IT’S ALMOST 30 years ago to the day that Wexford went through the motions in the Leinster SHC against a Dublin side described in one report as ‘dogged but limited’.
Eight points ahead at half time, Wexford pulled up the handbrake in that provincial championship encounter and crawled to a six-point win. Job done, pack up the wagon and move on.
Larry O’Gorman rose above the humdrum that day at Croke Park and was named man of the match, finishing 1996 as the hurler of the year after the team’s eventual All-Ireland win.
If you’d told him back then that… well, you know how that one goes.
There was no love lost when Wexford met Dublin in the league this spring. Nick Elliott / INPHO
Nick Elliott / INPHO / INPHO
Wexford haven’t been back to a final since, and they certainly don’t take Dublin for granted these days. In fact, on home soil this weekend, they’re 15/8 long shots to beat the Sky Blues.
That’s partly down to the limp display Wexford produced in the 17-point shellacking from Kilkenny a fortnight ago but more so an acknowledgement that, more often than not these days, Dublin do beat Wexford.
After being knocked out of last year’s Leinster SHC by the Dubs on the head-to-head rule, O’Gorman even stated that his county was in danger of slipping back into the Joe McDonagh Cup.
“I think we’re heading that road,” he said, wincing.
So where has it all gone wrong for Wexford?
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– Faltering production line –
O’Gorman produced an alarming stat last August when talking about his time working with Wexford underage teams a decade or so ago.
“I was involved in 2014, 2015, 2016, maybe 2017 as well with Wexford underage,” said the Faythe Harriers man. “I looked at a programme the other day – from 2015, out of 64 players, there were only two of them playing (senior in 2025) for Wexford.”
Speaking on the same topic of Wexford’s supply line on The Wexford Hurling Podcast, former county senior David Redmond had a similar take to O’Gorman after last month’s big loss to Kilkenny.
Wexford boss Keith Rossiter is trying to get the county back on track. Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
“This is a result of what wasn’t done years ago,” said Redmond, who has coached Wexford underage teams himself. “And somebody like Keith Rossiter has to try to correct all that and to fix that now, which is the hardest job possible.”
In the last decade, Wexford has won a single Leinster minor championship, in 2019, and no provincial U20 titles. As it happens, they’re currently preparing for a couple of Leinster semi-finals at both age grades, so the tide could be turning, but the last decade hasn’t been fruitful in terms of talent production.
– Lack of size –
Not men, but giants, was the strapline of an old advertising campaign around the hurling Championship. That’s not quite the case in Wexford who seem to be struggling to produce six-footers these days.
Against Kilkenny last time out, their half-forward line in particular suffered from a lack of aerial threat or presence and was comfortably dispatched by a physically powerful Deegan-Corcoran-Blanchfield triumvirate that lorded it.
– Not enough scores –
Even against Kilkenny, 1-16 was a poor return from a Wexford side that only put 1-22 on the board against Kildare in Round 1. The lack of scoring threat cost Wexford in the League as, having drawn with Dublin at Croke Park, it came down to scoring difference to decide who finished second and third in Division 1B. It wasn’t even close as Dublin’s +73 tally comfortably trumped Wexford’s +31, securing them the promotion place.
Wexford are heavily reliant on Lee Chin at present. Andrew Paton / INPHO
Andrew Paton / INPHO / INPHO
There’s a clear overreliance on Lee Chin. After scraping past Antrim and Down with one and two-point wins early in the league, Wexford trailed Carlow by a point with 15 minutes to go in Round 3. Chin’s seasonal return as a substitute changed that game and they steamrolled Carlow in the last quarter. But it also underlined just how much they need him around.
Simon Roche had a strong first league campaign but has yet to lift off in the Championship and is a long-term project. In the short term, they need more from captain Jack O’Connor. Cillian Byrne and Seán Rowley could even be viable alternatives to O’Connor against Dublin. And Chin is probably needed in the thick of the action as well, further out than the full-forward line where Kilkenny comfortably handled him.
– Absent friends –
Speaking on The Wexford Hurling Podcast, Redmond noted how ‘some of the best players that we’ve ever produced aren’t on the field for whatever reason, and they’re entitled to make that decision’. He didn’t name individuals but Rory O’Connor, who opted out for 2026, is one obvious player they could do with.
There’s no Conor McDonald either. Charlie McGuckin, Cathal Dunbar and Eoin Ryan were others who didn’t return this season. McGuckin, Ryan, O’Connor and Dunbar all started the corresponding Leinster SHC fixture against Dublin last season.
Conor McDonald is still absent. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
All of that said, Rossiter should be getting more effort and return from the players at his disposal. Wexford supporters may even settle for a powerful performance this weekend, regardless of the result, just to prove that there’s still signs of life, vibrancy and a clear pattern of play.
– Paying the penalty for rotten luck –
Rossiter may feel that the only luck he’s received since taking over at the back end of 2023 is bad luck. He’s presided over 31 league and Championship games, returning just 14 wins.
But five of those games ended in draws, which could have gone either way, and they only lost to Kilkenny in the 2024 Leinster SHC by a point. TJ Reid nailed a goal from a penalty in that win following a foul on Eoin Cody which appeared to have occurred outside the penalty area.
Chris Crummey's late point snatched a draw for Dublin in the league. Nick Elliott / INPHO
Nick Elliott / INPHO / INPHO
Last year, in the narrow defeat to Dublin at Parnell Park, a Sean Currie goal for Dublin from a penalty was allowed to stand despite the ball not crossing the goal line after goalkeeper Mark Fanning’s block. Later on, a dubious foul for a thrown pass, resulting in a handy tap-over free for Dublin, frustrated travelling fans even more. And Wexford lost that game by four points.
