Greatest All-Ireland Hurling Final Ever?

deadybai

Deleted User wrote: »

Quite simply extraordinary. Will we ever see the likes again entertainment wise?

Yep I think it was one of the better finals. although sometimes the skill was below par. But like the first game for pure entertainment it was 10/10.

Santa Cruz

deadybai wrote: »

Yep I think it was one of the better finals. although sometimes the skill was below par. But like the first game for pure entertainment it was 10/10.

The first touch of some players was bad a couple of times as well as some wides. But you must realise the intense pressure players were under once they got near a ball. There was very little room to move and very difficult to make that extra yard. Give me another 70 mins of it anytime compered to some of the Kilkenny Tipperary "classics" .
Clare have fierce potential in that team although I can't understand where the St. JosephsBearefield/Clarecastle/Sixmilebridge clubs have gone as regards providing county players.
Any Clare people to enlighten me?

theoneeyedman

Santa Cruz wrote: »

The first touch of some players was bad a couple of times as well as some wides. But you must realise the intense pressure players were under once they got near a ball. There was very little room to move and very difficult to make that extra yard. Give me another 70 mins of it anytime compered to some of the Kilkenny Tipperary "classics" .
Clare have fierce potential in that team although I can't understand where the St. JosephsBearefield/Clarecastle/Sixmilebridge clubs have gone as regards providing county players.
Any Clare people to enlighten me?

Extraordinary entertainment! Well done both sides.
Re your question, d'brudder lives down in West Clare and he has remarked a few times that the football sides of some of those clubs , Doora Barefield in particular have gotten a lot stronger in recent years. He reckoned hurling was getting pushed out around that general Ennis area

O.A.P

Today was about the best final I can remember anyway, great stuff I was glued to it.
Well done Clare, I was happy with the result too.

stretchdoe

Was a great, entertaining game today and a 'great advert' for hurling, as many have pointed out.

The hurling 'fraternity' are already well on the way to annoying everybody and taking the good out of it, though, with their 'it's the greatest game in the world'/trying to denigrate other sports sh*te; this was very much in evidence on the 'Saturday Game' tonight.

It always just smacks of 'doth protest too much'.

Let all those who saw it come to that conclusion for themselves and renounce all other sports as inferior, if they wish to.

Or just accept that the majority of sports fans can appreciate a great game in various sports as much as they do a great hurling match.

Mint Aero

Same sh*t every year.

Oh greatest final ever!
Riproaring final
Pulsating final
Epic final

Bla bla bla

washman3

Maybe they were just referring to the total load of overhyped crap that followed it this evening when Munster beat a glorified pub team 'The Dragons'
To be honest it was marginally better than watching paint dry, and i'm saying this as a keen follower of all sports.
Congrats to both teams on an absolute epic today in Croker.

Utopia Parkway

2009 final was the best ever IMO. As a neutral.

Mushy

Mint Aero wrote: »

Same sh*t every year.

Oh greatest final ever!
Riproaring final
Pulsating final
Epic final

Bla bla bla

Football fan?

Two teams who battled hard until the end, 140+ mins, a deserved win. The images of lifting Liam for the Clare players, with Michael D. cheering in the background will live a lot longer than seeing Diarmuid Connolly with a medal. A high scoring game will always remain longer in the memory too.!

Mint Aero

Mint Aero wrote: »

Same sh*t every year.

Oh greatest final ever!
Riproaring final
Pulsating final
Epic final

Bla bla bla

Did you actually watch the game?

8-32 scored in total??? It isnt an over used clique, the game was actually that good

Medu

Exciting, yes. High in quality - no. Clare went missing for large portions of the game and completely lost their composure. This along with another awful refereeing performance and sheer will from Cork kept the game alive.
To me it felt like I was watching a minor final. Clearly some talent on pitch, more so from Clare, but they just don't know how to exploit it just yet.

awec

Medu wrote: »

Exciting, yes. High in quality - no. Clare went missing for large portions of the game and completely lost their composure. This along with another awful refereeing performance and sheer will from Cork kept the game alive.
To me it felt like I was watching a minor final. Clearly some talent on pitch, more so from Clare, but they just don't know how to exploit it just yet.

I'd far rather see games like that than cagey affairs with both teams fully composed for 70minutes.

both teams were let out of the cage yesterday by the coaches and it led to excitement from start to finish.

ultrapercy

awec wrote: »

I'd far rather see games like that than cagey affairs with both teams fully composed for 70minutes.

both teams were let out of the cage yesterday by the coaches and it led to excitement from start to finish.

