The last 2 years have given us perhaps the 2 greatest ever championship years. Savage standards of skill and fitness. Look at last weeks final 4 wide!!

Add in the huge standards at u21 and minor are we in the greatest ever period for hurling?

Brianmac78 (Dublin) - Posts: 1168 - 15/09/2014 21:11:15    1652427

The 1990s had six winners and eight teams playing in All-Ireland finals. The games were not as high scoring but every bit as memorable and exciting (in my opinion).

In terms of the way teams prepare and the levels of athleticism then you could say yes, now it is better.

I will get slated for this but it should be said; hurling now contains an awful lot of ugly rucks, constant use of the spare hand to make players fumble, lots of helmet dragging and all around cynical play. The games are exciting though. That is without question. In GAA we don't really worry about rules when we have good games.

Cynicism has always existed of course. I think the 1990s were better. I say that even as a Cork man we were merely also rans while the better games took place.

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 15/09/2014 21:40:12    1652452

The last three finals were indeed great games but kilkennys dominance over last 10 years overall would mean it was a great era from their perspective while other teams struggled to compete.
Minor and u21 could offer hope for the future alright but still remains to be seen.

BallBearing (USA) - Posts: 72 - 15/09/2014 21:41:33    1652454

2009 final between Tipp v KK was the best game i was ever at.A lot of pundits agreed also.2010 was another fantastic final.Last weeks final was as good as these also.3 of the best All Ireland finals of all time,played between the same 2 counties,over the last 6 years.Although last years 2 finals were exciting,i dont think the standard and intensity levels were anywhere near the Tipp v Kilkenny games.The physicality in the 09 and 10 finals were unrivalled.The hitting was constant and fair.I think Clare were by far the better team in both finals last year,with Nashs ridiculous frees and penalties keeping Cork in both games.It would have been a tragedy if Clare were beaten.Looking at Clares U21s on Saturday,we will be hearing a lot more from them.Hurling is in a healthy state now,with all the hurling counties,bar Offaly,in with a decent chance of silverware over the next few years.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 15/09/2014 21:54:44    1652461

Ha i like your line benny-in GAA we dont really worry about rules when we have good games.How apt,but we still dont really have a defined tackle in either football or hurling,after 130 years.By this,i mean a tackle whereby both teams,or supporters will accept a decision.Nearly every tackle is disputed.Too many grey areas.I would hate to be a referee.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 15/09/2014 21:58:43    1652464

In terms of quality I wouldn't think so as in my opinion the All Ireland champions from 2004 - 2011 are all better teams than whoever wins this years all Ireland.Still we could get a very competitive era like the 90's if Clare,Limerick and Dublin and Galway find some consistency

uibhfhaili1986 (Offaly) - Posts: 1296 - 15/09/2014 22:01:54    1652470

great finals do not make a great era, put up a better argument, realisticly over last few years there has been at most only 6 teams with in a chance of winning the all ireland

kerryluck (Kerry) - Posts: 2517 - 16/09/2014 09:41:17    1652507

As Christy Ring said, hurlings greatest era is always yet to come. We should just engoy the great era we are currently living in.

onlyhurling (Galway) - Posts: 800 - 16/09/2014 10:13:40    1652525

I tought the 90s were better .

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 16/09/2014 10:24:02    1652532

In terms of skills alone this is the best ever so far.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13703 - 16/09/2014 10:37:05    1652542

Kerryluck

who based it on 2 finals? The argument was based on the skill levels seen over the last 2 years from practically all sides. Thats includingt he standards at 21 and minor. Clare Limerick Dublin Waterford Cork Tipp Kilkenny Wexford have all won trophies between the 3 grades Laois and Carlow have upped there game. Some of the gretaest eever hurlers seen are still going and we have the heirs to their thrones coming through. The 90s was great but not a ptch on what were getting at the minute.

