FOR THE FIRST time since 1996, each member of hurling’s big three – Kilkenny, Tipperary and Cork – failed to make it to the All-Ireland SHC final.
Instead it’s Galway and Waterford who go head-to-head for the title, in a novel final pairing.
The Liam MacCarthy has been a ‘missing person’ in Galway since 1988 and Waterford since 1959. Unusually, the Deise have never been beaten by Galway in the championship with a record that stands at 10-0.
They first met in the championship in the 1938 All-Ireland semi-final, and Waterford have dominated the fixture in the intervening years.
Galway last appeared in the final in 2015, when they lost to Kilkenny on a scoreline of 1-22 to 1-18. Waterford’s last trip to the final was in 2008, when they were demolished by the Cats by 3-30 to 1-13.
Before all that, Cork and Galway meet in the minor final which throws-in at 1.15pm.
Cork are searching for their first All-Ireland at this grade since 2001, while Galway were last crowned champions in 2015.
Who do think will win today?
