Who is Most Likely to Do Well in This Year’s All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship? An Expert Opinion from Siobhan Aslett

By Siobhan Aslett

As teams begin to book their places in the All-Ireland Hurling Championship series, there are a few favourites emerging to make it through to the final at Croke Park on the 20th of July. Limerick and Kilkenny are the only teams to have undefeated records so far and are certainly strong contenders. Tipperary is another that stands a good chance of getting their hands on the Liam McCarthy Cup. Coming into the competition, many would have had Cork top of their list for success, but their performance so far has been about as inconsistent as possible. The final team I’m keeping my eye on is outsiders Galway, who have had an impressive season so far. Let’s look at some of the challengers I think have a good chance of success in the Championship. 

Limerick

My personal pick for this year’s championship is, without a doubt, 12-time winners, Limerick. They held the Liam McCarthy Cup for an incredible 4 successive championships between 2021 and 2024, the joint longest run in the championship’s history. Despite winning their group and the Munster Cup in 2024, they went on to be narrowly knocked out by Cork in the semifinals 0–29 to 1–28. 

So far this year, Limerick have impressed, with an undefeated record and a leading score difference of plus 19, leaving them set to go through to contest the Munster final. The performance that really impressed me was their effort against Cork on the 18th of May at the TUS Gaelic Grounds, where they won 3–26 to 1–16. It wasn’t just a win, it was a crushing display against a side who were regarded a top contender for the championship. 

Their win against Cork was a real team effort, with nine different scorers in the first half leaving Limerick 15 points ahead at half time. Their attacking performance was strong, with frontline Gearoid Hegarty, Tom Morrissey, and Aaron Gillane scoring 2–15. Their back line was virtually impenetrable, with 2024 All-Star Kyle Hayes winning man of the match and his teammates Sean Finn, Mike Casey, and Dan Morrissey also standing firm. The win sealed Limerick’s ticket into the All-Ireland series, with Cork’s fate to be decided in their game against Waterford. It was a performance that made me, and many other fans, really start to consider Limerick for the Championship. It will all come down to how they’re able to measure up in the All-Ireland series, but from their performances to date in the stacked Munster Championship, I would consider them hot contenders. 

Kilkenny 

Kilkenny are the most successful team in the history of the All-Ireland Hurling Championship, having won an extraordinary 36 times. Between 2000 and 2015, Kilkenny won 11 of the 15 championships, highlighting their dominance. However, in recent years, they’ve struggled to capture the same form they’d displayed previously, failing to win the title since 2015. 

Their performance in the group stages has signalled a return to form as they’ve won all four of their matches, giving them a guaranteed place in the Leinster final. They also sit at an impressive score difference of plus 49, the second-highest across the top-flight group stage. They also proved their ability to perform under pressure in their game against Dublin on the 18th of May at UPMC Nowlan Park. They needed five goals to guarantee their place in the Leinster final, and the team pushed hard to beat Dublin 5–19 to 3–21. It was a tense encounter, with Kilkenny leading by 14 points at half time, only for their lead to be whittled down to 2 points in the second half. Standout players put in a goal-heavy performance, with Billy Ryan scoring 2–2, Martin Keogh scoring 1–3, and TJ Reid scoring 1–9. 

Although their defence looked shaky against Dublin as they conceded 3–12, the real test will come in the All-Ireland series. Despite not winning since 2015, Kilkenny have placed runners-up in 2023, 2022, 2019, and 2016. If they can capitalise on the impressive form they’ve shown in the group stages, Kilkenny could be a real threat for the championship, and certainly a team I’d recommend keeping an eye on. 

Tipperary 

Another favourite for the All-Ireland Championship is Tipperary, who’ve won the title an impressive 28 times, with their last being in 2019. They’re considered one of the ‘big three’ (Kilkenny, Cork, and Tipperary) and have a strong winning history behind them. I’ve been relatively impressed with their performance so far in their group in the Munster Championship. They sit in second place with five points, making them more than likely to go through to the final against Limerick. They’ve won two of their four games, losing one and drawing the last.

