Hurling not just a two-horse race

SEPTEMBER ROAD:HISTORY TELLS us that qualifying for the last day of the All-Ireland senior hurling championship on successive seasons is incredibly difficult (to all, perhaps, bar Kilkenny).

And for the same teams to make it to the last day on successive seasons is almost unheard of – which is rather puzzling considering the small number of counties capable of winning the Liam MacCarthy Cup.

In fact, in the last 60 years it has happened on only four occasions. In 1973, Richie Bennis led Limerick to their first All-Ireland hurling title since 1940. However, 12 months later, Eddie Kehers Kilkenny gained revenge for that defeat when they met in the decider again. And (Tipp supporters look away) on two occasions, the winner of the first final has cruelly repeated the feat the following year – Cork over Wexford in 1977, 1978 and Kilkenny over Cork in 1983, 1984. Most recently, Kilkenny had the better of Cork in the 2003 All-Ireland final, but Cork managed to prevent a three-in-a-row by the Leinster kingpins 12 months later.

It seems, the hurling championship through the years has not been the two-horse race we often perceive it to be.

2010 SHC – Top Scorers

1Shane Dooley (Offaly)3-41 (50)

2Eoin Kelly (Tipperary)3-36 (45)

3Ben O'Connor (Cork)2-31 (37)

4Ger Farragher (Galway)1-31 (34)

5Eoin Kelly (Waterford)1-27 (30)

Walsh injury no joke for Kilkenny supporters

THE joke doing the rounds since Kilkenny demolished Cork in the All-Ireland semi-final is that the only way they can be stopped in their “Drive for Five” is if the entire panel – and not just one or two players – are laid low by injury. But in a senior hurling league club match at the weekend, it was not James Stephen’s 3-21 to 2-13 victory over Tullaroan that proved the talking point.

During the game, seven-time All Star Tommy Walsh (above) injured his left shoulder during a second-half clash with county team-mate Jackie Tyrrell. After soldiering on for a while – as is his style – last season’s hurler of the year had to be substituted. His county team-mates, the management and all Kilkenny fans will be waiting anxiously over the next few days for news as to the seriousness of the injury.

There’s no doubt Kilkenny could probably easily survive missing a couple of their star players, but with Walsh now joining Shefflin, John Tennyson and Michael Rice on the injury list, it’s no joke any longer.

Quote of the weekend

"He's from Ennis and he's got that kind of townie attitude about him - he's prepared to take on anybody."

- Ger Loughnane on hurling's urban and rural divide.