I get blue in the face listening to hurling people blathering on about it being the greatest sport on earth etc etc. After watching the drawn and replayed finals, however I might have to reassess my position. Both games, to put it mildly, were very entertaining. Don't know about quality but as a spectator entertainment is the quality I appreciate.

sid waddell

ultrapercy wrote: »

I get blue in the face listening to hurling people blathering on about it being the greatest sport on earth etc etc. After watching the drawn and replayed finals, however I might have to reassess my position. Both games, to put it mildly, were very entertaining. Don't know about quality but as a spectator entertainment is the quality I appreciate.

True hurling men would never hear of yesterday being the greatest final of all-time. Only finals won by true hurling counties are in the running for that accolade.

The stranglehold of the "true hurling" brethren has been broken. True hurling men are hurting today.

Mal-Adjusted

sid waddell wrote: »

True hurling men would never hear of yesterday being the greatest final of all-time. Only finals won by true hurling counties are in the running for that accolade.

The stranglehold of the "true hurling" brethren has been broken. True hurling men are hurting today.

What exactly do you mean by "true hurling" men/counties? And how would you define who was or wasn't yesterday?

Annuv

sid waddell wrote: »

True hurling men would never hear of yesterday being the greatest final of all-time. Only finals won by true hurling counties are in the running for that accolade.

The stranglehold of the "true hurling" brethren has been broken. True hurling men are hurting today.

Most Davy-like of you Sid

Ace2007

Deleted User wrote: »

Did you actually watch the game?

8-32 scored in total??? It isnt an over used clique, the game was actually that good

Or were the defences just bad?

Annuv

People are entitled to make a distinction between greatest and most entertaining no matter where they come from.

Greatness is subjective, my own opinion is that it was not the greatest final we have witnessed. The level of skill on show yesterday did not even match the drawn game. The was a fair amount of fumbling, balls dropped from hands etc. In first half I don't think there was one puck out or clean catch made, with just handful of catches made in the second half.

In the first game we saw some scores of the highest quality that will stay in the memory for ever, Horgan's leveller, Collins pirouette, Conor Ryan's inspirational catch, solo and point and O'Donovan's equalizer I haven't watched yesterday's match again but I only recall Tony Kelly's long range point on the run off his bad side (if he has one) being comparable and maybe Nashes goal for being a spectacle that I don't think we've seen before or possibly will again

However what the game lacked in skill levels when compared to some other finals, it more than made up for in drama and entertainment. I think it was a great advertisement for the game and both teams are a credit to their counties.

I don't ever recall being as enthralled by a game that my own county were not involved in as I was in this, in a room from of neutrals we were on the edge of our sets throughout. Maybe that makes it the greatest for some, but I think it is acceptable to expect a game to stand of up to technical scrutiny for it to be considered the greatest ever

sid waddell

Mal-Adjusted wrote: »

What exactly do you mean by "true hurling" men/counties? And how would you define who was or wasn't yesterday?

True hurling men must come from where the soil is good. The soil is bad in Clare, therefore Clare is not a true hurling county.

Mal-Adjusted

sid waddell wrote: »

True hurling men must come from where the soil is good. The soil is bad in Clare, therefore Clare is not a true hurling county.

can you not come up with something better than that? :rolleyes:

jacool

Annuv wrote: »

In the first game we saw some scores of the highest quality that will stay in the memory for ever, Horgan's leveller, Collins pirouette, Conor Ryan's inspirational catch, solo and point and O'Donovan's equalizer I haven't watched yesterday's match again but I only recall Tony Kelly's long range point on the run off his bad side (if he has one) being comparable and maybe Nashes goal for being a spectacle that I don't think we've seen before or possibly will

Clare's 4th goal?
A few of the points Cork reeled off while halving the deficit from 8 to 4?

sid waddell

Mal-Adjusted wrote: »

can you not come up with something better than that? :rolleyes:

Yes, but I'm too hungover at the moment.

Mountainlad

I actually thought Clare's skill level in particular was immense yesterday.

And without question the best all-ireland final I've seen. I really doubt that anybody else here has seen better.

I say that also while being loath to jump on the bandwagon of "was it the best etc ever' because that gets thrown around a lot here. But this was special.

Ace2007

Ace2007 wrote: »

Or were the defences just bad?

