Cork Hurling Fan Changes Mind On League Not Being Important

31st Mar 2025

The Allianz National Hurling League is often derided by hurling fans as just a warm up for the All-Ireland championship – a place to allow young gazelles to try their luck in a field of slightly overweight, disinterested lions.

However, Cork fans, usually luke-warm on the idea of winning the competition appear to be strongly considering their indifferent position on Sunday’s Allianz Hurling League final at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

This seems to correlate strongly with the fact that Cork have reached the final and are on the cusp of their first title since 1998 – a time when hurling was played with shillelaghs and it was customary for at least ten players to be killed during a game.  

One Cork fan, Barry de Barra Beamish-Murphy O'Brien, who has a much-coveted ticket for the final, says "Yeah, look it's my first league game ever but....eh....I've always thought the league was important, blooding new players, trying new systems". 

At the start of the season most Cork fans would have turned their noses up at the prospect of getting a free ticket to the league final, but with 40,000 tickets being sold in about ten seconds it seems Rebels have gleefully changed their tune!