pattern has emerged yet, however, and it’s open to both teams to seize the initiative."
Ian O’Riordan was in Aughrim, where Wicklow missed out on a huge result by just two points and Dublin advanced by the skin of their teeth:
“Full-time: Wicklow 2-14 Dublin 2-16: Heartbreak for Wicklow in Aughrim, who had more chances than they’ll want to remember to cause a major upset in the Leinster football championship – against the team they’ve never beaten before in league or championship.
Despite conceding 1-2 in the last 60 seconds of the first-half, giving Dublin an unlikely 1-11 to 1-07 at the break, Wicklow fought back hard to regain the lead on 50 minutes, thanks to captain Dean Healy’s two-pointer. Dublin just about steadied again to get back in front, Paddy Small walking in a goal just before the hour mark; still they couldn’t quite shake Wicklow.
When Dublin lost replacement Liam Smith to a straight red card on 67 minutes, for a dangerously high tackle, Wicklow rallied again. But they just couldn’t score again, finishing with 12 wides in all, and lots of regrets. Dublin move on to face Louth."
Half-time in Thurles means you can catch up on some of the earlier stuff. Here’s highlights of the Clare-Waterford thriller today.
Liam Smith is sent off for Dublin late on, but they escape with the win. Full-time: Wicklow 2-14 Dublin 2-16
And Monaghan are through to play Derry in the Ulster semi-final in a fortnight. Full-time: Monaghan 0-27 Cavan 2-14
Favour Shehu is sent off for kneeing Bobby McCaul off the ball. A really silly one from the sub, who had played well up until then. Monaghan 0-27 Cavan 2-14
Half-time: Tipperary 0-13 Cork 0-13
36 Mins: Barry Walsh gets a superb score out on the left side. Then Tipp respond through Oisín O’Donoghue. Then Cork come back at them again, with Buckley getting a quality score. Tipperary 0-13 Cork 0-13
Five points between the sides in Clones. 66 Mins: Monaghan 0-25 Cavan 2-14
32 Mins: Jason Forde puts Tipp back in front from a free. Barry Walsh is then penalised for a throw during a Cork attack. Tipperary 0-12 Cork 0-11
68 Mins: Oisín McGraynor gets a two-pointer, but there’s a goal in it still. Wicklow 2-13 Dublin 2-16
30 Mins: Barry Walsh gets his first score on his Championship debut, after a few early nervy moments. Tipperary 0-11 Cork 0-11
Cavan have another goal, keeping them in this Ulster quarter-final late on. Then Beggan makes a brilliant save to keep Monaghan three up. Monaghan 0-23 Cavan 2-14
27 Mins: Shane Barrett gets a score from out wide. Then Rob Downey makes an unbelieveable catch from the puckout, and it goes up to William Buckley who lashes it over. Tipperary 0-11 Cork 0-10
Paddy Small finally gives Dublin some breathing room with a goal. 61 Mins: Wicklow 2-11 Dublin 2-16
Leinster SFC QF, Half-time: Kildare 1-10 Laois 2-7
22 Mins: Conor Stakelum gets the latest Tipp score. Tim O’Mahony wins a free brilliantly, soloing mazily through a load of Tipp tacklers. Liam Cahill gives out, and now the Cork free is moved up to the 21′ for Connolly to tap over. 23 Mins: Tipp 0-10 Cork 0-8
20 Mins: Alan Connolly finally breaks that momentum with a point for Cork. Tipperary 0-9 Cork 0-7
19 Mins: After such a strong Cork start, Tipp have come to terms with the Rebels totally. Jason Forde’s latest free means that the Premier County have got six points in a row.
