What does All Ireland hurling final weekend mean to you?

kilkennycat2004

We can't wait. On a weeks hols booked since january but its not just the match part.
The build up in participating counties is incredible & the ticket demand seems to get worse as croker grows bigger.
Not a moan about the 60 euro prices just must have a ticket.
I know from speaking to hurling people from westmeath, antrim, laois, down etc.. over the years that it is very much for all the hurling counties.
C'mon the cats to another minor & senior double but hopefully it'll be A1 for everybody weatherise also as the forecast is desperate.

Flukey

What does the All-Ireland Hurling Final mean to me? A lot! It's a great occasion. It is the second biggest sporting event in the country after the football final but it has its own special character. This Sunday's will be my 24th in 25 seasons (I wasn't at the Thurles 1984 final). How do I get tickets? With great difficulty!

"Why not watch it on TV?" people ask. The simple answer is that there is nothing like being there. You can watch re-runs of it often, starting with the Sunday Game that night, but you can only ever be there once. Since my first final in 1980 there have been a lot of historic finals of which I can say "I was there." For example:

Galway's first win in 57 years in 1980.
Offaly's first ever win in 1981.
The incredible last 5 minutes of Offaly v Limerick in 1994.
Clare's first win in 81 years in 1995.
Wexford's first win in 28 year in 1996.

Historic days, if you are a GAA fan, and I was at the lot, and others. There were lots of good matches over the years I have been going. Throw in the mix of the all the other games in the lead to the final each year that I have been at and well, what can I say? Great stuff!

The only downside is that after the whole summer long wondering who was going to win, which is part of the enjoyment, you've suddenly got the answer and that is it, and there is a sense of anti-climax! Of course you can immediately ask "Who is going to win it next year?" and so the cycle continues! You've got the winter to wait through, and all those boring winter Sunday afternoons compared to the summer ones. Soon, however, May comes around and the Championships begin. Of course next year, we'll have a new Hurling Championship format, which will add an extra interest to it!

Of course, the above applies to the football championship and final too!

Poocher

Cannot wait myself! Ive had my b&B in drumcondra booked since june and I visited casement park last night to pick up my golden ticket. Its my first all Ireland final since 1989, not such a good day that day! Its an all too common experience for me visiting headquarters as a neutral, but im glad that im getting this oppourtunity to see this showpiece. Its my 6th trip to croker this year, and although antrim were only there once ive thorughly enjoyed this season. My love of hurling has saw me travel to limerick for tipp v the treaty then on to semple stadium the next day to see the munster final! Il be in bed after up for the match on sat nite then up first pop for the trip south. oh i do love september!!

Poocher

Cannot wait myself! Ive had my b&B in drumcondra booked since june and I visited casement park last night to pick up my golden ticket. Its my first all Ireland final since 1989, not such a good day that day! Its an all too common experience for me visiting headquarters as a neutral, but im glad that im getting this oppourtunity to see this showpiece. Its my 6th trip to croker this year, and although antrim were only there once ive thorughly enjoyed this season. My love of hurling has saw me travel to limerick for tipp v the treaty then on to semple stadium the next day to see the munster final! Il be in bed after up for the match on sat nite then up first pop for the trip south. oh i do love september!!

Flukey

The 1989 Hurling Final, the day of the 18's.

Antrim scored 18 points.
Tipperary won by 18 points.
Nicholas English of Tipperary scored 18 points.
It was Tipperary's first All-Ireland in 18 years.

Strange, but all true!

Big Ears

What does it mean to me ? , it means a very special occasion when Kilkenny fans will be slumped on they're seats wondering when the misery will end .

Come on the rebel county ! (a Tipp fan , not usually do I like Cork winning but its a once off)

Danni

Big Ears wrote:

What does it mean to me ? , it means a very special occasion when Kilkenny fans will be slumped on they're seats wondering when the misery will end .

Come on the rebel county ! (a Tipp fan , not usually do I like Cork winning but its a once off)

COME ON THE REBELS

jank

It is the second biggest sporting event in the country after the football final

No way is the football final bigger mate
Its so dull these days hurling is by far the better game so there fore its the bigger day

Big Ears

jank wrote:

No way is the football final bigger mate
Its so dull these days hurling is by far the better game so there fore its the bigger day

He lives in the pale and is probably from there , so he just wouldn't understand how hurling could be the better game .

keu

UP THE REBELS

andyman

The sig says it all.

Flukey

On the contrary, I have a very full understanding of the two games. Tomorrow will be my 24th Hurling final to attend and I very rarely miss a big match in Croke Park, Hurling or Football. Hurling is without doubt the better game of the two, but the football final gets wider attention and broader interest, so in that way it is the bigger of the two events. Unfortunately Hurling isn't as widespread as Football is, which is a pity. Draw a line from Dublin to Galway and with the exception of a few small and isolated pockets, all the real Hurling is played south of that line. It would be great to see as many teams competing in it as in the Football and as many teams in with a chance of winning it as in the Football. No one has retained the Football title since 1990 and it is impossible at the start of the year now to say who will win it, unlike during the 70's and 80's. Now if only we could get Hurling to that level. As a neutral a Kilkenny v Cork final, while always a good match, is more of the same. It would be nice to see more counties outside of the big three, Cork, Kilkenny and Tipperary, winning it. This will be the sixth successive year that one of those 3 will have won it and they have 81 out of the 116 titles won so far. Only 13 counties, including London, have won it. That is the biggest problem with the Hurling championship.

kilkennycat2004

Flukey wrote:

On the contrary, I have a very full understanding of the two games. Tomorrow will be my 24th Hurling final to attend and I very rarely miss a big match in Croke Park, Hurling or Football. Hurling is without doubt the better game of the two, but the football final gets wider attention and broader interest, so in that way it is the bigger of the two events. .

Have attended some football finals myself but I feel like an uninvited guest. On the other hand hurling kinda belongs to the hurling community which is much more confined. I'll be on holidays again next september & fully expect Kilkenny to be there or thereabouts at the business end of the senior & minor championships. But even if they are not its our biggest sporting day of the year.

Flukey

Naturally hurling is of more interest in some counties, none more so than Kilkenny, which in a way is a pity. But for most counties the football final is of major interest and you can be sure if Kilkenny get to play in it, and they could if they really made the effort, that the people of Kilkenny would have a big interest. Still, there will be plenty of Kilkenny people watching on Sunday as in any county in the country. They are GAA people after all.

Flukey

As for me, as I stated in an earlier post, like the weekend of the hurling final, this weekend means a lot. I hope to see Mayo win on Sunday. I went to my first football final in 1980, as I did my hurling, and as I have not missed one since, including replays Sunday next will be my 28th. I haven't got the ticket yet, but it is almost assured. When the final whistle goes on Sunday, as on any All-Ireland Football Final Sunday, you know the winter is coming!