Waterford v Clare, Munster SHC, minute-by-minute updates
1.28pm And here's some more pre-match reading for you all to enjoy.
Derek McGrath: Déise leaders can ensure Waterford remains free and untaken.
1.23pm Tony Kelly is considered a major doubt for Clare's Munster SHC Round 2 clash with Waterford this afternoon due to illness.
Red the rest of John Fogarty's update from Walsh Park.
1.22pm Welcome to the Irish Examiner's Liveblog where we will talk you through the best of the action from what promises to be another exciting day in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship.
My name is Andrew Horgan and I have the pleasure of talking you all through the first match of the day between Waterford and Clare at Walsh Park (throw-in is at 2pm).
The later this afternoon, my colleagues will keep you up to date from Cork's clash with Tipperary, with throw-in at Páirc Uí Chaoimh coming at 4pm.
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Irish Examiner
9 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Munster set to seed Cork and Kerry in 2026 football championship
MUNSTER GAA top-brass are in favour of seeding Cork and Kerry in next year's Munster SFC, with a full provincial council vote on the matter to take place next month. Under the current structure, which seeds the previous year's finalists, Clare and five-in-a-row Munster champions Kerry are to receive semi-final draws for the third year in succession in 2026. Kerry and Clare can still be paired against one another in the last-four stage, but this has not happened on the two occasions they were the seeded duo. This current structure has been in place since 2015, but in the wake of Kerry overcoming the Banner by 14, seven, and 11 points respectively in the last three provincial deciders, Munster's management committee is now recommending a change to the existing format and instead seeding Cork and Kerry in 2026. The seeding of Cork, over beaten Munster finalists Clare, would be linked to Cork's higher League position this year. Cork finished fifth in Division 2, whereas Clare just missed out on promotion to the second tier when winding up third in Division 3 for the second year running. League positions, similar to the criteria for Sam Maguire involvement, would be the new Munster model of determining what two counties are seeded for the following year's provincial draw. There is quiet optimism the recommended seeding of Cork and Kerry will be passed, even in the face of expected Clare opposition. The proposal was outlined to counties at the most recent Munster Council meeting, with a vote to take place at the next meeting in July. In his match programme notes on the day of the Munster football final, provincial chairman Tim Murphy wrote: 'It is incumbent on us as a provincial council to review and consider what we can do better to further enhance Gaelic football as a spectacle within Munster and create the conditions and structures necessary to improve and enhance the game for players and spectators alike. 'We will be discussing this and working on what we can do to achieve the best possible outcome over the coming weeks and months.' The total attendance figure for this year's Munster SFC - 33,491 - was less than that which watched the drawn Munster final of 10 years ago. The Munster final crowd of 13,181, while bigger than the Kerry-Clare deciders of the past two years at Ennis (12,059) and Limerick (12,499) respectively, was still 59% down on the last non-Covid Munster football final - 2017- to take place in Killarney. It is now seven years - stretching back to the 2018 Cork-Kerry final at Páirc Uí Chaoimh - that a Munster football fixture has drawn a crowd in excess of 20,000. The average per game attendance for 2025 equates to a paltry 6,700. The Munster MFC also looks certain to be altered next season, the likely outcome that its structure will mirror the U20 format where Cork and Kerry are guaranteed a minimum of three games. At present in the minor championship, Cork and Kerry are guaranteed two championship outings, compared to three for Clare, Limerick, Tipperary, and Waterford. The corresponding Munster MHC guarantees counties a minimum of four games. Cork minor football manager Keith Ricken touched on the issue following their nine-point All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Tyrone at the weekend. 'I said previously that the more games these lads play the better they will get, and that has been true. But they've played three games in Munster and one in the All-Ireland. Tyrone have played around 10 games between the Ulster league and championship. 'Until we kind of address that issue with the lack of games in Munster, then it's going to be a problem when you get into the All-Ireland series. Croke Park have called this minor, it's not minor, it's U17.' Elsewhere at Tuesday's behind-closed-doors Cork county board meeting, there was further criticism of both the executive's Munster hurling final ticket distribution and Munster Council's year-on-year ticket price increase for the game. The Cork executive was criticised for not allocating a single stand ticket to football-only clubs in their initial breakdown of ticket distribution. In the build-up to the game, St Nick's football club chairman Robert Brosnan told the Irish Examiner there was no need to distinguish between codes. 'There's enough people do that already without any good ground for it. Hurling is obviously No 1 in Cork, it is a sad state of affairs when the county board is backing that up,' said Brosnan. 'Even for an All-Ireland final, whether your county is involved or not, every club in the country receives two stand tickets. Our county is in the Munster final and we are not getting a stand ticket, not one.' Cork GAA CEO Kevin O'Donovan, in reply, said that due to demand, priority had to be given to hurling clubs over their football equivalents. The €50 and €40 stand and terrace tickets for last Saturday's game was also looked upon unfavourably by delegates, with comparison made to the €40 price for Leinster hurling final stand tickets.