Wicklow have pulled the Dubs back to a draw game now. 50 Mins: Wicklow 2-11 Dublin 1-14
Rory Beggan makes a brilliant save to deny Paddy Lynch from the spot. 50 Mins: Monaghan 0-20 Cavan 1-10
13 Mins: Jake Morris gets his second of the day after a poor pass from Cork was cut out. A great sideline then finds John McGrath, who sticks it over brilliantly under pressure from Mark Coleman. Tipperary 0-6 Cork 0-6
Tiarnan Madden gets a goal for Cavan, but Bannigan and Beggan get two in a row for the home side. 48 Mins: Monaghan 0-20 Cavan 1-10
10 Mins: We just had to wait half a decade for HawkEye to load up, and I’m still not sure if it worked or not. Fitzgibbon’s fourth effort is waved wide in the end anyways. He doesn’t care though, because he’s back for his fourth score a minute later. Tipperary 0-3 Cork 0-5
44 Mins: Eoin Darcy has scored a second goal for Wicklow, this one from play. Wicklow 2-9 Dublin 1-13
7 Mins: Oisin O’Donoghue robs the ball back for Tipp, and strikes it over the bar straight away. That’s what a former forward can do in the half-back line. Tipperary 0-3 Cork 0-4
6 Mins: Fitzgibbon gets another, after a lovely flick from William Buckley. Then Jake Morris taps one over in front of the posts. Tipperary 0-2 Cork 0-4
Full-time: Louth 1-25 Wexford 0-11
4 Mins: Fitzgibbon gets his second of the game already. The crowd is raring to go in Thurles, but there looks like an awful lot of red in the crowd. Tipperary 0-1 Cork 0-3
In Leinster, the scores currently stand:
67 Mins: Louth 1-25 Wexford 0-11
40 Mins: Wicklow 1-9 Dublin 1-12
17 Mins: Kildare 0-4 Laois 0-3
Cavan have already shortened the gap early in the second half. 39 Mins: Monaghan 0-16 Cavan 0-10
1 Mins: We’re off for the second Munster hurling game of the day. Darragh Fitzgibbon powers through the defence to pop a score over straight away. Tipperary 0-0 Cork 0-1
Full-time: Meath 0-25 Westmeath 4-18
A late Danny McCartan goal dumps Meath out of the Leinster Championship.
Here’s Tipp’s team for today’s match against Cork.
And now Cork’s. Neither side has named changes just yet.
Just three in it in Tullamore, with three to go. 67 Mins: Meath 0-24 Westmeath 3-18
Sam Mulroy converts from the spot in Louth’s Leinster opener. 50 Mins: Louth 1-19 Wexford 0-9
There’s been a late flurry from Dublin, with two-pointers from Small and McGinnis and a goal from Charlie McMorrow. Half-time: Wicklow 1-7 Dublin 1-11
Stephen Bennett is given man of the match, very deserved. Speaking to RTÉ after the game, he expresses just how hard that defeat is to take: “I’m sick. I don’t care that we performed alright.”
Ulster SFC QF, half-time: Monaghan 0-15 Cavan 0-8
74 Mins: GOAL for Clare! Meehan rattles the net thanks to a great pass from Galvin. Waterford got caught on the counter when they needed a goal themselves.
Full-time: Clare 2-33 Waterford 4-21
73 Mins: Tony Kelly, what a score. He barely looks at the posts and puts three between the teams again from halfway. Clare 1-33 Waterford 4-21
71 Mins: Just two in it now! Stephen Bennett with the free. But then Darragh Lohan increases the margin again. And seconds later, what a save from Quilligan! He stops the Déise levelling things, and Bennett gets a score. Clare 1-32 Waterford 4-21
69 Mins: Waterford get a free for God-knows-what, and the Clare crowd are not happy at all. Three in it, four minutes added on to go. Clare 1-31 Waterford 4-19
A big upset is really on the cards! Westmeath have a third goal through Robert Forde. 51 Mins: Meath 0-15 Westmeath 3-16
Padraig O’Toole gets another score to put Wicklow in control of things, but Paddy Small responds with a two-pointer. 25 Mins: Wicklow 1-5 Dublin 0-6
65 Mins: Stritch gets another score, a brilliant sub for Clare. Clare 1-31 Waterford 4-18
64 Mins: Sean Walsh is dragged by Conor Cleary, so Stephen Bennett pops an easy free over. Clare 1-30 Waterford 4-18
63 Mins: GOAL for Waterford! Sean Walsh bats it low beyond Quilligan. Four in it again. Clare 1-30 Waterford 4-17
62 Mins: The lead is back to seven now. Shane O’Donnell gets a great reception coming off for Shane Meehan. Clare 1-30 Waterford 3-17
60 Mins: Diarmuid Stritch and Peter Hogan exchange brilliant points, with six in it now. Clare 1-29 Waterford 3-17
Westmeath are doing a good job of keeping on top of their lead so far in the second half. 45 Mins: Meath 0-13 Westmeath 2-15
