Fixtures:
Division 1B Final
Clare 2-26 Dublin 3-20 (FT)
Division 1A Final
Limerick vs Cork, 4.00pm, Gaelic Grounds
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The lineups for today’s Division 1A final are as follows:
Cork: Patrick Collins; Niall O’Leary, Ciarán Joyce, Seán O’Donoghue; Eoin Downey, Robert Downey, Micheál Mullins; Tim O’Mahony, Tommy O’Connell; Séamus Harnedy, Shane Barrett, Darragh Fitzgibbon; William Buckley, Alan Connolly, Brian Hayes.
Limerick: Nickie Quaid; Sean Finn, Mike Casey, Barry Nash; Diarmaid Byrnes, William O’Donoghue, Kyle Hayes; Adam English, Cian Lynch; Gearóid Hegarty, Aidan O’Connor, Cathal O’Neill; Aaron Gillane, Shane O’Brien, David Reidy
Now attention turns to the main event of the day, the Division 1A final between Cork and Limerick. Will Cork go back-to-back in Division 1A, or will Limerick beat the Rebels for the second time this year?
A fairly unbothered trophy lift from Clare captain Conor Cleary, who gives a special mention to today’s referee Thomas Walsh for letting them get on with an enjoyable, if physical game.
So, Clare are Division 1B champions after a very good final. Mark Rodgers is deservedly named man of the match, but Diarmuid Ryan could also have taken that award, as well as Cian O’Sullivan for the losing side. Dublin’s second half performance was a big positive for them.
72 Mins: Dublin have a free from about 40 metres. It’s dropped in and Paddy Doyle has a wild swing at the breaking ball, which he could have been carded for, but that’s it!
Full-time: Clare 2-26 Dublin 3-20
71 Mins: Quilligan takes a long-range freeand Dublin win the break, but they’re under too much pressure to clear and keep giving it back to Clare men. Eventually, Ryan puts it over. Clare 2-26 Dublin 3-20
69 Mins: The ball lands in the Clare square and the ref is determined not to give a decision either way despite the chaos. Eventually, Clare win it, but he awards a free in for Dublin for throwing the ball. Clare 2-25 Dublin 3-20
67 Mins: O’Sullivan narrows the gap to two with a lovely score. At the next puckout, Diarmuid Ryan breaks onto the ball at a hundred miles an hour and pops it over. Clare 2-25 Dublin 3-19
65 Mins: Good score from Peter Duggan from a free. Clare 2-24 Dublin 3-18
64 Mins: Ian Galvin gets a really important score for Clare, and it was a lovely score too. Then an amazing save at the other end from Quilligan, to deny Cian O’Sullivan. He should really have passed it to the open Whitely inside him though. Clare 2-23 Dublin 3-18
63 Mins: GOAL for Dublin! A long ball into the 14-yard box falls to Whitely, who scuttles it in on the ground. Clare 2-22 Dublin 3-17
61 Mins: Peter Duggan and Andrew Dunphy are down getting treatment after a clash. Clare 2-22 Dublin 2-17
60 Mins: Diarmuid Ryan does really well to get a score when he looked to have lost the ball originally. Clare 2-22 Dublin 2-17
58 Mins: Dara Purcell, off the bench, gets a lovely score for Dublin. Cian O’Sullivan has a free in his own half now, and could bring the lead down to four – he nails it. Clare 2-21 Dublin 2-17
56 Mins: Peter Duggan points another free for Clare. Clare 2-21 Dublin 2-15
53 Mins: Cian O’Sullivan pops a difficult free, and then Fergal Whitely wins a soft enough free, so it’s two in a row for the corner-forward. Clare 2-20 Dublin 2-15
51 Mins: Two quality scores from midfielders, Ryan Taylor for Clare and Conor Donohoe for Dublin. Clare 2-20 Dublin 2-13
50 Mins: Diarmuid Ryan steals the ball away in midfield and plays it to Ian Galvin, who is fouled. Duggan takes over the frees and points it. Clare 2-19 Dublin 2-12
47 Mins: David Reidy is incensed not to get a free, when the balll goes in and he’s being held. To be fair, he’s still not wrestled free of his marker by the time the ball is worked up for a Dublin score. Looks like Mark Rodgers is coming off with an injury. Clare 2-18 Dublin 2-12
45 Mins: It’s three in a row for Rodgers, after he is fouled and points the free. Clare’s big advantage is their ability to win their own ball into the full-forward line. It’s been good quality service into them too. Clare 2-18 Dublin 2-11
42 Mins: Mark Rodgers gets Clare off the mark for the half with a free. From the puckout, Clare win the ball and David Reidy plays a low ball towards Meehan, who is tripped. Another free for Rodgers. Clare 2-17 Dublin 2-11
40 Mins: Cian O’Sullivan pops over a handy free. Then Brian Hayes adds a fifth in a row. This is the start Dublin needed. Then another comes in from O’Sullivan after the puckout. Clare 2-15 Dublin 2-11
38 Mins: A great free from Cian O’Sullivan adds another for Dublin. Clare 2-15 Dublin 2-8
37 Mins: Dublin start fast, with Donohoe registering his third point of the game. David Reidy hits Clare’s first wide of the half. Shane O’Donnell and David Fitzgerald are off for the Banner. Ian Galvin and Jack O’Neill are on. Dublin also make three subs at half-time. Darragh Power grabs a point now. Clare 2-15 Dublin 2-7
Here’s Shane Meehan’s beauty from the first half of Clare-Dublin.
Half-time: Clare 2-15 Dublin 2-5
Meehan and Rodgers add two late beauties for the Banner.
