They were nothing like as dominant as this though. Now the competition aren’t much relatively, but they are being routinely drilled by Limerick.
Going on players, there isn’t a real reason they should not go very close most years for a good while to come.
Most of the team were born between 1994 and 1996 though. They’ll all be retiring around the one time which will leave a big void. Hegarty, Lynch, Gillane, Morrissey, Finn, Byrnes, Mike Casey, Nash, WOD, DOD, Richie English etc. Then Flanagan and Peter Casey are 97’.
You’ll have a few around though in the sense that I wouldn’t foresee a one time mass exodus, more a gradual slope of departures as these things go. The main point I was making is that the young forwards coming through seem to be bluechippers in an era where it seems to be harder to create top forwards.
Declan Hannon was born in 1992. Nickie Quaid was born in 1989. I was surprised to see Diarmuid Byrnes was born in 1994 and is already past his 29th birthday. Gearoid Hegarty was born in 1994.
These are major, major pillars which you don’t just replace. Collective age tends to take its toll.
Limerick have maybe two more summers with this team in prime age profile. After that it starts to become a hanging on job. Dublin’s process of hanging on started in 2018.
Totally, it will get harder.
I just think regardless of what is left, the 3 lads mentioned will leave Limerick well placed to compete hard.
They say you want the ‘1 or 2’ from these underage panels and Limerick seem tobe getting them in O’Neill, English, O’Brien…scoring forwards with size, power and pace.
The material reason Dublin have dropped off for me, was Jack and the good blondie lad in the corner leaving, and what was left of the young lads coming through wouldn’t crack an egg bar Con, plus the excellence of Kilkenny.
I love Jamie Clarke as a player, but I think the difference between him and say a Shane O’Brien is that O’Brien is 6"2.
Totally objectively, if Tipp and Cork had these lads, you’d say contenders. Like the new 6 Joyce in Cork is a dinger.
I can see Nash and Kyle Hayes taking on more as older lads depart as well
I think it’s a fair point, and I think we all know it won’t last forever.
And I do think the players coming through are seriously talented but, as you say, the issue at the moment is, talented as they are, they are still finding it hard to break into our strongest-ever team.
And when they do finally break in; as a unit, they won’t have the same combined starting experience.
Tipp won an U-21 in 2018 & an U-20 in 2019 but had a similar issue; those players found it hard to dislodge a very strong cohort that Tipp had and those players are really only breaking in now. And then some of the better ones have been lost completely.
Limerick’s saving grace would be if there isn’t a dominant team to replace them. Based on underage performances, it would likely be Cork but we’ll see. I’d consider our 2019 minors not too far of the 2014 vintage tbh; the 2020 group was strong. 2023 minors also a very good crop. In each of those years, we were better than Cork who obviously had one of the strongest-ever minor teams in 2021.
And you’d never know with Galway, had utter dominance at minor level for a while.
“Training block”.
‘a save for da ages’
‘Microwave Hurling Championship’
So called weaker counties
The Tyrones, the Kerrys, the Limericks of this world. THERE IS ONLY ONE FUCKING TYRONE!!
Ah yes. Hate that.
Well said.
Technically there are a couple of Dublins but not all in Ireland.
You’re a big fan of coronation street obviously.
Keith and Dion.
Rolls Royce of a [insert code]
I’ve been known to use it myself from time to time
Years ago we were doing a bit of business with Toyota. We got a memo telling us to give them the Rolls Royce treatment.
Were you working for Rolls Royce at the time?
I wasn’t.
Galway?