The Irish Sun
16 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 2025: Betting tips and predictions
THE ALL‑IRELAND Senior Hurling Championship 2025 stands as the pinnacle of inter‑county hurling in Ireland, with the prestigious Liam MacCarthy Cup awarded to the nation's best team. Historically, Kilkenny (36 titles), Cork (30) and Tipperary (28) have dominated the competition, but Limerick have challenged the trio's supremacy more recently, with four wins in a row between 2020 and 2023. However, Cork ended Limerick's bid for a historic five-in-a-row at the semi-final stage in 2024, only to fall to Clare in a thrilling final decided by a single point after extra time. With seasoned stars like Cork's Patrick Horgan and Kilkenny's T.J. Reid going for another title win, the 2025 championship promises to be another unmissable summer of hurling. ☘️ All-Ireland SHC 2025 quick tip Limerick to win the 2025 SHC - 2025 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship odds Here are the odds for other teams participating in the All-Ireland SHC Cork 11/8 Killkenny 9/2 Tipperary 11/1 Galway 25/1 Dublin 100/1 Laois 500/1 Kildare 500/1 Odds provided by Who are the current bookies' favourites? Limerick Limerick and Cork have had a fierce rivalry over the years, but it has reached new levels in recent years with their All-Ireland semi-final clash in 2024, and the 2025 Munster Senior Hurling Championship final penalty-shoot out. Limerick came out on the wrong side of both. But given their form over the past five years, John Kiely's team are rightly one of the favourites again in 2025. The bookies are split between the two. Bet365 are just favouring Cork at 11/8, with Limerick at 7/5, whereas BetVictor have both at 11/8. Cork Cork and Limerick made history in the 2025 Munster Senior Hurling Championship final, with a penalty shootout needed to decide the winner for the first time ever. Cork held their nerve to prevail 3-2 in the shootout, securing their 55th provincial title in the process. The shootout win also ended Limerick's run of six Munster titles in a row, and along with Cork's All-Ireland semi-final win in 2024, could the pendulum be starting to swing back towards Pat Ryan's team in the big matches? With Cork already into the semi-finals, the Kilkenny Kilkenny claimed their sixth straight Leinster title, and 77th overall, with a 3-22 to 1-20 victory over Galway in the final. While the scoreline appeared convincing, Derek Lyng's side were forced to weather a late Galway comeback, conceding 1-6 without reply in the closing stages. The win sees Kilkenny progress directly to the All-Ireland semi-finals, where a likely showdown with Limerick looms. Given the path ahead, bookmakers have priced the Cats as third favourites for the Liam MacCarthy Cup at 9/2. With the ever-reliable T.J. Reid leading the charge, Kilkenny will still fancy their chances of another title, although overcoming a fired-up Limerick will be no easy task. Who are among the underdogs? With the defending champions Clare already out, Tipperary (11/1), Galway (25/1) and Dublin (100/1) are the shortest-priced outsiders with the bookmakers. Dublin face Kildare in the Preliminary quarter-finals, with the winners facing the unenviable task of trying to stop Limerick in the quarter-final. Kildare are 500/1 to win the All-Ireland final, but the reality is, Dublin could well be the same odds, as neither have any real chance of getting past Limerick Tipperary are in the other half of the draw. They will face Laois (500/1) in the other Preliminary quarter-final, with the winner taking on Galway. Whoever comes through that quarter-final, will face Cork in the other semi. Limerick to win 2025 SHC It took two huge performances from Cork to beat Limerick in the All-Ireland semi-final in 2024 and in the Munster Championship final in 2025. They will likely need a third if they are to win their first All-Ireland title since 2005. A closer look at recent results shows us that Limerick thrashed Cork by 16 points in the fourth match of round-robin group stage, and with a semi-final against Kilkenny likely to be the only real obstacle to John Kiely's team reaching the final again, we are backing Limerick to come good and win their fifth title in six years. ➡️ Last year's All-Ireland SHC Clare shocked the nation in 2024 by winning the All-Ireland hurling championship for the first time since 2013. A dominant 12-point win over Wexford in the quarter-final was followed by an edgy two-point victory over Kilkenny in the semi-final. In the other half of the draw, Cork did the unthinkable and ended Limerick's four-year winning-streak. As a result, the title seemed certain to return to the south coast again. But Clare had other ideas, and thanks to the likes of Aidan McCarthy, Mark Rodgers, and a Man of the Match display by captain Tony Kelly, they beat Cork by one point after extra-time. All-Ireland SHC betting markets Match Betting This is the most straightforward