Oisin McGraynor and Dean Healy have added points for Wicklow, keeping them in front. 18 Mins: Wicklow 1-3 Dublin 0-3
57 Mins: Shane O’Donnell feeds the ball out to Sean Rynne, who hits it over while the goal seems to be gaping. Dessie Hutchinson gets a score back for Waterford. Clare 1-28 Waterford 3-15
Dessie Ward gets a score from just outside the centre of the arc. 16 Mins: Monaghan 0-9 Cavan 0-1
55 Mins: All of a sudden Clare have the lead out to nine. Jamie Barron responds with a great point, but eight still feels an insurmountable lead now. Clare 1-27 Waterford 3-13
53 Mins: Five Clare points in a row have their lead out to seven, the latest coming from subsitute Diarmuid Stritch. Clare 1-25 Waterford 3-13
Meath and Westmeath are back underway, with Luke O’Loughlin getting an early two-pointer for Westmeath. 38 Mins: Meath 0-10 Westmeath 2-11
50 Mins: Austin Gleeson has his first score back in Waterford colours, getting a roar from the Waterford fans in Ennis. Rynne responds by shaking off Leavey brilliantly and smacking one over himself. Clare 1-23 Waterford 3-12
Early goal for Wicklow, as Eoin Darcy converts from the spot. 5 Mins: Wicklow 1-0 Dublin 0-1
Louth half a big lead at the half. Half-time: Louth 0-14 Wexford 0-5
Monaghan have racked up a good lead straight away in Clones. 9 Mins: Monaghan 0-5 Cavan 0-0
47 Mins: Austin Gleeson is back for the Déise. Straight away he gets on it, but is surrounded, and Waterford lose it. Rory Hayes does really well to win the ball when it comes back up, but charges enthusiastically through Jack Prendergast, and fouls him. Clare 1-20 Waterford 3-10
45 Mins: Hutchinson clips over a lovely score to bring the lead back to three, but Kelly links up with O’Donnell to put it out to four. Clare 1-20 Waterford 3-10
43 Mins: Goal for Waterford! Shane Bennett nets the hat-trick. He gathers a break off Walsh, and slaps it into the net off the stick.
Then Billy Nolan makes an incredible save to deny Shane O’Donnell again! Mark Rodgers pops the 65′ over. Clare 1-19 Waterford 3-9
Ian O’Riordan is in Aughrim to watch Dublin’s opener against an on-form Wicklow:
‘A fine afternoon for a football championship match in the Garden County, Dublin and Wicklow both starting as selected for their Leinster quarter-final meeting in Aughrim.
It’s the county with 63 Leinster titles versus the only Leinster county with none, Dublin also coming here boasting a league and championship record over Wicklow of 32-0. Still, there are questions over Dublin’s form after relegation from Division One, manager Ger Brennan also serving a 12-week sideline ban for a sideline offence in their last game against Galway.
Dublin have four first-time championship starters in Nathan Doran, Charlie McMorrow, Eoin Kennedy, and Páidí White. Wicklow start with an unchanged team from that which beat Carlow in last Sunday.’
DUBLIN: Evan Comerford; Eoin Murchan, Nathan Doran, David Byrne; Greg McEneaney, Charlie McMorrow, Eoin Kennedy; Brian Howard, Tom Lahiff; Seán Bugler, Niall Scully, Páidí White; Paddy Small, Killian McGinnis, Con O’Callaghan.
WICKLOW: Mark Jackson; Tom Moran, Conall Ó Gallchobhair, Gavin Fogarty; Cian Deering, Matt Nolan, Jonathan Carlin; Dean Healy, Jack Kirwan; Jack Hardy, Padraig O’Toole, Christopher O’Brien; Oisín McGraynor, Mark Kenny, Eoin Darcy.
39 Mins: One of the great tackles of all time from Adam Hogan! Put that on a highlight really immediately. He flies across Sean Walsh, who looked to be in for a certain goal, and knocks the ball away at the last second. Rodgers adds another point after that. Clare 1-18 Waterford 2-9
37 Mins: Goal for Clare! Mark Rodgers did really well to gather a low ball in, fed Duggan, and Billy Nolan’s touch on it couldn’t push it wide. Clare 1-17 Waterford 2-9
36 Mins: Things are back underway in Cusack Park. Ryan Taylor opens the scoring this half, Bennett responds, and the Rynne gets a great score to put Clare two in front. Clare 0-17 Waterford 2-9
Three in a row for Louth has them in front for the first time this afternoon. 20 Mins: Louth 0-5 Wexford 0-4
Just before half-time in Tullamore and Westmeath have put themselves in a great place to cause a shock. 34 Mins: Meath 0-9 Westmeath 2-9
Here’s Shane Bennett’s goal from play early on against Clare.