Ill accept that it wasnt rock solid defence wise but it would seem to have evolved into a game of 'You score this and we'll score more than you'. Excitement was helter skelter from the first to the last whistle. Quality and excitement wise combined though i think 2009 probably beat it but for excitement alone....yesterday won hands down

Ace2007

Deleted User wrote: »

Ill accept that it wasnt rock solid defence wise but it would seem to have evolved into a game of 'You score this and we'll score more than you'. Excitement was helter skelter from the first to the last whistle. Quality and excitement wise combined though i think 2009 probably beat it but for excitement alone....yesterday won hands down

I agree - the excitement was unreal, but quality wise cork's defence was poor - just look at 3 of Clare's goals - first ran through the heart of defence with no tackle and offloaded to a free man, second free man left again, and then the last he basically ran and ran and ran and fumbled it into the net (all be it majority of cork lads where up the other end). The 3rd Clare goal was confusion between the cork lads as well - and the ball broke to the unmark man again.

redzerologhlen

Deleted User wrote: »

Ill accept that it wasnt rock solid defence wise but it would seem to have evolved into a game of 'You score this and we'll score more than you'. Excitement was helter skelter from the first to the last whistle. Quality and excitement wise combined though i think 2009 probably beat it but for excitement alone....yesterday won hands down

Too add to that the lack of cynical fouls and dirty play in general really added to the game. I actually thought before the game it was the type of match that might boil over but I was pleasently surprised!! It may not have been the best but it will be remembered as one of the better finals for sure.

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

2009 was easily the best I've seen. 2 great teams giving it everything, I thought 2010 was a bit of a disappointment after '09 tbh, the way that Kilkenny performed. Last years 1st final was particularly good also, but I'd have the 2 finals this year above them for the sheer excitement alone.

What a year for hurling, can't see it ever being topped. Most games were great spectacles (even Kk vs Offaly), and Kk and Tipp not being in the SF was a huge surprise, but contributed greatly I feel.

robbiezero

Super game entertainment wise.
But quality wise its not the best. That's a poor Cork side.
And for me for a greatest final ever, you need an element of a clash of giants which this certainly wasn't.

Lennonist

robbiezero wrote: »

Super game entertainment wise.
But quality wise its not the best. That's a poor Cork side.
And for me for a greatest final ever, you need an element of a clash of giants which this certainly wasn't.

I hate it when people talk this sort of pish. That was a brilliant game of hurling. Clare were clearly the better hurling team, but Cork kept coming back at them. It was an outstanding Final, the replay in particular, probably one of the best ever I would say.

robbiezero

Lennonist wrote: »

I hate it when people talk this sort of pish. That was a brilliant game of hurling. Clare were clearly the better hurling team, but Cork kept coming back at them. It was an outstanding Final, the replay in particular, probably one of the best ever I would say.

It was a great game of hurling, not a classic. An exciting finish doesn't make it a classic. Only for Pa Cronin getting soft frees from the ref the game would have been over with 30 minutes to play.
Where would that Cork team rank in terms of all time Cork teams?

Lennonist

robbiezero wrote: »

It was a great game of hurling, not a classic. An exciting finish doesn't make it a classic. Only for Pa Cronin getting soft frees from the ref the game would have been over with 30 minutes to play.
Where would that Cork team rank in terms of all time Cork teams?

It was the part of your comment when you said - "you need an element of a clash of giants which this certainly wasn't" - that annoyed me. It's a devalued All Ireland because Kilkenny, Cork or Tipp didn't win it appears to be where you are coming from.

It was an outstanding Final, the pace was relentless, the ref literally couldn't keep up with it. If hurling games continue at that sort of pace, they should consider two refs on the pitch, one for each half that can consult with each other as well.

It was a great Final won by an excellent Clare team that could win more All Irelands given how young and gifted they are.

ShamoBuc

robbiezero wrote: »

It was a great game of hurling, not a classic. An exciting finish doesn't make it a classic. Only for Pa Cronin getting soft frees from the ref the game would have been over with 30 minutes to play.
Where would that Cork team rank in terms of all time Cork teams?

Bit of a ridiculous question. The greatest Cork hurling team played in lots of Crap hurling matches - fact. This particular Cork team ( no matter where they rank on the All Time list) played in 2 of the best final matches I have seen.
You don't have to be a great team to play in a great match - thought that was obvious.

allthedoyles

Final and replay were brilliant clean hurling games . - I would have been disappointed that no hurls were broken in either match . - I used to love the physical stuff as a player .

