Ciarán Murphy: Jeopardy makes the Munster hurling championship a force for good

Limerick manager John Kiely celebrates at the final whistle after his side's win over Cork in last year's Munster hurling championship. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho

The Leinster hurling championship has consistently given us more last-day drama, but it’s only natural that it be over-shadowed year after year by the goings-on in Munster. There are three games in Leinster this weekend, but only Dublin and Wexford has any real competitive uncertainty about it. And even at that, it’s a game between the eighth and ninth best teams in the country, neither of which really look capable of launching a bid for provincial honours, let alone the All-Ireland.

Cork may have been unlucky in last season’s Munster championship, but they played the three teams that emerged from the round-robin and couldn’t beat any of them. They got close, in all three games, but they didn’t get it done. Mini-leagues and group stages are not a sop to give teams endless games. The spectre of the dead-rubber has not materialised, despite it being the bogeyman mentioned at each step of every championship restructuring. Dublin may have lain waste to a few Super Eight groups over the duration of that format, but pretty much across the board they’ve been a success. No competition has done more to facilitate that change of mindset than the Munster senior hurling championship.

Limerick-Gaa Waterford-Gaa Clare-Gaa Tipperary-Gaa Hurling-Championship

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