market in hurling betting. You are simply backing either of the two teams to win or the match to end in a draw. For example, you could bet on Kilkenny to beat Galway at 4/5. Odds are offered on all three outcomes, and it's a popular choice for casual punters. Draws are rare but can offer excellent value. Goalscorer(s) This market allows you to bet on individual players to score a goal during the match. It can apply to first goalscorer, anytime goalscorer, or even multiple goals from a player. A multiple goals bet is often where value lies, especially with in-form forwards. An example bet could be for Tony Kelly to score a goal anytime against Tipperary at odds of 5/2. Or to back him for the first goal at better odds of 9/1. Handicap Handicap betting levels the playing field by giving one team a virtual advantage or disadvantage. It's useful when one side is a clear favourite, which can often be the case in the earlier stages of the hurling season. If your team still wins by more than the handicap margin, your bet comes in. For example, you back Limerick at -10.5 points to beat Offaly, meaning Limerick must win by 11 points or more. The odds are usually 10/11 or something similar in this market. Total Points This market involves betting on the total number of points scored in a game, usually in the form of over/under. It includes points from goals (worth 3 each) and regular points. Odds are typically at around 10/11. A bet on over 49.5 total points in a match that finished 26-25 (51 points in total) would win, while if the match finished 25-24 (49 points), the bet would be under and lose. Outrights Outright bets focus on long-term outcomes like who will win the All-Ireland Championship, provincial titles, or who will be top scorer. These are popular before and during the championship for value hunting. An example would be a bet on Cork to win the All-Ireland outright at 5/1, or Patrick Horgan to finish as top scorer in the championship at 6/1. How to bet on the All-Ireland SHC Whether you're betting on individual matches, or the outright winner of the Liam MacCarthy Cup, betting on the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship isn't difficult. Below we have put together a quick and easy to follow guide: Sign up or log in to your chosen bookmaker Navigate to the GAA/hurling section. Browse and select your market. This could be match odds, player specials, or outright winner. Add selection to your bet slip Enter your stake and then double check all looks correct Confirm your bet 📺 How to watch the All-Ireland SHC In Ireland, the championship is shown live on RTÉ. There is also streaming available on GAA Go and GAA+ for selected games. Semi-finals and finals will be televised, but early rounds may require live score apps, radio coverage, or GAA social media for match updates. In the UK, coverage is available on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer. About the author Craig Mahood Craig Mahood is an expert in sports betting and online casinos and has worked with the company since 2020. He joined the Betting & Gaming team at The Sun in June 2022 and works closely with the leading bookmakers and online gaming companies to provide content on all areas of sports betting and gaming. He previously worked as a Digital Sports Reporter at the Scottish Sun, covering Scottish football with particular focus on Celtic and Rangers, As well as football, he has covered horse racing, boxing, darts, the Olympics and tennis for the Sun. Responsible gambling A responsible gambler is someone who: Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chase their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry, or depressed Problem gambling – Gamble Aware – Help with gambling addiction If you have a problem with gambling, or you know someone who does, help is out there. Extern Problem Gambling is the leading provider of information, treatment, advice, and support for anyone affected by gambling harms across Ireland. Most read in GAA Hurling
Irish Examiner
19 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Eight hurling championship observations: Did Cork and Limerick play better against the wind?
In the official programmes for the two 2024 All-Ireland finals, ten experts were asked for their pre-match prediction: five football and five hurling. Nine of them called it wrong. It is the kind of statistic that illustrates how difficult pre-match predictions really are. The game before the game is just as treacherous. Clare and Armagh were both marginal underdogs for the decider, but only one expert opted to back one of them. (Christy O'Connor – Clare, for anyone wondering.) Rest assured, this writer offered equally inaccurate forecasts within these pages too. This is exclusive subscriber content. Already a subscriber? Sign in Subscribe to access all of the Irish Examiner. Annual €120€60 Best value Monthly €10€4 / month Unlimited access. Subscriber content. Daily ePaper. Additional benefits.