I love the 'clash of the ash '

ShamoBuc

allthedoyles wrote: »

Final and replay were brilliant clean hurling games . - I would have been disappointed that no hurls were broken in either match . - I used to love the physical stuff as a player .

I love the 'clash of the ash '

You can have the clash of the ash and a clean game, it just so happened that no hurleys were harmed in the production of these games.

robbiezero

Lennonist wrote: »

It was the part of your comment when you said - "you need an element of a clash of giants which this certainly wasn't" - that annoyed me. It's a devalued All Ireland because Kilkenny, Cork or Tipp didn't win it appears to be where you are coming from.

Didn't mean that at all. I mean it was two teams that kinda came out of nowhere and stumbled into an All-Ireland, both by back door etc, both teams nowhere in the years leading up to this, so its hard to know just how good these two teams are.

Giants was the wrong word to use, but I meant two teams at the peak of their powers and at the top of the hurling tree i.e. Clare, Limerick, Offaly, Wexford in the second half of the 90's.

Over the next few years, this Clare team should be one of the "giants", I very much doubt Cork will be.

robbiezero

ShamoBuc wrote: »

Bit of a ridiculous question. The greatest Cork hurling team played in lots of Crap hurling matches - fact. This particular Cork team ( no matter where they rank on the All Time list) played in 2 of the best final matches I have seen.
You don't have to be a great team to play in a great match - thought that was obvious.

It was a really great match, but to be the "greatest final ever", it has to have some bit of context for me i.e. a fantastic game between two great teams.
Not an exciting really open game between a fantastic young team with immense potential and a very average side.

deadybai

my top 5 finals are

1.Kilkenny v Galway drawn match 2012
2.Kilkenny v Tipp 2009
3.Cork v Galway 1990
4.Cork v Clare Replay 2013
5.Kilkenny v Tipp 2011

The reason why I chose the 2011 final is purely because it was Kilkennys 'sweet victory'. Also from a neutral perspective, I would regard the 2008 and 2011 finals the greatest ever performance by a single team in the final.

Akrasia

The final replay was an absolutely stunning showcase for the game of hurling. If we could get the Voyager probes back we would be putting a recording of this game onto the golden record so that aliens in a million year wil be able to enjoy the spectacle that was fought in Croke Park yesterday.

The talent in this clare team is, as Fitzy will say 'unreal' and the Cork team just played their hearts out. They never ever gave up and that's what made the game so great.

Next year's Munster championship will be something to look forward to.

As good as the clare team are (and they are very good) The game is very dynamic and Waterford, Limerick, Cork and Tipp are all great teams who have the potential to unleash themselves on the day. We're certainly looking at a golden age in inter county hurling.

deadybai

Gaa banter have put up a poll asking was yesterdays final the best ever. so far 71% think yes it was

One_More_Mile

It was a great game to watch but Cork backs were terrible- would KK in their pomp allow uncontested runs down the center? Not a chance. Terrible defence from cork. Cadogen, Rock O Sullivan etc.. would hardly have let O Donnelll have such a free ride

marco_polo

Akrasia wrote: »

The final replay was an absolutely stunning showcase for the game of hurling. If we could get the Voyager probes back we would be putting a recording of this game onto the golden record so that aliens in a million year wil be able to enjoy the spectacle that was fought in Croke Park yesterday.

The talent in this clare team is, as Fitzy will say 'unreal' and the Cork team just played their hearts out. They never ever gave up and that's what made the game so great.

Next year's Munster championship will be something to look forward to.

As good as the clare team are (and they are very good) The game is very dynamic and Waterford, Limerick, Cork and Tipp are all great teams who have the potential to unleash themselves on the day. We're certainly looking at a golden age in inter county hurling.

100% this there are a few potentially unmerciful draws in the Munster hurling championsip for the teams that get drawn in the first round.

shockframe

A very good final and replay yes but not the best ever.

The 2009 and 2010 finals were some of the best sporting battles ever seen in Irish sport.2 teams near the top of their game.

The intensity in those finals will be very hard to match.Was absolutely incredible.

Mountainlad

To be honest, entertainment wise, I think yesterday kicked the **** out of both 2009 and 2010.

robbiezero

Mountainlad wrote: »

To be honest, entertainment wise, I think yesterday kicked the **** out of both 2009 and 2010.

Yesterday was hugely entertaining alright, helped by terrible defending. Give me 2009 and 2010 anytime though.