Only for Chris Crummey’s equalising point five minutes into stoppage time at Croke Park in February’s league game between the teams, Wexford would have edged that game as well and gained promotion. A run of ill fortune that surely has to turn.
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Where has it all gone wrong for Wexford hurling?
IT’S ALMOST 30 years ago to the day that Wexford went through the motions in the Leinster SHC against a Dublin side described in one report as ‘dogged but limited’.
Eight points ahead at half time, Wexford pulled up the handbrake in that provincial championship encounter and crawled to a six-point win. Job done, pack up the wagon and move on.
Larry O’Gorman rose above the humdrum that day at Croke Park and was named man of the match, finishing 1996 as the hurler of the year after the team’s eventual All-Ireland win.
If you’d told him back then that… well, you know how that one goes.
Wexford haven’t been back to a final since, and they certainly don’t take Dublin for granted these days. In fact, on home soil this weekend, they’re 15/8 long shots to beat the Sky Blues.
That’s partly down to the limp display Wexford produced in the 17-point shellacking from Kilkenny a fortnight ago but more so an acknowledgement that, more often than not these days, Dublin do beat Wexford.
After being knocked out of last year’s Leinster SHC by the Dubs on the head-to-head rule, O’Gorman even stated that his county was in danger of slipping back into the Joe McDonagh Cup.
“I think we’re heading that road,” he said, wincing.
So where has it all gone wrong for Wexford?
– Faltering production line –
O’Gorman produced an alarming stat last August when talking about his time working with Wexford underage teams a decade or so ago.
“I was involved in 2014, 2015, 2016, maybe 2017 as well with Wexford underage,” said the Faythe Harriers man. “I looked at a programme the other day – from 2015, out of 64 players, there were only two of them playing (senior in 2025) for Wexford.”
Speaking on the same topic of Wexford’s supply line on The Wexford Hurling Podcast, former county senior David Redmond had a similar take to O’Gorman after last month’s big loss to Kilkenny.
“This is a result of what wasn’t done years ago,” said Redmond, who has coached Wexford underage teams himself. “And somebody like Keith Rossiter has to try to correct all that and to fix that now, which is the hardest job possible.”
In the last decade, Wexford has won a single Leinster minor championship, in 2019, and no provincial U20 titles. As it happens, they’re currently preparing for a couple of Leinster semi-finals at both age grades, so the tide could be turning, but the last decade hasn’t been fruitful in terms of talent production.
– Lack of size –
Not men, but giants, was the strapline of an old advertising campaign around the hurling Championship. That’s not quite the case in Wexford who seem to be struggling to produce six-footers these days.
Against Kilkenny last time out, their half-forward line in particular suffered from a lack of aerial threat or presence and was comfortably dispatched by a physically powerful Deegan-Corcoran-Blanchfield triumvirate that lorded it.
– Not enough scores –
Even against Kilkenny, 1-16 was a poor return from a Wexford side that only put 1-22 on the board against Kildare in Round 1. The lack of scoring threat cost Wexford in the League as, having drawn with Dublin at Croke Park, it came down to scoring difference to decide who finished second and third in Division 1B. It wasn’t even close as Dublin’s +73 tally comfortably trumped Wexford’s +31, securing them the promotion place.
There’s a clear overreliance on Lee Chin. After scraping past Antrim and Down with one and two-point wins early in the league, Wexford trailed Carlow by a point with 15 minutes to go in Round 3. Chin’s seasonal return as a substitute changed that game and they steamrolled Carlow in the last quarter. But it also underlined just how much they need him around.
Simon Roche had a strong first league campaign but has yet to lift off in the Championship and is a long-term project. In the short term, they need more from captain Jack O’Connor. Cillian Byrne and Seán Rowley could even be viable alternatives to O’Connor against Dublin. And Chin is probably needed in the thick of the action as well, further out than the full-forward line where Kilkenny comfortably handled him.
– Absent friends –
Speaking on The Wexford Hurling Podcast, Redmond noted how ‘some of the best players that we’ve ever produced aren’t on the field for whatever reason, and they’re entitled to make that decision’. He didn’t name individuals but Rory O’Connor, who opted out for 2026, is one obvious player they could do with.
There’s no Conor McDonald either. Charlie McGuckin, Cathal Dunbar and Eoin Ryan were others who didn’t return this season. McGuckin, Ryan, O’Connor and Dunbar all started the corresponding Leinster SHC fixture against Dublin last season.
All of that said, Rossiter should be getting more effort and return from the players at his disposal. Wexford supporters may even settle for a powerful performance this weekend, regardless of the result, just to prove that there’s still signs of life, vibrancy and a clear pattern of play.
– Paying the penalty for rotten luck –
Rossiter may feel that the only luck he’s received since taking over at the back end of 2023 is bad luck. He’s presided over 31 league and Championship games, returning just 14 wins.
But five of those games ended in draws, which could have gone either way, and they only lost to Kilkenny in the 2024 Leinster SHC by a point. TJ Reid nailed a goal from a penalty in that win following a foul on Eoin Cody which appeared to have occurred outside the penalty area.
Last year, in the narrow defeat to Dublin at Parnell Park, a Sean Currie goal for Dublin from a penalty was allowed to stand despite the ball not crossing the goal line after goalkeeper Mark Fanning’s block. Later on, a dubious foul for a thrown pass, resulting in a handy tap-over free for Dublin, frustrated travelling fans even more. And Wexford lost that game by four points.
Only for Chris Crummey’s equalising point five minutes into stoppage time at Croke Park in February’s league game between the teams, Wexford would have edged that game as well and gained promotion. A run of ill fortune that surely has to turn.
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GAA Hurling Keith Rossiter Lee Chin Leinster SHC Wexford GAA