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Limerick Senior Hurling 2026

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Replying To endgame:  "Limerick have to be strong favourites. Galway hurlers have a terrible record in All Ireland finals and Galway have no tradition of coming from nowhere to win Liam. Even Galway's greatest ever hurling team with Keady and Finnerty lost two finals before winning two in the 1980s. Hope I'm wrong tomorrow."
I don't think Galways history matters much - they have a coach and several players who have won AIs and the younger players have won plenty of underage titles
Easy to say it's a free hit for them and they should be happy to just get there but just like Tipp last year and Limerick in 2018 they will be fearless and know this moment might not come again
I think it will be a close game, with Limerick deservedly slight favourites but it could go either way
Galway have played a similar game tactically all year with a packed defense it will be fascinating to see how Kinnerk tries to counter it

Yadse (Limerick) - Posts: 283 - 19/07/2026 13:30:53    2686240

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Well done Limerick. The game just passed our lads by, and ye showed your class. Enjoy the celebrations, and hopefully we'll be back to challenge next year.

streaker (Galway) - Posts: 586 - 19/07/2026 17:24:10    2686258

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Poor final. Galway dreadful.

TommyBermingham (Kildare) - Posts: 43 - 19/07/2026 17:32:21    2686260

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Well done Limerick.
Way way too good.
Both teams probably happy to hear the final whistle.

Seniorleague (Galway) - Posts: 185 - 19/07/2026 17:43:46    2686263

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Replying To TommyBermingham:  "Poor final. Galway dreadful."
Dreadful is being kind. Another Galway collapse in a hurling final. They scored two points from play in the first half. Well done to this great Limerick team but Galway were utterly shocking today.

endgame (Roscommon) - Posts: 2750 - 19/07/2026 18:56:05    2686280

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Replying To Yadse:  "I don't think Galways history matters much - they have a coach and several players who have won AIs and the younger players have won plenty of underage titles
Easy to say it's a free hit for them and they should be happy to just get there but just like Tipp last year and Limerick in 2018 they will be fearless and know this moment might not come again
I think it will be a close game, with Limerick deservedly slight favourites but it could go either way
Galway have played a similar game tactically all year with a packed defense it will be fascinating to see how Kinnerk tries to counter it"
History and tradition matter a lot. Well done to this great Limerick team but Galway were shocking today. That's 21 defeats for Galway out of 26 All Ireland hurling finals.

endgame (Roscommon) - Posts: 2750 - 19/07/2026 19:30:30    2686284

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Replying To endgame:  "History and tradition matter a lot. Well done to this great Limerick team but Galway were shocking today. That's 21 defeats for Galway out of 26 All Ireland hurling finals."
5 wins is 5 wins. With hindsight, Galway 2026 were never going to beat Limerick 2026, and 20 previous all Ireland losses has nothing to do with that.

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 4874 - 19/07/2026 21:51:54    2686309

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Fair play lads, probably a year or 2 early for us, but the experience of it will do the lads some good.

ColmFlaherty (Galway) - Posts: 174 - 19/07/2026 22:11:33    2686310

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Replying To Pope_Benedict:  "5 wins is 5 wins. With hindsight, Galway 2026 were never going to beat Limerick 2026, and 20 previous all Ireland losses has nothing to do with that."
It wasn't the losing to Limerick which was likely even though the argument could have been made that a lot of that Limerick team are a long time on the road. It was the manner of Galway's defeat. Galway were terrible today. As poor a performance as ever in an All Ireland hurling final . Cork lost badly last year but they were better than Tipp in the first half. Galway were utterly dominated today from start to finish.

endgame (Roscommon) - Posts: 2750 - 19/07/2026 23:33:48    2686324

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That was a lot easier than I honestly expected..limerick just completely dominated Galway all over the field with the exception of rabitte who really did everything to bring the fight..
Easily best performance of the year..cahal got man of match but thought donohue was exceptional again and has really settled into the 6 position..
It was age I was never uncomfortable with.
Thanks to everyone who is responsible for shortening the winter in limerick again..iv said before I'd have been happy to see the win in 2018 so I could remember it but to have 6 in last 9 years is mind blowing..
Thanks lads from a very happy limerick supporter.

