2013 Bord Gais U21Hurling Championship.
The Bord Gais U21 Hurling Championship is just 3 weeks away starting on May 31st and its promises to be the best ever.I thought it deserved it's own thread.
Liam O Neill announced the brand is strong enough to leave it at the current age group and not change it.
It has got extremely strong the last few years,and TG4 showing practially most games is helping promote it.
Attendences are pretty good also for this grade.Tg4 showed ten games last year.
Unlike the football grade it shows games from the start of the championship.
Over the last few years there has been some top class games,Cork V Tippereary in 2010 needed extra time.
2011 Munster final that also needed extra time was a classic.
2012 Munster Final between Clare and Tippereary was another great game as was last years final in Thurles between Clare and Kilkenny.
The beauty of this competition is favouritism goes out the window,on any given day anything is possible,it's unpredictability is one of this competitions charms.
Tippeareary were big favourites in 2009,but Waterford beat them who were then beaten by Clare.
Limerick after big wins over Clare and a narrow win over a highly rated Cork team were then suprised by Galway.
Likewise Galway who had around 11 or 12 of the team that won the All ireland the previous year were favourtites against Kilkenny last year but were beaten.
Tippereary who would have had a more work like and solid team,than a team of stars suprised the Munster Champions Limerick in Limerick even though Limerick had the most of the previous year's team,and a lot of senior panelists.
In 2008 Cork were in the same boat,current champions with 12 of the previous years team,but lost in Cork to Clare.Clare then were beaten by Tippereary in the Munster final in a final that was controversal to say the least.
Tippereary beat Cork in Cork last year where Cork were favourites by the bookies and had a stronger team than Tippereary.Laois produced the biggest shock of all beating Dublin last year.Unlike the Senior Championship most games are not a fore gone conclusion,and anything can happen on any given day.
Kilkenny and Cork have 11 All Ireland titles each, Galway have 10,while Tippereary have 9.
Limerick have 4.
Clare have 2.
Waterford have 1.
Wexford 1.
The Championship starts on the 31st May with Tippereary and Limerick in Thurles.
The Leinster Championship starts the following week.
The Munster Champions play Galway while the Leinster Champions play Ulster in the Semi Finals.
Most teams in the last few years have players on their senior panels,while it was always the case,there are more players on both panels in recent times.
Looking at most of the counties involved it should not be short on quailty.
Limerick have at least 7 or 8 of last years panel,and with Declan Hannon,Shane Dowling,Alan Dempsey ,Tom Ryan,Jake Mulchay,Jack Ahern they have quailty hurlers.
A new manager in Tj Ryan who done fantastic work with Kilworth in Cork,is bound to get the best out of them,and with Clem Smith their too,they have a strong management team.Having been successful in 2011 and with Ardscoil Rios getting to two All Ireland Colleges finals,Limerick's hurling at underage level is fairly strong.
Clare having won 2 titles in the last 4 years will be favourites considering they got to the minor all ireland final in 2010 and have the likes of David McInerney,Seadna Morey(player of the Championship last year) Colin Galvin, Tony Kelly, Aron Cunningham, Paudric Collins, Niall Arthur, Peter Duggan,Paul Flangan, and last year's top scorer in the Championship Cathal O Connell, they will be very hard to beat.Clare have 26 from last years panel of 35 involved.They will be Favourites against Waterford in the Semifinal .
Waterford will be very strong and having lost the last 3 games against Clare at this grade are due a victory.Waterford minors beating Clare recently is a boost to them.
Having contested minor finals and De la Salle and Dungarvan winning all ireland colleges in the last few years,it is a just a matter of time before they make the breakthrough.With Darragh Fives,Stephen Bennett,Gavin O Brien and Jake Dillion they have quailty hurlers.They have a new manager in Peter queally.
Tippereary may not be as strong as previous years but with the likes of Thomas Hamill ,Jason Forde who are on the senior panel,Niall O Meara and dual star Liam Mcgrath they will be tough to beat.
My own County Cork,I believe the talent is their.We may not have had success at Harty Cup level or minor success but their is the makings of a fine team.Colm Spillane,Damien Cahalane,Christopher Joyce,Jamie Coughlan,Conor lehane,Bud Hartnett have all played senior or are on the current panel bar Damien Cahalane who opted not to be involved.A lot of these guys would have been involved in this grade the last 3 years bar Spillane who is in he's second year and Bud Hartnett who is in he's first year, as he was ineligble due to club issues the last 2 years is a very classy hurler and even though he is very light,he should get away with it at this grade.
Kevin Hallisey,Alan Cadogan,Mark Sugrue,Jamie Wall (played excellent for Mary I in the Fitzgibbon Cup) are all eligble and able to hold their own at this level.They have all had success at football level for Cork the last few years so have big game expierence.
Diarmuid Lester,Daire Lordan are all fine hurlers and were named on the Cork Senior Club team of the year.
Killan Burke,Nicky Kelly who were involved last year,Dillon Cahill,Michael Vaughan ,Eoghan Finn, Cormac Walsh are classy hurlers and Cormac Murphy,Willam Mccarthy and Rob O Shea have all been involved in the senior panel this year.Pa Callaghan who is in he's last year as a minor is such a talent he may well be on the panel.
Having said all that though ,where Cork are weak is at mangement level.Ger Fitzgerald while he was a great player for Cork,is a poor manager ,one of the weakest out of all the counties taking part,in 3 years he has only won 2 games.
In 2010 and 2011, Cork had two superbly talented teams,the best talent Cork produced at that level in years and could not get them to win even a Munster title.Westmeath who have been added to this year's championship have Brian Hanley involved.They may be deemed a weaker county but they have a better manager then Cork do.
Such is the talent on this team Cork will be a match for any team in Munster but will fall short against Tippereary or Limerick,as this management team has no concept of tactics and can not win close games and as has been the hallmark of Ger Fitzgerald's terenure,we will probably end up on the wrong side of a result by a point or two.
The Leinster Championship looks like it will be very competive.Kilkeny having won the Minor title in 2010 look to be very strong.They should have the majiority of last years team that were beaten by Clare,and with the likes of Ger Alward,Cillan Buckley, Paudric Walsh at centre forward,Richie Reid,John Power all involved are very strong.
Dublin will be very strong and with their ex minor manager Shay Boland in charge,having contested the last two all irelands minor titles ,and with players like Cian O Callaghan,Danny Sutcliffe,Cormac Costello,Ciaran Kilkenny,they will be tough opponents for anyone.
Wexford have a new manager in JJ Doyle in charge this year,he guided the camoige team to 3 All Irelands in a row.Jack Guiney and dual star Lee Chin are their marquee players.Laois who beat Dublin last year are improving under Tony Doran.
Galway having won the minor title in 2011 and having Sean Skehill,Dara Burke ,Conor Cooney from St Thomas involved will fancy their chances.
Daithi Burke from their football winning team and Johnny Glynn,Paul Killen,Shane Maloney,Jason Flynn could all be involved.
Looking at most counties there is sum array of talent that has in some cases has made it mark already at senior level or in other cases likely to make their mark down the line.It should be a great Championship.
