HURLING’S FINEST AFTER A TRULY THRILLING SEASON
Treaty knuckled down after being eight points in arrears to Galway in the League and then refused to look back
ENDING a 45-year wait since their previous Liam MacCarthy Cup success, Limerick were top of the pile at the end of one of the most exciting All-Ireland SHC races ever. PHILIP LANIGAN rates the performance of every county at the end of a triumphant year for the Treaty men 1 LIMERICK
At half-time in their crucial Allianz League Division 1B clash with Galway at Pearse Stadium, Limerick decided to burn the boats. Eight points down and facing yet another season marooned in hurling’s second tier, this was a fight-or-flight moment. And the gutsy way in which John Kiely’s men took down the All-Ireland champions, away from home, proved a seminal moment.
They carried that same self-confidence into the Championship, unearthing new leaders all the way.
Not enough credit is given to the manner in which Kiely repositioned his team. Watching Kyle Hayes pluck balls from the sky at centre-back in the previous year’s Under 21 final win against Kilkenny, the safe bet would have been to build a senior team around the blossoming number six. Instead, he trusted Declan Hannon there and the team captain’s reading of the play and crisp ball-striking ability proved central to Limerick’s All-Ireland journey. So, too was Hayes at centre-forward, he got rave reviews along the way and Man of the Match in the All-Ireland final.
With Cian Lynch a revelation in a play-making role around the middle, the likes of Seamus Flanagan, Tom Morrissey and Aaron Gillane blossomed while Graeme Mulcahy enjoyed an Indian summer.
Just one defeat in normal time says everything about the most consistent team of 2018, a team whose age profile suggests they will be in the mix for some time to come. P15 W12 D1 L2 Win-rate: 80% MAIN MAN: Cian Lynch 2 GALWAY Eventually ran out of road, the exertions of a two-legged Leinster final against Kilkenny and All-Ireland semi-final against Clare catching up with them. And yet… If Joe Canning catches the sweet spot with that last-gasp, long-distance free in the final against Limerick, then it’s hardly a leap to say Galway would have been celebrating the winter as back-to-back champions. Such are the fine margins. The sight of Pádraig Mannion dropping the shoulder and coasting past his man to deliver another ball in to the forward line became one of the sights of the summer and Joe Canning delivered time after time when most required. Manager Micheál Donoghue, though, knows he needs some fresh options in 2019 after sticking with the tried the trusted, even when form dictated a shake-up of the starting 15. P15 W10 D2 L3 Win-rate: 66% MAIN MAN: Pádraig Mannion
3 CORK
Six points up entering the endgame of the All-Ireland semifinal, it has to be eating away at Cork that Limerick stormed back and then went on to bring home the Liam MacCarthy Cup for the first time since 1973. The dramatic reversal from the Munster final in the Under 21 decider against Tipperary only compounded the sense of frustration. With Frank Murphy finally stepping down in an official capacity, a new era beckons for Cork. How quickly Kevin O’Donovan can put his stamp on things remains to be seen but after back-to-back Munster titles, 2019 has to be all about ending the All-Ireland famine — at senior, U21 and minor level. The emergence of Darragh Fitzgibbon (left) as a rare talent is one reason for optimism while Seán O’Donoghue played like a veteran corner-back in his breakthrough season.
Losing a 78-point thriller to Limerick will be of little consolation. Perhaps it’s time to show some spring ambition and bring home a national title. P12 W5 D2 L5 Win-rate: 42% Main man: Patrick Horgan
4 KILKENNY
There is a case to be made that winning the 2018 National League was one of the greatest achievements of Brian Cody’s 20 seasons. Two games in, there were public calls for his head. Two defeats threw up the spectre of relegation from Division 1A and talk of the Kilkenny boss moving ‘upstairs’, as if Kilkenny Inc was being run along the lines of a professional soccer franchise.
Instead, TJ Reid returned to the starting line-up to stoke the black and amber flames. It’s hard to think of another instance of a single player dragging a team to a League title, his display in the final against Tipp a thing of mastery. Ballyhale Shamrocks’ club campaign, however, means he could be missed once again.
Other encouraging signs for 2019? Paddy Deegan’s all-action displays in the corner; James Maher’s blossoming in the midfield engine room; the capacity of Richie Leahy to thieve a score.
If Richie Hogan stays fit, they’ll be stronger again in 2019. P15 W9 D1 L5 Win-rate: 60% MAIN MAN: TJ Reid
5 TIPPERARY
Liam Sheedy is only in the door and Tipperary are second favourites for the All-Ireland, despite finishing fourth out of five teams, and winless, in Munster last term.
That’s the level of expectation the Portroe man brings in his second coming.
The auditions to find a full-back have already started with Michael Breen one option to be remoulded in defence.
