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26th Dec 2013

JOE’s Top five hurling games of 2013

Number one is pretty obvious, but there were any amount of contenders for the other spots after probably the best hurling championship of recent times.

Conor Heneghan

JOE’s Top five hurling games of 2013

Number one is pretty obvious, but there were any amount of contenders for the other spots after probably the best hurling championship of recent times.

5. Leinster semi-final, Dublin 1-16 – 0-16 Kilkenny

Most pundits thought that the Dubs’ chance had gone a week previous, but Anthony Daly’s side announced themselves as an outfit of serious substance with a courageous three-point win in Portlaoise.

It was the first time in over 70 years that the Dubs had beaten Kilkenny in a championship outing and it came about thanks to a performance brimming with guts and determination and no little class from the likes of Dotsy O’Callaghan, the outstanding Liam Rushe and Danny Sutcliffe, who scored the goal that eventually separated the sides in the end.

4. Munster semi-final, Limerick 1-18 – 1-15 Tipperary

The season ended on a very disappointing note for the Treatysiders but before defeat to neighbours Clare in the All-Ireland semi-final, they gave their supporters a couple of great days out at the Gaelic Grounds. The scenes following their Munster Final victory over Cork will live long in the memory, but their victory over Tipp was arguably a better game and they showed character in spades to fight back after Tipp sub John O’Dwyer went on the rampage after half-time.

John Allen’s men had any amount of standout performers but Richie McCarthy stood out above the rest thanks to an inspirational display from full back, which went a long way to helping him to a deserved All-Star award.

3. All-Ireland final, Clare 0-25 – 3-16 Cork

Despite earning a replay thanks to the most dramatic of late points from Domhnall O’Donovan, Clare fans would have been asking themselves how in the hell they weren’t out of sight way before it because they were most definitely in the ascendancy for the majority of the first final at HQ.

Cork came expecting Clare to replicate the sweeper system that had served them well all year, but not for the first or last time, Davy Fitz had something different up his sleeve and, for large parts of the game, Cork couldn’t cope.

With the Banner not hitting the net and never quite killing the Rebels off, JBM’s men came back and through majors from Conor Lehane, Anthony Nash and Pa Cronin and a last-gasp point from Pat Horgan they looked like they might snatch the most unlikely of victories, but Clare and O’Donovan had other ideas.

2. All-Ireland semi-final, Cork 1-24 – 1-19 Dublin

Five points was the winning margin in the end but that doesn’t tell the full story of a gripping encounter at headquarters that featured an exhibition of score-taking from both sides, particularly in the first 35 minutes.

In the end, the result was hugely affected by the controversial dismissal of Ryan O’Dwyer midway through the second half, although one could counter that by saying that Liam Rushe was incredibly lucky not to be following him down the tunnel. Many people had this one marked down as game of the season until, well, we all know what happened next…

1. All-Ireland Final replay, Clare 5-16 – 3-16 Cork

It was entirely fitting that the best hurling championship in years was capped off by what was the best final of modern times, a true classic that one couldn’t possibly better if looking for an advertisement of what makes hurling so great.

Clare, it was said, didn’t do goals and after 25 points wasn’t enough to win the first day, 19-year old Shane O’Donnell was told briefly before throw-in that his first start of the year would be in the All-Ireland Final, which he duly graced with a hat-trick before half-time.

Those three goals were amongst eight scored in total in a game that was more evenly contested than the first encounter and even more thrilling, but in the end the deserving team came out on top thanks to a dazzling display from a group of young men who aren’t going anywhere for a while yet.

If you get time over the Christmas, try and source a recording of this game and watch it over again, watch it twice if you must because repeated viewing doesn’t diminish the quality of a game that truly was one for the ages.