They put in an exciting display in their most recent match against Waterford on the 18th of May at FBS Semple Stadium, Thurles. They finished 1–30 to Waterford’s 1–21, but I felt their dominance deserved better than the nine-goal difference. It went beyond a victory, though, representing their first win against Waterford in four games and their first back-to-back win in Munster since 2019. The importance of this performance can’t be overstated in Tipperary’s challenge for the All-Ireland Championship, with it certain to have given them a confidence boost before the series starts. Ultimately, it will all come down to their ability to put it together against tougher teams than Waterford. If they can take the positives from their form in the group stages, I could easily see them making it all the way to the final in the All-Ireland Championship. 

Underdogs—Galway and Cork 

There are two teams I think have an outside chance of doing well at this year’s All-Ireland Hurling Championship—Galway and Cork. Although they haven’t been as convincing as some of the other teams, I think they’re still in with a chance. 

Galway

I’ve seen relatively little chat about one of the competition’s underdogs, five-time All-Ireland Championship winners, Galway. I can’t quite work out why there’s been so little hype surrounding the side that last won in 2017. They’ve put in strong performances in their group stage, the Munster Championship, and look most likely to be advancing to the final against Kilkenny. They sit in second place on six points, having lost only one of their four matches—a 0–21 to 3–24 battering dealt out by group leader Kilkenny. That was their first match, however, and they’ve well and truly warmed up, going on a three-game winning streak since. 

Galway’s last game against Antrim, which they won 6–27 to 1–14, demonstrated their ability to dismantle teams with their relentless attacking play. Their next game will be a real test, though, as they face off against third-place Dublin, the other contenders for the Leinster final. Dublin sit on six points with a much lower score difference of plus 18 compared to Galway’s plus forty. If they can succeed in their game against Dublin, they’ll face the only team who have defeated them so far this season—Kilkenny—in the final. That would be a big test for Galway and determine whether they’re truly capable of producing a surprise result in the All-Ireland Championship. 

Cork 

Another underdog I can never quite write off is 30-time winner, Cork. Although it looks like they’ll have to earn their place in the All-Ireland Championship through the preliminary quarterfinals, it’s wise not to completely disregard Cork’s chances. They’ve put in an inconsistent showing so far, winning only one of their matches in the Munster group, drawing another, and losing the remaining. 

Cork’s only win came against strong contenders, Tipperary, whom they convincingly defeated 4–27 to 0–24. It’s this kind of performance that makes Cork so difficult to discount as contenders for the Championship. In last year’s final, they suffered a narrow 3–29 to 1–34 defeat to Clare, who currently sit bottom of the Munster Championship. Although I struggle to see Cork competing against some of the other big contenders, I don’t think I can completely discount them either. 

Who Could Do Well in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship? 

At this stage, this year’s All-Ireland Hurling Championship is looking set to be an exciting, unpredictable series. I’ve certainly got my eye on Limerick, who have delivered a convincing performance throughout their group stage with an undefeated record. They’ve put in some strong performances against great teams, especially their most recent against last year’s runners-up, Cork. The only other undefeated record belongs to Kilkenny, who’ve won all four of their games, sending them straight through to the finals. They could face Dublin or Cork in the Leinster finals, which will be a real test of their potential. Another strong contender is Tipperary, who look to be coming into rich form just at the right time. Although there are a few outsiders, including Galway and Cork, I think it’s more than likely to be the year of Tipperary, Kilkenny, or Limerick to succeed in the All-Ireland Hurling Championship.

Siobhan Aslett is an expert in Irish Sports, with an Undergraduate Degree in Sports Nutrition from the University of Exeter. She has over eight years of experience working within the sportsbook industry, including at some of the biggest operators in the UK and Ireland. Using her industry knowledge, she offers readers tips on the biggest sports events around the world.