Lennonist

robbiezero wrote: »

Didn't mean that at all. I mean it was two teams that kinda came out of nowhere and stumbled into an All-Ireland, both by back door etc, both teams nowhere in the years leading up to this, so its hard to know just how good these two teams are.

Giants was the wrong word to use, but I meant two teams at the peak of their powers and at the top of the hurling tree i.e. Clare, Limerick, Offaly, Wexford in the second half of the 90's.

Over the next few years, this Clare team should be one of the "giants", I very much doubt Cork will be.

I disagree. This is a young Clare team that have won the last two U21 All Ireland's and won an All Ireland U21 in '09 as well, they have not come out of nowhere. For them to step up and win a senior All Ireland so soon took a huge effort. The Cork team that lost yesterday are largely a young team as well. This years Hurling championship was a new dawn and had a Final to match. The replay will be remembered in years to come as a particularly outstanding Final.

ShamoBuc

Mountainlad wrote: »

To be honest, entertainment wise, I think yesterday kicked the **** out of both 2009 and 2010.

Nail on head. Some people will see a player being allowed to run straight through the middle of a defence as a reason to think less of a game - not me. From a cork viewpoint I didn't like to see it at all - but you cannot say it wasn't entertaining. 40 scores in 70 odd mins - 8 of them goals, way cork stuck at it, came back level, Clare coming again etc all added to the entertainment value.
Greatest final? Not sure, the most recent game will always seem better in some way. But the 2 games had it all in my opinion. They were 2 fascinating games to see live and 2 of the best I have seen - up there with any other match I can think of.

Tombo2001

deadybai wrote: »

my top 5 finals are

1.Kilkenny v Galway drawn match 2012
2.Kilkenny v Tipp 2009
3.Cork v Galway 1990
4.Cork v Clare Replay 2013
5.Kilkenny v Tipp 2011

The reason why I chose the 2011 final is purely because it was Kilkennys 'sweet victory'. Also from a neutral perspective, I would regard the 2008 and 2011 finals the greatest ever performance by a single team in the final.

for me, 2009 and 2010 were the best I've seen, and I'd agree 2008 was the best single performance. In 2010 especially, you did get a sense as the teams walked around the pitch before the start of the game that these were two of the greatest teams to ever play the game. And Lar Corbett's goal from Noel McGrath's handpass was the best score I've seen. Unfortunately I couldn't go to either of this years games.

Great as the two matches were this year, for me they will always be tainted by the fact that I believe Dublin should have been in the final.

robbiezero

Lennonist wrote: »

I disagree. This is a young Clare team that have won the last two U21 All Ireland's and won an All Ireland U21 in '09 as well, they have not come out of nowhere. For them to step up and win a senior All Ireland so soon took a huge effort. The Cork team that lost yesterday are largely a young team as well. This years Hurling championship was a new dawn and had a Final to match. The replay will be remembered in years to come as a particularly outstanding Final.

They were certainly seen as an upcoming team, but not many would have given them a prayer this year especially after being beaten by Cork in Munster.
I will be surprised if Cork get anywhere near an All-Ireland over the next 5 years. Clare should be very near over the next few years..

Powerhouse

deadybai wrote: »

Gaa banter have put up a poll asking was yesterdays final the best ever. so far 71% think yes it was

Hard to imagine how anyone under 140 years old would be able to comment with any authority on the 'best ever' final.

Mountainlad

ShamoBuc wrote: »

Nail on head. Some people will see a player being allowed to run straight through the middle of a defence as a reason to think less of a game - not me. From a cork viewpoint I didn't like to see it at all - but you cannot say it wasn't entertaining. 40 scores in 70 odd mins - 8 of them goals, way cork stuck at it, came back level, Clare coming again etc all added to the entertainment value.
Greatest final? Not sure, the most recent game will always seem better in some way. But the 2 games had it all in my opinion. They were 2 fascinating games to see live and 2 of the best I have seen - up there with any other match I can think of.

Yeah it just depends on people's perspective. There was very poor defending on both sides, but if you were to bring a foreigner to a game then this would be the first I'd pick in a long time and the first out of any all-ireland final I've ever seen.

I think the game the last day, while it had a thrilling finish, wasn't that good. But this one really was.

It's all about entertainment for me, when I'm neutral at least, and goals really do transform games. Yesterday you literally weren't sure what would happen even at the end. And there was plenty of skill on show.

I agree with Duginan, McGrath's goal wa unbelievable, from the pickup to the finish. And plenty more examples besides.