Too much tinkering with the central spine of the team spooked Tipperary last summer; nailing down those key positions will go a long way to deciding if those odds accurately reflect where the team is at. P12 W5 D2 L5 Win-rate: 42% MAIN MAN: Pádraig Maher
6 CLARE
A width of a post from crashing out of Munster, and then a width of a post from steal-
ing Galway’s thunder in an All-Ireland semi-final replay – Clare’s season was defined by the woodwork. Shane O’Donnell’s US scholarship shouldn’t preclude him from a Championship role but without that rest week in the midst of their round-robin Munster campaign, it won’t be any easier this year to make the All-Ireland series via the top three. P14 W7 D1 L6 Win-rate: 50% MAIN MAN: Peter Duggan
7 WATERFORD
Another year that could be decided in a boardroom. If Waterford lose the fight to play their designated two home Championship matches on Waterford soil, then it’s hard to see much room for optimism. Not in such a bear pit. Just look at last year’s win percentage record. Division 1B though gives new manager Páraic Fanning room to blood players, test out systems of play and build a bit of confidence and momentum. P10 W2 D1 L7 Win-rate: 30% MAIN MAN: Jamie Barron
8 WEXFORD
After a delegation of players called to his door to convince him to stay on, now Davy Fitzgerald and Wexford need to kick on in year three. The tame manner in which his team exited at the All-Ireland quarter-final stage will gall such a competitive spirit, particularly when the optimism of spring evaporated again come summer.
Conor McDonald’s club form showed how he is such a natural finisher, if he isn’t left too isolated, and there is a sense that Wexford need to evolve further. Paudie Foley’s dead-ball striking, along with Rory O’Connor’s dynamism, were big pluses, and they were always behind the eight ball having to play four matches in Leinster over three weeks. P13 W7 D0 L6 Win-rate: 54% MAIN MAN: Rory O’Connor
9 DUBLIN
Mattie Kenny’s reign started with a lowkey Walsh Cup win over Carlow in the December rain but the year ahead comes with big expectations. Who knows how last summer would have panned out if Liam Blanchfield hadn’t pick-pocketed the late winning goal for Kilkenny in the first round of the Leinster SHC round robin.
In the likes of Chris Crummey, Liam Rushe, Eoghan O’Donnell and Sean Moran, Dublin have big men and natural leaders to fill key positions and Kenny has the pedigree to get them on the right side of a tight finish. P10 W3 D0 L7 Win-rate: 30% MAIN MAN: Chris Crummey
10 CARLOW
Carlow Rising indeed. What started as a hashtag to celebrate the exploits of the county’s footballers in the main, quickly attached itself to the hurlers who not only gained promotion from Division 2A but won the inaugural Joe McDonagh Cup. James Doyle is one of six players named on the Champion 15 selection — a sign of the team’s strength in depth — even if the Leinster round robin will be as daunting as it is exciting. P13 W10 D0 L3 Win-rate: 77% MAIN MAN: Edward Byrne
11 OFFALY
A different season perhaps and Eoghan Cahill would have been an All-Star nominee, the goalkeeper only outdone by virtue of the jaw-dropping standard of the competition. Offaly desperately need to regain Liam MacCarthy Cup status otherwise the revolution suggested by Galway and Limerick winning the last two All-Irelands will pass them by. P10 W2 D0 L8 Win-rate: 20% MAIN MAN: Eoghan Cahill
12 WESTMEATH
Joe Quaid steps into the hot-seat after the sterling work done by Michael Ryan —all that was missing was a trophy after a cracking Joe McDonagh Cup final just went against them. P12 W9 D0 L3 Win-rate: 75% MAIN MAN: Paul Greville
13 KERRY
Three of Kerry’s Joe McDonagh Cup ties were one-score contests, another a fourpoint victory, showing how closely contested hurling’s inaugural second tier competition was. Fintan O’Connor’s squad should have high hopes of clinching one of the two top spots that lead into the AllIreland series. P10 W6 D0 L4 Win-rate: 60% MAIN MAN: Sean Weir
14 LAOIS
Eddie Brennan will just be hoping that the fall-out from Camross’ county final victory over Rathdowney-Errill — when Ross King ended up hospitalised — won’t impact on the county dressing room. Serious improvement needed after a desperately disappointing 2018. P11 W4 D0 L7 Win-rate: 36% MAIN MAN: Stephen Maher
15 ANTRIM
RETAINING Joe McDonagh Cup status by virtue of a play-off victory over Kildare was something to hang on to and one of Neal Peden’s first acts was to bring in Anthony Daly in an advisory role.
Until Antrim GAA find a way of tackling Belfast city properly and radically growing participation rates in a huge market, then the Saffron County will never realise its potential. P12 W4 D0 L8 Win-rate: 33% MAIN MAN: Neil McManus