5 Talking points as hurling round-robins draw to a close
1. Cork recover from Limerick pummelling to set up Munster final meeting
In the case of Cork v Waterford, it was always going to come down to which team could sufficiently bounce back from their previous defeat. Waterford were wounded by Tipperary while Cork were carrying the bruises of a 16-point beating at the hands of Limerick.
And it was Pat Ryan's team who restored themselves in time to collect the win and proceed to their first Munster final in seven years. The teams were level seven times in the first half and after taking a slender one-point lead into the break, Cork made their first charge for victory with a Brian Hayes goal at the start of the second half. They pressed again with a second green flag through Patrick Horgan.
Waterford responded from both setbacks to reduce the gap to one point and three points respectively, but ultimately, Cork outscored them by 2-12 to 1-10 in the second half. Now they have a title fight against Limerick who they took down twice in last year's championship. John Kiely's men took a bite out of that record in the Gaelic Grounds, which makes meeting number four a mouthwatering one to look forward to in two weeks.
Dublin and Galway players battle for possession. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO
2. Galway hit their stride after first-round woe to reach Leinster final
A Leinster final didn't seem likely for Galway after their 3-24 to 0-21 defeat to Kilkenny in the opening round. But they have found their voice with four wins on the spin, including yesterday's commanding effort against last year's Leinster finalists, Dublin.
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Big victories over Offaly (14 points), Wexford (10 points), Antrim (28 points) and Dublin (5 points) gives them a scoring difference of 45 which is three better than table-toppers Kilkenny.
The added boost for Micheál Donoghue — who was the Dublin manager last year — is that Galway have earned their first championship win over Dublin in Dublin. The concession of late goals to Seán Currie and Conal Ó Riain saw Galway's 12-point lead come down to five before the final whistle, which will be less pleasing for the Tribesmen.
But the chance to win a first Leinster title since 2018, and an improvement on last year's early championship exit, puts Galway in far better health again.
3. What next for Waterford and Antrim?
It's the end of the road for Clare, Waterford, Offaly and Antrim, as all four teams exit at the provincial stage. But for the Saffrons and the Déise, there are more consequences to pore over.
Waterford's challenges with the round-robin format are well known and this is the sixth time that they have fallen short in their quest for All-Ireland qualification. Peter Queally had already lost players from the panel coming into this season to the travel bug, including Jack Fagan, and Calum Lyons.
Queally alluded to that issue in the aftermath of their defeat to Cork, and as Waterford prepare for another winter of discontent, they could be in danger of losing more players from the squad.
For Antrim, the cost of losing all five of their Leinster matches is relegation to the Joe McDonagh Cup which they won in 2020 and 2022. And after three years of top-tier hurling, they have slipped back down. Speaking on The Sunday Game highlights show, Dónal Óg Cusack made the point that Antrim's loss from the elite championship is 'not good for hurling' and that they are 'going up and down too easily.'
They will be considered favourites to make a swift return to the Leinster championship, but that isn't a guarantee. We saw that this weekend, when Carlow — who were in the Leinster round-robin last year — narrowly missed out on a place in the Joe McDonagh final after a dramatic draw against Laois.
Laois contested last year's Joe McDonagh final, but haven't played in the top Leinster competition since 2022. Their opponents Kildare are arguably the story of the summer. Last year's Christy Ring champions are now one game away from promotion to the Leinster championship.
Antrim's response to their setback in the coming months will have a major bearing on how they manage their revival in 2026.
4. Offaly retain Leinster status at first time of asking
Offaly survived what was essentially a relegation final against Antrim in O'Connor Park to cap off their return to the Leinster competition for the first time since 2018. A 64th minute goal from James McNaughton threatened Offaly's hopes with just one point between them in the concluding minutes. But a Killian Sampson three-pointer shortly after helped ease Offaly to a five-point victory.
The progression under Johnny Kelly continues as they ensure their safety at the first attempt to compliment their Joe McDonagh and All-Ireland U20 victories last year. They also achieved promotion to Division 1A earlier this year, while emerging talents Dan Bourke, Dan Ravenhill and Charlie Mitchell have thrived throughout this season. Brian Duignan topped the scoring charts in Division 1B with 1-68.
Offaly hurling has endured many years of disappointment, including relegation to the Christy Ring competition in 2019, but their rebirth has been steady and fruitful. Now, they have to sustain it.
Limerick's Mike Casey tussles with Jake Morris of Tipperary. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
5. Munster championship fails to live up to regular billing
The competition opened with a bang, as Cork v Clare and Limerick v Tipperary ended in thrilling draws. The clash of Tipperary and Clare was also absorbing throughout. But the Munster championship has been an otherwise underwhelming experience in 2025.
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Perhaps the bar was set too high after starting with two epics, but some one-sided games have also affected the entertainment value this year. Cork-Limerick was over before half-time, while the Cork v Tipperary clash was doomed after Darragh McCarthy's red card at the throw-in. Limerick's victory over Waterford always seemed inevitable as the Munster champions held a five-point lead at half-time. The difference came down to two in the second half but the seven-in-a-row chasers tapped over the necessary points to see out a six-point victory.
The same can be said for the meeting of Tipperary and Waterford. There were just three points separating the sides before Oisín O'Donoghue struck for a decisive goal to help push Tipperary to a nine-point win. But even before that, Tipperary looked destined to win a game that failed to hit an exciting tempo.
Even yesterday's fare between Cork and Waterford didn't quite satisfy. Both sides had plenty to play for and plenty to lose, but there was something lacking in the matchday atmosphere.
Perhaps, the final meeting of Cork and Limerick will produce the closing act we crave.
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