CTGAA10 (Limerick) - Posts: 2711 - 20/07/2026 00:36:20    2686326

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Replying To endgame:  "It wasn't the losing to Limerick which was likely even though the argument could have been made that a lot of that Limerick team are a long time on the road. It was the manner of Galway's defeat. Galway were terrible today. As poor a performance as ever in an All Ireland hurling final . Cork lost badly last year but they were better than Tipp in the first half. Galway were utterly dominated today from start to finish."
I wouldn't agree that Cork were better than Tipp in the first half last year. Tipp won many battles all over the field in the first half but hit eleven wides. Much of that would have been down to nerves, given that for most of their players it was their first All-Ireland final and only their second ever game in Croke Park. Cork were more economical and their goal came in the last seconds of injury time so their half time lead of six points didn't reflect the first half play, Once Tipp's accuracy improved dramatically in the second half they got completely on top.

midlands (Westmeath) - Posts: 642 - 20/07/2026 10:37:49    2686341

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Replying To CTGAA10:  "That was a lot easier than I honestly expected..limerick just completely dominated Galway all over the field with the exception of rabitte who really did everything to bring the fight..
Easily best performance of the year..cahal got man of match but thought donohue was exceptional again and has really settled into the 6 position..
It was age I was never uncomfortable with.
Thanks to everyone who is responsible for shortening the winter in limerick again..iv said before I'd have been happy to see the win in 2018 so I could remember it but to have 6 in last 9 years is mind blowing..
Thanks lads from a very happy limerick supporter."
Congratulations to Limerick. What a team! one of the best ever. I questioned ye at the start of the season and wasn't sure ye could get back to the promised land, but ye definately proved me wrong. To Galway, comisserations, that was a hard watch yesterday. However, ye are not alone, we have all been on the end of one of those Limerick hammerings and ye will learn from it.
Overall, I have to say this was a poor enough hurling championship, with only 1 or 2 games sticking in the memory, but Limerick won't care. They are deserving champions.

bloodandbandage (Cork) - Posts: 610 - 20/07/2026 11:24:15    2686344

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Replying To ColmFlaherty:  "Fair play lads, probably a year or 2 early for us, but the experience of it will do the lads some good."
It could go one of two ways for Galway now, the realisation that the tactics they implemented yesterday will never work against a top tier side, as they will shut down the long ball in or the attempts to run it through the middle, Had Galway met Clare yesterday, the levels of physicality would have been similar. Game plan has to be varied. Limerick were setting traps for Galway i thought in that they generally allowed the first player receive the puckout in space but then exerted enormous levels of pressure on the second ball. Lack of battles in Leinster did them no favours, but it will be interesting to see how they rebound and change next year.

Congrats to Limerick and all involved they absolutely cemented their legacy by coming back to win another one and do a clean sweep across the board this year. So many great performances but just to name a few that stood out when watching, Barry Nash, Kyle Hayes and WOD had fantastic games, Cian was back to his usual level of brilliance and could easily have picked up motm also, CON was fantastic throughout and deserved the motm and great to see Gillane get back to himself on the biggest day. Legends the lot of them. Thank you for the days,,,,

Fitzy01 (Limerick) - Posts: 498 - 20/07/2026 11:56:30    2686351

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Replying To Fitzy01:  "It could go one of two ways for Galway now, the realisation that the tactics they implemented yesterday will never work against a top tier side, as they will shut down the long ball in or the attempts to run it through the middle, Had Galway met Clare yesterday, the levels of physicality would have been similar. Game plan has to be varied. Limerick were setting traps for Galway i thought in that they generally allowed the first player receive the puckout in space but then exerted enormous levels of pressure on the second ball. Lack of battles in Leinster did them no favours, but it will be interesting to see how they rebound and change next year.

