All Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 2024 (Munster And Leinster Championships,Liam McCarthy Cup)

This is a point that the GAA chooses to ignore. I live in a rural area in Tipperary. Rural Ireland is being hollowed out, primarily in refusal to grant planning to build houses in the country.

The knock on effect is many clubs are unable to field underage teams. The answer to this is amalgamate with other clubs, but when you do very often it's harder to keep kids interested. It's definitely easier for kids to drift away.

In the South division in Tipp, the clubs to the west of the division, areas roughly between Cahir and the Cork border, 3-4 clubs don't field on their own. In West Tipp a number of years ago, all the U16 teams in division B were amalgamations. Primary schools in rural areas are constantly seeing declining numbers. People that I do business with in Cavan and are passionate Cavan football fans tell the same story, in the East of the county within commuter belt territory, they've big numbers, in the west of the County former senior clubs cannot field at underage.

The knock on effect of all of this will be a break between these areas and the GAA. Clubs foster the link to the County Teams, they bring kids to county matches as a treat. Our local club had a link to Kilmacud Crokes at one time. Most years they'd bring an underage team to an ALL Ireland quarter final or Semi in Croke park, play a challenge in Kilmacud (who were great hosts). All of this builds the bonds that makes supporters, makes supporting your county a fun and exciting thing to do.

The lack of numbers in our local club is shockingly apparent. It's a good well run club, good facilities, well organized, but at the lower ages lack of players = lack of parents = lack of helpers. All of this adds up.

When have we heard the GAA talk about the above issues? When have they used their huge profile to highlight these issues? About 8 or 9 years ago, our club brought motions to Tipperary Bord na Nóg looking to allow B teams underage (which in Tipp is where the largest numbers of clubs field underage) play 13 a side if they couldn't field 15 a side. The motion was defeated, mostly opposed by the bigger clubs. Now through necessity it has been accepted.

In the current crazy political system, getting planning permission to build in the country is nearly impossible, yet you can buy a derelict house and the government will give you a grant to do it up??

Rural Ireland has been the heartbeat of the GAA. Letting it die, without even highlighting the issue is scandalous.

What age are you?

Am I wrong. We have been hearing this crap forever. The association sent spies around to make sure leads were not playing foreign games for fear it would be the end of everything.

I saw a documentary where a North Mon coach in the 90's thought tennis was gonna be the death of hurling.

Every game played on a Saturday has Donal Og and half of Boards in tears about the sport being on life support or something.

I've never witnessed any other sport so constantly in fear of its total destruction.

It has, you are carrying on as if Limerick invented hurling. Limerick are going to be beaten some day. I just hope they take Cork for granted and are looking at the final.

Enjoy it while ye are at the top because when it goes the fall is so great.

I watch every game thank you very much.

• A handpass cannot be given from the same hand that releases the ball.
• The spare arm cannot be used in any attempt to hold up a player by extending the spare arm across the opponent’s upper body. A player who uses their spare arm to prevent the movement of an opponent shall concede a free to the opposition.
• Any player who in possession of the ball who lowers their head is guilty of charging, and a free is to be awarded to the opposition.
• Following an advantage being given, any subsequent foul by either team would see the ball brought back for the original foul.
• Strict enforcement of the steps rule.

Simple enough rules that would massively clear up the game of hurling.

I think the sport is in trouble, not due to playing numbers, but because of the rampant cheating going on in the game.

Normally a hurling match on the telly is a must watch, but to be honest, I wouldn’t care if I missed one these days. Take the passion of the crowd out of it, it’s a poor watch, too stop/start, too much cheating. Still plenty of skill mind you, but it’s becoming a very poor watch.

The sport really needs to clean itself up. Not much point trying to sell a sport if the sport itself is an excercise in cheating.

Must be down the pub because all u do is come on here and talk shite afterwards, or else maybe u just don't have a clue god love u

Hopefully you'll disappear again in 2 weeks time with your we beat Limerick in super value park t shirt

The last two Saturday semi finals were thrown in at 18.00 and 17.30. This years Saturday semi has a throw in at 15.00.

Sundays Limerick v Cork game goes ahead at 16.00.

Limerick always supported in huge numbers before the latest success. Cork too.

The Euros Quarter Finals are on at 17:00 and 20:00 on the Saturday. Presume RTE and GAA wanted to avoid a clash.

Factually false as has been proven here a few times.

Year Before limericks success, have many more to post but whats the point, you are simply wrong Peggy. All counties go through up and downs in support.

Slagging aside ya they do your right.

Cork and Limerick probably have a bigger core support and bigger bandwagon just due to population size but when you see the size of crowds in hurling now compared to Munster rugby you can't deny there has been a big bandwagon migration.

Limerick "come up short" because there is a round robin so they are playing the system and trying to peak on time.

Notice they never came up short during COVID.

That Kilkenny team didn't just win 4 in a row though. They won 8 in 10 years which is mental.

I don't care who is "best ever" as Limerick are already gone beyond my wildest dreams.

We won 1 All Ireland, then the first ever Limerick back to back, 3 in a row, 4 in a row, 6 Munsters and pulled way ahead of the rest of the chasing pack.