Another ride awaits on Munster's hurling rollercoaster

It's a case of three out of five go forward.

For the remaining two, the year is over come the last weekend of May.

That's the cutthroat nature of the Munster Hurling Championship.

Those in Leinster will also accentuate the competitive nature of things, and they are right.

But the southern province, with one county less involved, is more of a beast.

Today Waterford host Clare and Tipp welcome Cork, the holders, to Semple Stadium.

Let the ferocity begin.

The latter clash is a repeat of the 2025 All-Ireland final, a scarcely unbelievable ending to the hurling year.

Tipp winning in a canter; Cork left in a daze, wondering did the 70 minutes really happen?

It did.

Time is a healer and under Ben O'Connor the Rebels have regrouped, setting the pace early on in the league, before eventually reaching the Division 1 decider.

Tipp had a so-so spring campaign, that middling summation won't unduly stir much alarm from Liam Cahill and Co.

The 19 April meeting against those in red jerseys has been earmarked for a while.

There was that league clash between the pair on 7 February , which Cork won handy enough.

A game remembered for a 30-man tussle in first-half stoppage time, which was sparked by an off-the-ball bout of wrestling between Willie Connors and Alan Connolly, who were both booked.

All 30 players got involved in the midfield skirmish before Jason Forde and Shane Barrett were picked out of the crowd for contributing to a melee.

Both saw red.

Semple Stadium on Sunday will be more of a cauldron but hopefully without the flashpoints to spark something unedifying.

Cork's Robert Downey and Ronan Maher of Tipperary both spoke to RTÉ Sport in advance of another highly anticipated Munster campaign.

Both are very much of the view that a high-octane rollercoaster is what players and supporters will be brought along amid much thrills and spills.

"It's frantic, there's a lot going on, it's fast-paced at times, it can be hard to get your breath out there," Downey said.

"At the start of each year, every team thinks they can win Munster and an All-Ireland.

Right from the first game I expect the tempo and intensity to be through the roof.

There is nothing between any of the teams and on any given day, anything can happen.

"The Munster Championship is the best championship, up there with Ulster football if not better.

In Cork you are reared on stories of great Munster Championships so there is great excitement.

"It's just so hard to get out of it now, playing games week-on-week in packed stadiums."
Maher, a three-time All-Ireland winner (2025 captain), with two Munster titles also to his name, spoke about a competition that is "through the roof" and the importance of being "primed for the opening battle against Cork", adding that escaping from the province in third spot last year was "massive" in helping them in their All-Ireland push.

"The win over Clare gave us that boost and we managed to get out the door," he said.

"This year we would like to get to a Munster final, we haven't won it in a while.

Winning it gives you a clearer road towards the All-Ireland and every team will want to achieve that.

"Playing in Thurles, Páirc Uí Chaoimh and Ennis are games that you remember.

I remember the walk up to Semple Stadium, up through the square and, sitting on those bricks there, not even having a ticket, just huge excitement.

"The atmosphere is unbelievable and the crowd is on top of you.

It's where you want to be as a player, you want to be in the middle of that."
For Cork, a date with Limerick is next on the agenda come Sunday week.

A stern test of the champions' early credentials but another likely blockbuster to savour before April is out.

Tipp are away to Waterford, another step in their attempt to end a ten-year wait for a Munster title.

Watch a Munster Hurling Championship double-header, Clare v Waterford (2pm) and Tipperary v Cork (4pm), on Sunday from 1.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.

Follow our live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and RTÉ News app and listen to Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
Watch The Sunday Game from 9.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.

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