Congrats to Limerick and all involved they absolutely cemented their legacy by coming back to win another one and do a clean sweep across the board this year. So many great performances but just to name a few that stood out when watching, Barry Nash, Kyle Hayes and WOD had fantastic games, Cian was back to his usual level of brilliance and could easily have picked up motm also, CON was fantastic throughout and deserved the motm and great to see Gillane get back to himself on the biggest day. Legends the lot of them. Thank you for the days,,,,"
I hope Michéal knows himself that the tactic won't work 10/10 every game.

Looking back now makes me feel glad I watched us win an All-Ireland in 2017, especially after we left 1 or 2 behind us before that.

ColmFlaherty (Galway) - Posts: 174 - 20/07/2026 12:32:29    2686354

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Replying To Fitzy01:  "It could go one of two ways for Galway now, the realisation that the tactics they implemented yesterday will never work against a top tier side, as they will shut down the long ball in or the attempts to run it through the middle, Had Galway met Clare yesterday, the levels of physicality would have been similar. Game plan has to be varied. Limerick were setting traps for Galway i thought in that they generally allowed the first player receive the puckout in space but then exerted enormous levels of pressure on the second ball. Lack of battles in Leinster did them no favours, but it will be interesting to see how they rebound and change next year.

Congrats to Limerick and all involved they absolutely cemented their legacy by coming back to win another one and do a clean sweep across the board this year. So many great performances but just to name a few that stood out when watching, Barry Nash, Kyle Hayes and WOD had fantastic games, Cian was back to his usual level of brilliance and could easily have picked up motm also, CON was fantastic throughout and deserved the motm and great to see Gillane get back to himself on the biggest day. Legends the lot of them. Thank you for the days,,,,"
If lack of battles in Leinster did them no favours, how did they beat Cork so easily?

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 20287 - 20/07/2026 13:01:02    2686356

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Replying To Viking66:  "If lack of battles in Leinster did them no favours, how did they beat Cork so easily?"
That's a question for BOC and the Cork County Board
It's a mystery- not that Galway beat Cork but that they beat them so comprehensively
But then there is signal and noise
The noise is Galway beat Cork in a semi final this year
The signal is Munster teams have won 9 AIs in a row, 4 of them were all Munster finals
They have won 7 of 9 National leagues and the last 5 in a row
They have won the last six minor All Irelands
and 13 of 15 U20/21
Yes you have had an exceptional senior team in Munster but the three years they didn't win senior another Munster team did
Given all those signals I think it's fair to say there is a big gap in terms of performance between the provinces and being open to exploring what might lie behind that.
And perfectly reasonable to think intense games in front of full houses might give Munster teams an advantage.


That's not to say a Leinster team won't beat a Munster team in an AI game next year or even win the AI.
But figuring out

Yadse (Limerick) - Posts: 283 - 20/07/2026 13:56:25    2686361

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Replying To Yadse:  "That's a question for BOC and the Cork County Board
It's a mystery- not that Galway beat Cork but that they beat them so comprehensively
But then there is signal and noise
The noise is Galway beat Cork in a semi final this year
The signal is Munster teams have won 9 AIs in a row, 4 of them were all Munster finals
They have won 7 of 9 National leagues and the last 5 in a row
They have won the last six minor All Irelands
and 13 of 15 U20/21
Yes you have had an exceptional senior team in Munster but the three years they didn't win senior another Munster team did
Given all those signals I think it's fair to say there is a big gap in terms of performance between the provinces and being open to exploring what might lie behind that.
And perfectly reasonable to think intense games in front of full houses might give Munster teams an advantage.


That's not to say a Leinster team won't beat a Munster team in an AI game next year or even win the AI.
But figuring out"
Well put there.
Galway are a team capable of putting up high scores and that's something that will trouble any team. They were totally overwhelmed by the intensity and physicality yesterday. Limerick face that most days in Munster.

Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 736 - 20/07/2026 14:12:21    2686366

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