7 Things we Learned from the Hurling & Camogie Championships (23rd & 24th May 2026)

A DSS Coaching piece by Brendan Delaney, focusing on lessons from the Hurling and Camogie Championships through the prism of coaching and performance.

This week in brief:

1. Croke Park trips for Christy Ring, Nicky Rackard and Lory Meagher Finals
2. The Camogie Championship restructured – more exciting games?
3. Leinster the new Munster?

Christy Ring, Nicky Rackard and Lory Meagher Finals

Croke Park will host these finals, which I think is a fantastic opportunity for these players to grace the hallowed turf. Leitrim and Longford face off in the Lory Meagher Cup final, and the two teams know each other extremely well having faced off several times in the league and championship over the last number of years. Leitrim edged the group game in Carrick-on-Shannon but I’m sure playing in the wide-open spaces will pose different challenges to both teams. New York overcame Mayo in the semi-final of the Nicky Rackard and now face into their second consecutive final after winning the Lory Meagher Cup last year. They play a Tyrone team who cruised to the final with 5 wins from 5 in the group stage. I do think it is great to include New York in these championships and give them the platform to play, but I have reservations about them entering at the semi-final stage. Mayo played 5 group games in 6 weeks, built momentum for sure but players pick up knocks and injuries while New York had no previous games to get to this stage. Kerry and Derry have a repeat of the final group game in the Christy Ring Cup where Derry won. Kerry were in the final before they played but they selected a relatively strong team and will be disappointed with the loss. The benefit of course is that they have had 2 weeks to rectify those shortcomings. These finals produce some great, exciting games and I am sure next weekend will be no different. These competitions allow payers and teams to play on the iconic stage representing their county, which is an amazing honour. Leitirm, Tyrone and Kerry all to lift their respective trophy.

Provincial Finalists Confirmed

Following the conclusion of the round robin phase of the Munster and Leinster Championships, we have our finalists confirmed. Cork face Limerick on the 7^th June while Galway will play Dublin in the Leinster final the evening before. Cork will welcome Limerick to Pairc Ui Chaoimh in a repeat of last years Munster final that went all the way to penalties. Both teams are tipped to meet again in the All-Ireland final but that won’t be anywhere near Ben O’Connors or John Kielys thoughts. The teams played out a great game a few weeks back, but the return of Aaron Gillane will put serious fear into Cork’s backs, especially with the scoreline they put up on Tipperary. Cork’s forwards will hope to cause Limerick backs more trouble than they did in the league final, but Darragh Fitzgibbon is a monumental loss for this fixture. My heart says Cork, but my head says Limerick. Galway will be eyeing revenge as they were pipped by Dublin in Salthill and to the top of the table. Dublin are unbeaten in Championship this year and full value for that status. They have improved on their consistency, beating teams they should be beating and staying in the tighter games. Croke Park will suit both teams and their running style, but Dublin’s direct game is causing teams a lot of problems. Galway can’t afford to let Dublin get far ahead, like Galway’s games against Wexford and Kildare but I expect more professionalism in the final. Galway and Cork to lift trophies.

Camogie All-Ireland Championship

The Camogie All-Ireland Championship has undergone a restructuring as the association has targeted more exciting games across the year. The 10 teams are split into 2 groups; group 1 has 4 teams and group 2 has 6 teams. The groups are decided by the previous years All-Ireland semi finalists competing in group 1. Each team will play everyone in their group before progressing to either the semi-final or quarter-final. The top 2 teams from group 1 will progress straight to semi-final. The top 2 teams from group 2 will face 3^rd and 4^th from group 1 in the quarter finals. Group 2 is already underway this weekend with Kilkenny impressing with a big win over Limerick. Clare and Offaly overcame Dublin and Wexford respectively to start their campaigns with wins. Group 1 is made up of Tipperary, Cork, Waterford and Galway and we will certainly see some fantastic games in this group. Getting a good start is imperative as teams will aim to get straight to a semi-final. Tipperary off the back of their Munster win will be expected to get in the top 2 while Cork and Galway both have had plenty of time off to get things right ahead of the start. Cork will be lifted by the success of the u23s and time off has allowed players carrying knocks to get back to full health as they make a charge to reclaim the O’Duffy Cup.