Wexford have made a good start to their Leinster quarter-final, but Louth have hit two on the spin now. 10 Mins: Louth 0-2 Wexford 0-3
And Matthew Whittaker’s strike has Westmeath back in front in Tullamore. 27 Mins: Meath 0-6 Westmeath 1-5
38 Mins: A nice melee breaks out after Shane O’Donnell is fouled by a very aggresive Darragh Lyons. Sean Rynne gets yellow for following in, but that’s all. Clare still get the free and Rodgers puts it over for the lead at half-time.
Half-time: Clare 0-15 Waterford 2-8
36 Mins: Good scrapping for possession there and Clare win it eventually. Cathal Malone wins a free and Rodgers takes it, levelling the score again. Clare 0-14 Waterford 2-8
33 Mins: Paddy Leavey gets a yellow for the tackle on Reidy. Shane O’Donnell levels things again. Then Waterford’s puckout somehow runs through to Sean Walsh, who’s through on goal, but the referee had already pulled it back for a free. Waterford are furious, but they retake the lead through Bennett after the free. Clare 0-13 Waterford 2-8
31 Mins: Jack Fagan is now man-marking Tony Kelly and curbing his influence well so far. Stephen Bennett plays a lovely diagonal pass into an unmarked Hutchinson, who gives Waterford the lead. David Reidy gets a whack on the head so there’s a stoppage in play. Clare 0-12 Waterford 2-7
29 Mins: Shane Bennett racks up two from frees, while Sean Rynne gets his first from play. Clare 0-12 Waterford 2-6
Westmeath currently lead Meath in Leinster football, after three scores in a row. 15 Mins: Meath 0-2 Westmeath 0-3
26 Mins: Another smashing save by Nolan, from Mark Rodgers this time. Clare end up with a free that the corner-forward pops over. Shane Bennett misses a point chance at the other end. Clare 0-11 Waterford 2-4
24 Mins: Shane Bennett misses a free in his own half. Then Billy Nolan makes a double save from Ryan Taylor, and Shane O’Donnell’s point effort is blocked heroically by Calum Lyons. That ends up in a Dessie Hutchinson point at the other end, which is a big boost for Waterford. Clare 0-10 Waterford 2-4
21 Mins: Nearly a Clare goal, as Duggan fields the ball perfectly. He tries to round O’Neill, but the defender does well to hold him up, and Duggan lets fly with the boot, resulting in a point.
And nearly a Waterford red card, too. Stephen Bennett was being held back by his man, and clipped him on the head with the hurl while trying to get free. Just a yellow. Clare 0-10 Waterford 2-3
18 Mins: Again, Tony Kelly responds to the Waterford goal instantly. He smashes a point over from out wide, and you have to wonder who is supposed to be marking him. Then Clare pick up a difficult free. Rodgers comes back to take it and levels the game. Clare 0-9 Waterford 2-3
16 Mins: A cracking score from Diarmuid Ryan from way out the field.
Penalty for Waterford! Sean Walsh makes a brilliant catch and is hauled down by a group of clare men. Goal! Bennett buries it. Clare 0-7 Waterford 2-3
In Leinster football, Meath’s Jordan Morris has gotten the first score of the championship for the Royals. 4 Mins: Meath 0-1 Westmeath 0-0
13 Mins: Both teams’ defences are doing a good job of winning primary ball, with about six attacks in a row being stopped in that fashion. Aaron O’Neill struggled to lift the ball under pressure from Duggan, and eventually O’Donnell comes to help and is fouled. Mark Rodgers points the free to level things. Clare 0-6 Waterford 1-3
10 Mins: A peach of a point for Clare, Mark Rodgers iwnning a high ball brilliantly and handing it off to Sean Rynne for the score.
