All-Ireland SHC 2022 fixtures: Limerick to begin defence against Cork

Henry Shefflin’s Galway will take on Brian Cody’s Kilkenny in round three of Leinster

Limerick’s Dan Morrissey celebrates with the Liam MacCarthy Cup after winning the All-Ireland last year. Photo: Morgan Treacy/Inpho

Sat Nov 27 2021 - 15:49

There was no draw, per se, for the hurling championships on the weekend since the championship is mercifully returning to the provincial round-robin format next summer. There was, however, a setting of the fixtures and an announcement of the order in which counties will face off against each other. Given the personalities involved in the hurling championship these days, there is plenty to savour.

There would want to be, says you, since Limerick’s stranglehold on the competition shows very little sign of easing off. The All-Ireland champions will begin their hunt for a fourth title in five years with a trip to Páirc Uí Chaoimh to face Cork, the team they routed in this year’s final. Limerick are one of the teams who will play four straight matches without a bye week; Clare are the other.

The standout fixture in Munster that first weekend, all the same, is likely to be Waterford against Tipperary. Games between Liam Cahill and his home county always come freighted with meaning, all the more so now, after he turned down the chance to take them over in the off-season in favour of staying for a third year in Waterford. He will be keen to give Tipp a good look at what they could have won.

In Leinster, we can be sure there was no fiddling about with the order of things - if there had been, you can be sure that Galway would have been down to meet Kilkenny first day out. But no, sideline watchers will have to wait until the third round to see Henry Shefflin face off against Brian Cody.

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Galway and Kilkenny aren’t even in the same division of the league so unless they contrive to meet in the league final, it won’t happen until the May bank holiday weekend. Mind you, a bank holiday weekend in Salthill isn’t the worst thought with which to shorten the winter.