U20 Provincial Winners & All-Ireland Finalists

We were treated to an excellent Munster u20 hurling final between Clare and Tipperary who were separated on penalties in the TUS Gaelic Grounds. There has been plenty said about the amazing saves from Mark Sheedy in the penalty shootout for Clare, but this was a very exciting game throughout. Both teams were capable of mixing their games, but Clare looked very dangerous when the ball went in fast and long to Thomas O’Connor. They didn’t get as much joy as they did against Cork in the semi-final, but the danger posed by this threat allowed pockets to open up to pick off scores which Fred Hegarty and Michael Collins took full advantage of. Jamie Ormond was excellent for Tipperary and was supported well by senior players Stefan Tobin and Oisin O’Donoghue. I thought Euan Murray covered very well from centre-back and probably needed better defensive support from his midfielders to fill up the pockets of space. Clare progress straight to the Al-Ireland final where they play Galway after the Tribesmen took care of Kilkenny on Wednesday last. Galway looked to be in control throughout and looked a step above their opposition. Jack Shaughnessy has made the seamless transition from minor to 20s and was excellent throughout. Brian Callanan was super in the first half at full forward and was a great out ball against the wind. I thought Jonah Donnellan was very solid in the half back line while Cullen Killeen gave an exhibition in midfield play from start to finish. Ed Lauhoff led the charge for Kilkenny but to no avail as they were soundly beaten. Galway face Clare in a repeat of the minor final three years ago where Clare won out by 7 points, but I could see this being a much closer game, particularly if Galway senior players are released to play. Clare to edge it.

Leinster the new Munster?

For the first time ever, the round robin in Leinster was much more exciting than Munster this year. We saw more upsets, more swings in scores and generally more excitement in the games. It is hard to compare standard of play when the teams don’t meet until the All-Ireland series. I have to admit when I’m wrong and I was certainly wrong about Leinster this year. Offaly ensured that Leinster was not straight forward as they played with complete abandonment and freedom and went at every opposition in every game. They are full value for their place in the All-Ireland series. Their young starts of yesteryear have really stepped up and brought the fight for their county. Playing the tough games in division 1A has stood to them as they only lost 1 game in the round robin. For Kilkenny, this is a major low. The dominant force in hurling since forever, have fallen at the first hurdle and won’t compete in the All-Ireland series. I think this stumble may not be in isolation as the lack of young players breaking into the aging team is a major concern. Expect to see a lot of ex Kilkenny hurlers speak about this in the coming months. Wexford are also in a similar boat where they need some young players to step up and support the old reliable. They have the same core of the team that won the Leinster in 2019.

Where’s the buzz of Munster?

In my opinion, the Munster championship has not reached the heights of previous years as we have seen more big wins, more control in the games and less real raw excitement. Coaches and managers have obviously adapted to gain more control over games to ensure they don’t reach the same pandemonium that has been evident in previous years. We see teams maybe targeting games particularly to ensure maximum output and around that then we see dips. Clare seemed so flat against Limerick and Cork which were either side of the impressive performance against Tipperary. Limerick and Cork both seemed flat against Waterford but finished strong to get the win. Tipperary’s woes were touched on below as they need a serious look in the mirror to bounce back next year, while Waterford’s shortcomings are potentially a fault of the Ballygunner dominance in the county. The Munster Championship has often been labelled the crown jewel of the GAA, and I am sure the final will be a rip-roaring game, but the games so far have fallen below the level of previous years.

Tipp Tipp Tipp

I mentioned at the start of the year how Tipperary could dominate hurling for the next number of years off the back of All-Ireland wins in 20s and senior and a really strong schools showing. As can the case for a lot of teams with potential, is the question over the desire and the hunger shown by the players and that was certainly the case with Tipperary this year. Donal Og Cusack got slated for his comments about the drastic rise and falls of Tipperary, but he got it spot on. In every championship game this year, they looked flat. There didn’t seem to be the same buzz and energy with them compared to their journey last year, which started with a draw against Limerick. It is always difficult to be the hunted team and they struggled heavily. There is no doubting the quality of their players and management team, but that’s only a small part of successful teams. You need the bite, the chip on the shoulder and the complete commitment to be the very best. From a coaching side, how can this be coached into a team? For me, it goes back to the type of players in your team. Do you select the fanciest hurlers who lie down when things get hard, or do you select players who mightn’t be the very best hurlers but will get knocked 9 times and stand up for the 10^th time. Tipperary obviously have these traits, otherwise we wouldn’t have seen them climbing the steps of the Hogan Stand last year, but they definitely missed it this year.

See you next time!

Brendan

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