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The Munster Hurling Championship is the highest inter-county hurling competition in the province of Munster which has been contested every year since 1888. It is one of three inter-county hurling competitions that make up the All-Ireland Senior Hurling championship, the other two being the Leinster Hurling Championship and the Joe McDonagh Cup.
Munster Championship Format
Like the Leinster, five teams participate in the Munster Hurling championship. During the season, these teams play single-round robin matches against each other or a total of 10 games in a season. A team is awarded two points for a win, one point for a draw and zero points for a defeat. Teams are ranked by points and ties are disputed by head to head results. The top two teams after the elimination round battle for the Munster championship.
The Munster champions get a bye and advance to the semifinals of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. The runner-up moves on to the quarterfinals stage while the 3rd placer enters the preliminary quarterfinal round where they will face either the Joe McDonagh winner or runner-up.
A unique system of promotion and relegation exists between the Munster and Joe McDonagh. If Kerry wins the Joe McDonagh, that winner will play the bottom-ranked team of the Munster in a playoff with the winner as the fifth and last competitor in the next Munster Hurling championship.
Here is the schedule for the Munster Hurling championship for 2019:
| Round | Date | Team 1 | Team 2 | Venue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 12
May 12 |
Waterford
Cork |
v
v |
Clare
Tipperary |
Walsh Park, Waterford
Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork |
| 2 | May 19
May 19 |
Tipperary
Limerick |
v
v |
Waterford
Cork |
Semple Stadium, Thurles
Gaelic Grounds, Limerick |
| 3 | June 2
June 2 |
Waterford
Clare |
v
v |
Limerick
Tipperary |
Walsh Park, Waterford
Cusack Park, Ennis |
| 4 | June 8
June 9 |
Cork
Limerick |
V
v |
Waterford
Clare |
Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork
Gaelic Grounds, Limerick |
| 5 | June 16
June 16 |
Clare
Tipperary |
V
v |
Cork
Limerick |
Cusack Park, Ennis
Semple Stadium, Thurles |
The Finals of the GAA Munster Hurling Championships 2019 will be on June 30, 2019
Who Are The Favorites?
Here are the odds to win the Munster Hurling Championship. Odds taken from Bet365 as of 4/23/19:
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Limerick | +225 |
| Tipperary | +275 |
| Cork | +333 |
| Clare | +450 |
| Waterford | +600 |
Limerick finished third in the Munster Hurling championship last year but won the All-Ireland quarter-finals, defeated 2018 Munster champions Cork in the All-Ireland semi-finals and then upended Leinster winner Galway to win the All-Ireland Hurling championship.
This year, they aren’t just favorites to win the Munster but are also the favorites to win their second straight All-Ireland. Limerick is surely in tip-top form as evidenced by their Division 1 final win over Waterford at Croke Park. John Kiely has plenty of weapons at his disposal. The Limerick manager has a physical, powerful, fast and very skilled group of players at hand and there is no shortage of competition for positions within the team. With such depth, Limerick is deserving of its lofty billing.
Tipperary looked like they were ready to dominate the scene after winning back to back Munster championships in 2015 and 2016. 2016 also marked their second Liam MacCarthy win of the decade. But that hasn’t happened and after placing 4th in the Munster championship last year, Liam Sheedy was brought back to put Tipp back on top. Remember Sheedy delivered two Munster championships and one All-Ireland championship in three years as the man in charge here.
Cork has won back-to-back Munster Hurling championships and three in the last five years. They have also made it to the semifinals of the All-Ireland in two straight years so that tells you this squad is moving in the right direction. Their recent victory over Kilkenny ended their League campaign on a high note. With the likes of Seamus Harnedy and Patrick Hogan plus the return of Alan Cadogan, John Meyler’s boys look ready to win again this season.
The majority of Clare’s 2013 All-Ireland winning team is still there and the addition of young talents like Peter Duggan make this squad a match for any team on their day. Clare finished runner-up to Cork in the previous two seasons and they aren’t to be overlooked. However, their Division 1 season ended on a sour note after they were hammered in the quarterfinals by Waterford.
Waterford’s weakness was its lack of depth in their roster and firepower up front. But new manager Páraic Fanning has tried his best to address both issues while introducing a new free-wheeling attack. With their home games slated in Walsh Park, Waterford is hopeful that they can make a difference this time around.
If you are just getting started in hurling betting then read our beginner’s guide before placing a bet.
Who Wins?
Limerick is the third most successful team in Munster championship history with 19 titles. They barely made it out of the Munster last season at third place but turned things around with a giant-slaying performance in the All-Ireland. This season, Limerick isn’t just favored to win the Munster but to win a second consecutive All-Ireland title. That speaks a lot about this team.
When you take a look at the teams’ rosters, Limerick’s is richest in talent at every position and not only that, they are playing very well right now, especially after their Division 1 victory. Cork will have their say as two-time defending Munster champions while Clare still has a formidable line-up. However, I think that Limerick has barely touched the surface of how good they are and we are going to find out more in the upcoming Munster Hurling Championships.
Prediction: Limerick