Goal for Waterford! Stephen Bennett won the ball high from a sideline cut, but was stopped by Quilligan excellently. But Clare made a mess of clearing it away and Bennett was there to drive home the finish. Tony Kelly chips over another point then. Clare 0-5 Waterford 1-3
8 Mins: Superb defending from Niall O’Farrell forces Jamie Barron to shoot wide, but it should have been a score for the away side. Clare 0-3 Waterford 0-3
7 Mins: Duggan comes out into midfield for the puckout, but it’s a decoy. The ball goes to Tony Kelly, who strikes it over brilliantly. Barron responds for Waterford quickly. Clare 0-3 Waterford 0-3
5 Mins: It’s been a bit of a wild start, really, lacking in quality up front. Eventually, Shane O’Donnell picks up the third score of the game, aiming a shot at goal, but watching it deflect over. Stephen Bennett responds a second later with a handy free. Clare 0-2 Waterford 0-2
3 Mins: Shane Bennett gets a handy free and pops it over for the opener. Then Peter Duggan manages to rise a ball in close to the Waterford goal, and is fouled, so it’s a handy response for Mark Rodgers. Clare 0-1 Waterford 0-1
2 Mins: We’re underway in Munster! There’s three wides to start things, two for Clare and the latest from Tony Kelly, surprisingly. Clare 0-0 Waterford 0-0
Here’s the Waterford team for today.
And Shane O’Donnell replaces Shane Meehan for Clare.
And just before this year’s Munster hurling throws in, read Denis Walsh’s ultimate preview of the 2026 Championship.
[Who will win the All-Ireland? Denis Walsh previews 2026 hurling championship]
There’s plenty of action in the lower tiers of championship hurling, and it’s now half-time in a host of them. The scores for those will be posted above.
It’s the county who aren’t playing in today’s Munster games that Nicky English fanices to win it all this year. Limerick have looked really strong through the league campaign, but there’s a long way to go.
[Nicky English: Limerick best placed in wide-open All-Ireland, but I wouldn’t put money on it]
Ahead of today’s rematch of the 2025 All-Ireland final, Denis Walsh charts the life of Tipp captain Ronan Maher, who lifted Liam McCarthy last July.
[Ronan Maher’s journey from overwhelmed youngster to the Wall of Legends]
About a half an hour until Clare-Waterford throws in, and the Munster Championship gets underway. Both teams lost out in the round robin last year, so the points at stake today are critical. Clare won Division 1B at a canter, and look in good shape so far this year.
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Sunday’s Championship action. Munster hurling returns today, beginning a glorious few weeks culminating in the provincial final. The big fixture today sees a rematch of last year’s All-Ireland final, as Tipperary begin their defence of Liam McCarthy at home against Cork (4pm). Before that, Clare and Waterford clash (2pm), with both sides needing a strong start, having failed to advance from the round robin last year.
Elsewhere, there’s five provincial quarter-finals in football, as the Leinster and Ulster campaigns continue this afternoon. The pick of those ties is probably the renewal of a rivalry between Cavan and Monaghan (3pm). Despite Monaghan looking stronger on paper, the two provincial clashes between these sides in the 2020s have produced two Cavan wins.
After 14 titles in a row, it was Louth who eventually broke the Dublin dominance and won the Leinster football crown in 2025. With Meath dumping out the ‘Boys in Blue’, Louth flew somewhat under the radar before upsetting the Royals last summer, but they won’t be afforded that advantage again. After a strong end to their league campaign, Gordon Manning looks at whether the ‘Wee County’ will be able to maintain its spot at the top of the province.
[Louth went under the radar to win Leinster in 2025. Now they have a target on their back]
Dublin start their 2026 campaign in Aughrim against Wicklow today. They’ll be without manager Ger Brennan, after his 12-week suspension was upheld earlier this week. After relegation from Division 1, Darragh Ó Sé is not the only person foreseeing a difficult championship for the Dubs. Earlier this week, he wrote that even regaining their provincial crown might be a stretch for their current panel.
[Darragh Ó Sé: Dublin for Sam? They’ll be doing well to win Leinster]
Where else to start with at the start of the hurling championship but with power rankings? Our experts, Seán Moran, Gordon Manning, Malachy Clerkin and Denis Walsh have done their best at the impossible - ranking everyone in the championship. Find out who they’re ‘writing off’ (i.e. , not ranking at number one) below.
[All-Ireland hurling championship power rankings: Where is your county in the pecking order?]
