Clonmel 1650, pure Irish lager, has teamed up with GAA stars, JJ Delaney, Diarmuid O'Sullivan and Brendan Cummins to bring hurling fans live commentary, analysis and opinion on all the Championship games through their 'Moments of the Championship' campaign. Follow @clonmel1650 and #Clonmel1650hurling

The more things change, the more they stay the same. With just six counties left in contention for Liam MacCarthy honours, we update our hurling rankings and (surprise, surprise!) the Cats are still the team to chase.

1. KILKENNY (no change)

Last time out we asked the question: How will the Cats cope with the absence of JJ Delaney, Tommy Walsh, Brian Hogan, Henry Shefflin, Aidan Fogarty and David Herity? Turns out pretty well because it has been business as usual for the black and ambers. Brian Cody's men collected the county's 70th Leinster SHC title with a 1-25 to 2-15 defeat of Galway.

2. TIPPERARY (no change)

In his third year at the helm, Eamon O'Shea has delivered Tipperary's 41st Munster SFC title. The Premier County got the better of Waterford on a scoreline of 0-21 to 0-16 last Sunday. The Brendan Maher captained outfit have their eyes on a bigger prize, however, as they bid to go one step further than last year.

3. WATERFORD (no change)

"We didn't come here today to be defeated but I'm very proud." Those were the words of Deise manager Derek McGrath after the defeat to Tipp. Rallying his young troops ahead of Sunday week's All-Ireland quarter-final against Dublin shouldn't pose too much of a problem for McGrath and the league champions could still have big say in the destination of the Liam MacCarthy Cup.

4. GALWAY (up three)

The Tribesmen showed what they are capable of against Dublin (replay) and Laois but they ran into a brick wall in the form of Kilkenny in the Bob O'Keeffe decider. Despite the seven point loss, manager Anthony Cunningham was in defiant mood after the final whistle and predicted that his team would cross swords again with Kilkenny on Sunday, September 6th ...

5. CORK (down one)

Credit where credit is due. Jimmy Barry-Murphy and his players were on the receiving end of plenty of criticism following their league final and Munster SHC semi-final defeats to Waterford. They went back to the drawing board, took on board the lessons they learned, and, following wins over Wexford and Clare, are now preparing for a last eight clash with Galway.

6. DUBLIN (up two)

Back-door victories over Laois and Limerick has helped the Metropolitans get their Leinster SHC quarter-final replay collapse to Galway out of their system. The Ger Cunningham managed outfit came from eight points down to show the Shannonsiders the exit door on a scoreline of 1-17 to 1-16. Their reward is a quarter-final clash with Waterford.

7. CLARE (no change)

The high of September 2013 is a distant memory for the Banner County. Since capturing the Liam MacCarthy Cup two years ago, Clare have played six championship matches and a qualifier win over Offaly is all they have to show for their efforts. Last Saturday's three point defeat to Cork brought the curtain down on their season but Davy Fitz is staying on at the helm.

8. LIMERICK (down two)

The Treaty County flattered to decieve in this year's championship. They got off to a bang with a one point victory over Clare (1-19 to 2-15) but their frailties were subsequently exposed by Tipperary in the Munster semi-final. A less than convincing qualifier win over Westmeath was followed by last Saturday's collapse to Dublin.

9. WEXFORD (no change)

Wexford are in the same boat as Limerick having also failed to build on the promise they showed in 2014. Liam Dunne's men failed to recover from the 0-16 to 5-25 mauling they suffered at the hands of Kilkenny in the Leinster SHC semi-final. Cork put them out of their misery in round one of the qualifiers.

10. LAOIS (up two)

The O'Moore County's first championship victory over Offaly since 1972 is one of the stories of the hurling championship but reality hit home for Seamus 'Cheddar' Plunkett and his team against Galway (Leinster SHC semi-final) and Dublin (All-Ireland SHC qualifier).

11. OFFALY (down one)

The Faithful County are on the lookout for a new manager after Brian Whelahan called it quits following their heavy qualifier defeat to Clare. It has been a year to forget for a county with a proud hurling tradition.