Brianmac78 (Dublin) - Posts: 1168 - 16/09/2014 13:07:53    1652637

Not just the brilliant finals weve had since 09.The overall standard is as high now as it has ever been.Possibly the greatest ever U21 team to play the.Wexford making a rennaisance by winning the last two Leinster U21s.Dublin as strong now as theyve ever been.Only 10 years ago and thered nobody believe we would be winning League finals and Leinster Championships.Laois making great improvements under cheddar.Really should have beaten Galway this year.Close to beating them last year also.Limerick are in a strong position.Winning Munster last year.Making another final this year.Along with a great minor set up and fantastic colleges teams,they will be confident of making an All Ireland final overe next few years.Clare will be confident of winning an All Ireland.Or two.Cork have given us a few great days also,in recent years.If they can find a couple of top defenders,theyl fancy their chances too.Waterford,after having a decade of unprecedented success,may be in a period of transition.Again though,they have a couple of strong minor and colleges teams to help replenish the county.Good structures in place will help ensure they dont drift away.Offaly are the big worry.Numerous hammerings at senior.Regularly losing to Laois and Carlow underage.A fall from grace from the 80s and 90s.The hurling legends in the county,of which there are many,must put the structures in place,to make them competetive again.Tipp and Kilkenny have given us some of the best games of all time recently.There are signs the likes of Clare are catching up on these 2.They may even surpass them over next few years.Even the club championships recently,with an Antrim club wqinning the All Ireland,and a Carlow club winning Leinster and reaching an All Irteland,bodes well for the game.Overall i believe the game is in as good a health as its ever been.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 16/09/2014 13:48:58    1652665

Weve had some brilliant finals but I dont think its even been a good era for hurling, dont mind the greatest era. Kilkenny won the 2006,2007,2008 championships without breaking sweat, and only Tipp gave them a game in 2009. 2010 was a two horse race, while the cats won 2011 easily as well. The last few years have been good, although I still feel that Kilkenny will continue their dominance over the hurling world for the foreseeable future.

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 16/09/2014 17:06:02    1652783

i thought this years championship was extremely poor

Cork
Dublin
Galway
Waterford
Clare

All had shocking seasons .... Wexford had two great matches against a poor clare side but were ripped apart in the semi final

Both all ireland semi finals were of a very poor standard

I really dont see how this is a golden age of hurling

I think the noughties despite Kilkennys dominance was a much better era.. Alot more close matches .. Cork Waterford spring to mind
Galway and kilkenny had some crackers

Now adays bar the finals each game has one dominant force winning but 5/6/7 points and doesnt have the ebb and flow of previous championships. But you would have to agree the standard of matches this season was very poor and the football this year was a far superior championship

ritchie (Cork) - Posts: 346 - 16/09/2014 17:36:48    1652791

Not sure about a greatest era. Only 6 team divisions. Play-off structures designed to hinder progress of teams. The 90's was better. Clare's first game in the then division 1 of 8 teams after winning the '95 All-Ireland was against Kerry in Tralee. Kerry won! Kildare won the Christy Ring this year and are being kept out of their province.

I've said before, Galway and Antrim should move out of the Leinster Championship. The championship should be as follows:

Munster: Cork, Limerick, Tipperary, Clare and Waterford. (5 teams)
Leinster: Kilkenny, Dublin, Wexford, Offaly, Laois, Carlow, Westmeath and Kildare. (8 teams)
Others: Galway, Antrim and London. (3 teams)

The 5 provincial quarter-final losers (1 Munster and 4 Leinster) should enter the Qualifier Round 1 (Q1) along with the 3 non-provincial counties. Controversially for some, the Q1 losers should avail of another chance. Provincial quarter-finalists are starting out a round early after all, so for that reason I see it as fair.

The Structure:
Week 1: Munster and Leinster Quarter-finals
Week 2: Munster and Leinster Semi-finals. Qualifier Round 1 (8 teams: 5 QF losers + Galway, Antrim and London)
Week 3: Munster and Leinster Finals. Qualifier Round 2A (4 Q1 winners). Qualifier Round 2B (8 teams: 4 SF losers and 4 Q2 losers)
Week 4: Qualifier Round 3 (8 teams: 2 Provincial final losers, 2 Q2A losers and 4 Q2B winners)
Week 5: All-Ireland Quarter-finals (8 teams naturally: 2 provincial champions, 2 Q2A winners and 4 Q3 winners)
Week 6: AI Semi-finals
Week 7: AI Final.