35 Mins: Conor Cleary is absolutely raging at the ref for giving Hetherton a soft free. Ryan Taylor scored a lovely solo effort for the Banner a moment earlier. Rodgers proves his worth again by adding a tough free. Clare 2-13 Dublin 2-5
32 Mins: Mark Rodgers nails an excellent free from a long way out. Diarmuid Ó Dúlaing cannot repeat the feat for Dublin from an easier spot. Clare 2-11 Dublin 2-4
30 Mins: Eoghan O’Donnell makes a super run down the middle, and this time Donohoe points it. Dublin work the ball very well between Brian Hayes, Fergal Whitely and Donohoe to add another. Clare 2-10 Dublin 2-4
28 Mins: The game comes to a halt as players on both sides get treatment. There’s a good bit of fighting for the ball at both ends, but it ends in a Conor Donohoe miss for Dublin. Meehan adds another for the Banner. Clare 2-10 Dublin 2-2
24 Mins: Eoghan O’Donnell gets caught in two minds passing out of defence and ends up spooning an awful ball skywards, which Shane O’Donnell gets to first. Paddy Smith has to pull the Clare man down, so it’s another handy one for Rodgers and a yellow for Smith. Clare 2-9 Dublin 2-2
23 Mins: Simple tapover free for Rodgers. Clare 2-8 Dublin 2-2
21 Mins: Conor McHugh is getting treatment for a cut on his eyebrow, so has to come off for a moment.
GOAL for Dublin! Cian O’Sullivan is the first to rise the ball from a big ruck, and buries it low into the corner. Clare 2-7 Dublin 2-2
18 Mins: Peter Duggan knocks another over for the Banner. Brian Hayes goes on a brilliant solo run for the Dubs, but it comes to nothing. They can’t really get things going up front. Clare 2-7 Dublin 1-2
16 Mins: GOAL for Clare! Shane Meehan with a cracker! A long ball into O’Donnell breaks for the corner-forward, who skins his man with some great control and then bats it beyond Seán Brennan. Clare 2-6 Dublin 1-2
15 Mins: Ryan sends in a long free for Clare, and Shane Meehan wins the break and taps it over. Clare 1-6 Dublin 1-2
13 Mins: Conor Groarke puts a high tackle in on Shane O’Donnell, but the full-forward manages to send Diarmuid Ryan through for a goal chance. He can’t take it, so it comes back for a handy Rodgers free. Clare 1-5 Dublin 1-2
12 Mins: O’Donnell and Rodgers notch points for the Banner, while Darragh Power and Cian O’Sullivan keep things ticking over for Dublin. Clare 1-4 Dublin 1-2
8 Mins: GOAL for Clare! Shane O’Donnell wins the ball really well, scoops it up and buries it into the Dublin net. Clare 1-1 Dublin 1-0
6 Mins: Penalty for Dublin! Rory Hayes is black-carded for a pull on Cian O’Sullivan when the corner-forward was through on goal. Quilligan made a great save the first time, but he can’t stop Hetherton’s penalty. Clare 0-1 Dublin 1-0
4 Mins: Eoghan O’Donnell slashes a sideline cut straight back out again, but Peter Duggan can’t do much with his attempt off the ground. O’Donnell takes Mark Rodgers out of it a minute later to give the corner-forward an easy free. Clare 0-1 Dublin 0-0
1 Mins: We’re underway a minute early at the Gaelic Grounds. Clare hit the post just seconds in and then a Dublin effort is blocked dow. David Fitzgerald has a wild effort, making it three misses to start with. Clare 0-0 Dublin 0-0
Dublin have made one change to the team they named earlier in the week. Conor Groarke comes into the side.
Clare start just as named. Ten minutes to throw-in.
About 25 minutes until throw-in for the Division 1B final. A win today would see the Dublin hurlers lift their first piece of silverware since the Leinster title in 2013.
Before today’s main event, Clare take on Dublin in the Division 1B final. The 2024 All-Ireland champions have made a good start after last year’s poor campaign, winning all of their league matches. Meanwhile, Dublin are trying to build on their strong form last year, where they shocked Limerick and reached the All-Ireland semi-final for the first time since 2013. Denis Walsh is going with the form team in his preview of this one.
[Division 1B final: Clare should be too strong for Dublin in decider]
The Gaelic Grounds looks in great condition ahead of the two finals. Today, it hosts the top tier hurling final for the first time since 2017.
The Gaelic Grounds plays host to the Division 1 hurling league finals today. Photograph: Tom O’Hanlon/Inpho
Denis Walsh also did a preview for today’s 1A final, which meant he had the unenviable task of picking a winner. He sees the Treaty County edging out a win at home today.
[Limerick’s league zeal should see them past experimental Cork in Division 1A decider]
Ahead of today’s renewal of a classic Munster rivalry, Denis Walsh looks at why it became the sport’s current biggest draw. During Limerick’s glory years, four successive championship wins over Cork put the Rebels firmly in their rear view mirror. But since 2024, the tide has started to turn.
[Cork-Limerick rivalry has rewritten the rules on intensity]
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the National Hurling League finals! It’s the final day of the national leagues across both codes, as the Division 1A and 1B head to the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick to see who takes the titles.
First up, 2024 All-Ireland champions Clare look to continue their perfect start to the season against Dublin in the Division 1B final (1.45pm). In the first round of the campaign, the Banner shaded it, winning by two points after a late Tony Kelly goal.
Then in the Division 1A final, Cork look to win back-to-back titles against Limerick (4.00pm). Limerick sunk the Rebels earlier in the league with an eight-point win, but this rivalry has been to close to call over the past couple of years. The two sides played out a classic in last year’s Munster final at the same venue, where Cork won out on penalties.