12. KERRY (up one)

The Kingdom are on the up. They will compete in the Leinster SHC, as well Division 1B, in 2016 after Eamonn Kelly's charges enjoyed a 1-20 to 0-12 Christy Ring Cup final victory over Derry.

13. WESTMEATH (up one)

Victories over Carlow and Antrim saw the Lake County qualify for the Leinster SHC proper and Michael Ryan's men gave a good account of themselves against both Wexford and Limerick.

14. CARLOW (up one)

Pat English and his players rounded off their Leinster SHC qualifying campaign with a noteworthy 2-18 to 1-11 success over Antrim.

15. ANTRIM (down four)

Antrim hurling's stock plummeted during 2015 as a 14th Ulster SHC title in-a-row is all that the Saffrons have to show for their efforts.

16. DERRY (no change)

The Oak Leafers qualified for their first ever Christy Ring Cup final but they came up short against Kerry in Croke Park.

17. KILDARE (up one)

The Christy Ring Cup holders fell at the penultimate hurdle when finishing second best to the Kingdom by 0-9 to 6-27.

18. DOWN (up two)

The semi-final of the Christy Ring also proved to be one bridge too far for the Mourne County who lost out to Derry on a scoreline of 0-23 to 2-12.

19. LONDON (down two)

A round one Christy Ring Cup replay victory over Kildare was as good as it got for manager Fergus McMahon and the Exiles.

20. MEATH (down one)

Neighbours Kildare once again proved to be the rock on which the Royal County's Christy Ring ambitions perished.

21. WICKLOW (no change)

The Garden County saved their Christy Ring Cup skin with a 1-18 to 1-11 relegation play-off victory against Mayo in Mullingar.

22. ROSCOMMON (up five)

Justin Campbell's side were crowned Nickey Rackard Cup champions following their dramatic  2-12 to 1-14 final victory over Armagh at GAA headquarters.

23. MAYO (down one)

It's the Nicky Rackard Cup for Mayo in 2016 after they lost out by 0-13 to 2-14 to the Rossies in the Christy Ring promotion/relegation play-off.

24. ARMAGH (down one)

Roscommon captain Micheal Kelly's late goal pulled the rug from under the Orchard County's feet in the Nicky Rackard Cup decider.

25. TYRONE (down one)

Eventual champions Roscommon knocked the Red Hands out of the Rackard Cup running at the semi-final stages - 1-16 to 0-14.

26. DONEGAL (down one)

Armagh denied Ray Durack and his players a place in the Rackard Cup decider in the last four, it finished 1-18 to 1-12 in the Orchard County's favour at the Athletic Grounds.

27. MONAGHAN (down one)

The Farney County were no match for Donegal when the two counties met at the quarter-final stages in Clones.

28. FINGAL (no change)

Four points separated Fingal and Tyrone in the last eight of the Nicky Rackard Cup.

29. LONGFORD (up one)

The Midlanders preserved their Nicky Rackard Cup status courtesy of a four point relegation win (2-20 to 2-16) over Louth in St Loman's, Mullingar.

30. FERMANAGH (up one)

Shane Mulholland's team-mates did his memory proud when claiming Lory Meagher Cup honours as well as promotion to the Nicky Rackard Cup.

31. LOUTH (down two)

Fermanagh's 1-15 to 3-8 promotion/relegation play-off victory consigned the Wee County to the Lory Meagher Cup for 2016.

32. SLIGO (no change)

The Yeats County were unable to capitalise on numerical advantage against Fermanagh in the Lory Meagher Cup decider.

33. LEITRIM (up one)

The Connacht county claimed the scalps of Warwickshire and Lancashire.

34. WARWICKSHIRE (down one)

The Pairc na hEireann scoreboard read 3-13 to 2-14 in Warwickshire's favour when they met Lancashire in round 5 of the Lory Meagher Cup.

35. LANCASHIRE (no change)

Lancashire were left empty-handed at the end of their maiden Lory Meagher Cup voyage.

Clonmel 1650, pure Irish lager, has teamed up with GAA stars, JJ Delaney, Diarmuid O'Sullivan and Brendan Cummins to bring hurling fans live commentary, analysis and opinion on all the Championship games through their 'Moments of the Championship' campaign. Follow @clonmel1650 and #Clonmel1650hurling

Tweet

Most Read Stories