The 4 Q2B losers would have to enter the relegation play-offs with the winner taking on the Christy Ring winner.

The provincial quarter-finals are more or less a preliminary round without affecting those starting a round early having a second chance. Once there is 8 provincial semi-finalists and 8 teams in the qualifiers, all counties are in the same boat of having a safety net from that stage forward.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7806 - 16/09/2014 17:56:12    1652807

Another year or two it will take id say.
I don't think Clare will be a one hit wonder surely have 2 0r 3 left in them, if not more.
Galway have surely got to come good someday and hopefully.
Limerick and Wexford Waterford are building with good underage coming on.
Kilkenny will always be there or there abouts but that team of the noughties will be a hard act to follow for them.
Laois, im sure they will keep competitive and wont go back to the bad old days.
as for Tipp, a few all Irelands in them im sure but will they dominate?
Cork, im not sure where they are going but with JBM in charge, he always gets the best out of them.
Dublin, if more consistent every year will get better too.
Antrim and Offaly unfortunately seem to be going back id say, could be a few very barren years for them, with Westmeath, Carlow and Kerry making ground on them.

preddan (Kildare) - Posts: 733 - 16/09/2014 18:00:25    1652811

Richie i would include the noughties in this era.Twas only a few years ago to be fair.The KK V Limerick semi final this year was a great game,even accounting for the awful weather.Its not Tipps fault that Cork resembled a bunch of clueless junior hurlers.Dublin are now a force to be reckoned with.Galway moving to Leinster has made it every bit as competetive as Munster now.I think hurling is in a good place right now,with a lot to look forward to.Sometimes people look at past games through rose tinted glasses.I remember hearing about these brilliant Dublin v Kerry games in the 70s,until i saw them on tv,and couldnt believe the basic errors been made.The 91,92,93,96,99,00 finals were nothing special.Hurling is evolving every year.At least 7 teams will have aspirations of winning silverware next year.The 09,10,12,13 and last weeks drawn final are 5 of the greatest games ever played.As a massive hurling fan,i think weve been spoiled recently,and already i cant wait until next year.A big matter of next Saturday week to go first,of course!

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 16/09/2014 18:04:50    1652814

Good games this year- Cork v Waterford drawn game,Tipp v Limerick,Dublin v Wexford,Kilkenny v Galway drawn game,Kilkenny v Galway replay,Cork v Limerick,Wexford v Clare drawn game,Wexford v Clare replay,Offaly v Antrim,Limerick v Kilkenny,Tipp v KK drawn game.Whats so miserable about this year?I have enjoyed all these games.We must have ridiculously high standards on here.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 16/09/2014 18:21:42    1652825

Some people must expect to be blown away by every match to enjoy it. The Muster Championship this year was as compeditive as could be and no reason to believe that the next few years wont be the same. With Wexford coming and Dublin and Galway on a par with what will be a weeker KK I think Leinster is about to enjoy its best years since the 90's. The finals since 09 have been brilliant in comparrison to any period in the past. SO YES this is a golden era which has only just started and will better the 90's yet.

ZUL10 (Clare) - Posts: 693 - 16/09/2014 21:44:29    1652883

2013 and 2014 may be the beginning of a golden age. We'll have to wait and see. I think since KK reset all standards in 2008, we have been in a new period. I think in terms of speed, certain skills, athleticism and professionalism, this period outdoes everything that came before it. I think all of those things inevitably progress though and I think hurling will only ever get faster etc. In my lifetime, the only period which can compare is the Guinness age of 1995-1999 or so. That was mainly a great period because of new teams breaking through and dominating - namely Limerick, Wexford, Clare and Offaly. Those years were equally exciting but for completely different reasons. I think the only thing missing at the moment is a further breakthrough like clare last year from a county that hasn't won in a while and I think Limerick are best placed to do it.
I think a really great achievement and potential golden age would be if the likes of carlow, Laois, Antrim and Westmeath started performing to the same standard as the top 10 teams and if Offaly came back. What really made 2013 and 2014 great were that anyone could win it from about 6 or 7 teams. Imagine if we had that on a permanent basis from 15 teams!?

hurlinspuds (Cork) - Posts: 1494 - 17/09/2014 12:36:17    1653004