Inside Track with John McIntyre

In the wake of Limerick’s thumping victory over Kilkenny (2-20 to 0-15) in the National League Final at Pairc Uí Chaoimh in early April, a collective groan emanated from the other elite hurling counties, together with widespread resignation that the Shannonsiders wouldn’t be stopped in their quest for four consecutive All-Ireland titles.

Fast forward a little less than two months and the hurling championship has arguably become the most unpredictable ever, a scenario underlined by the weekend happenings in both Leinster and Munster. As it stands, it would take a brave individual to nail their colours to the mast about where the Liam McCarthy Cup will be residing this winter.

The way things are going, anything could happen. Take Wexford for instance. Just a week after embarrassingly losing a 17-point lead to minnows Westmeath, they came out and defeated Kilkenny to preserve their Leinster championship status, despite conceding five goals to the Cats. When did Kilkenny last lose a game after rattling the opposition net so many times? Possibly never.

Over in Thurles on the same day, a winless Waterford team already out of the championship and missing key players like Conor Prunty, Michael Kiely, Austin Gleeson and Jamie Barron due to injury, also upset the odds against a previously unbeaten Tipperary team who thought that they were already as good as in the Munster final.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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