County hurling final weekend: All You Need to Know

Another bumper weekend of county final showpieces as we near the provincial campaigns. Not quite as packed as last weekend but enough to be going on with, not least thanks to the trio of replays.

Warning - the possibility of adverse weather has removed one hurling final from the schedule and may claim more before the weekend is complete.

ONLINE
Live updates of Sunday's county final action from Kilkenny, Limerick and Wexford among others.

Match reports from all the weekend's action, with links to how each final unfolded on a standalone page. Reaction from players/managers on the day's key moments will also be available.

RADIO
Sunday Sport, from 2pm on RTÉ Radio 1 and RTÉ Listen will provide live commentary and regular score updates, along with added colour and subsequent reax from the grounds.

TV
RTÉ2 will have live coverage of the Dublin SHC final between Cuala and Kilmacud Crokes from 7pm (7.15 throw-in).

TG4 will broadcast a live hurling double header on Sunday, starting with the Kilkenny SHC final between Tullaroan and Ballyhale Shamrocks (1.45pm throw-in) and the Limerick SHC decider between Na Piarsaigh and Kilmallock (3.45pm throw-in).

WEATHER
The prospect of a heavy storm in the north has already forced the postponement of one final. Saturday is expected to be a torrid day, with wet and windy weather predicted. Winds will reach gale force in Atlantic areas, which may have implications for the Galway final.

Sunday is expected to be a crisp breezy day with sunshine and showers, some of which will be heavy in the west and north. Highest temperatures of 9 -13C in a fresh and gusty westerly wind.

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Antrim SHC final falls by the wayside

Cushendall v Dunloy, Postponed until Sunday 1 November

The Cushendall-Dunloy decider, originally scheduled for Sunday, has been postponed by a week after a weather alert was issued over the exotically named Storm Boelo. It's been pushed back by seven days.

They may love their hurling up there but not sufficiently to go out in that.

Dublin SHC - Cuala v Kilmacud Crokes, Saturday 7.15pm (LIVE ON RTÉ2)

The televised clash between two southside behemoths in Parnell Park this Saturday.

Cuala already hold the distinction of being only the second club to win All-Ireland senior club titles in both codes - St Finbarr's in Cork being the other.

This weekend, they can join the surprisingly large list of Dublin clubs that have won senior county championship doubles.

St Vincent's, naturally, have achieved the feat. They did it no fewer than 10 times during their long hegemonic era between the 1950s and the early 1980s. In fact, the first 10 of their 13 Dublin SHC titles came as part of doubles.

The Garda club had previously done it twice back in the late 1920s in a team which was presumably stacked with migrants from Hurling Nation.

In more recent times, both Crokes and Ballyboden have managed it. Boden did so in 2009, Crokes managing it twice in a row in 2021 and 2022. Cuala could become the fifth.

Cuala, edged out by Na Fianna in extra-time last year, gained revenge with a five-point win in the semi-finals. Conall O'Toole and Colm Cronin grabbed the crucial goals against the 2025 All-Ireland champions.

Goalkeeper Sean Brennan is a veteran from the 2017 and 2018 All-Ireland titles, while Dublin star Conor Groarke has formed a midfield partnership with Galway's Donal O'Shea (son of Eamonn), who transferred to the Dalkey club from Salthill in 2025.

Kilmacud pipped Lucan Sarsfields in a dramatic semi-final. Chris Crummey looked to have put Lucan into a winning position and they led by two with five minutes remaining. However, late scores from Oisín O'Rourke, goalkeeper Eddie Gibbons and sub Ger Veale saw Crokes snatch victory.

They're pursuing title number eight and a first in four years, which would draw them level with Cuala.

Kildare SHC - Maynooth v Naas, Sunday 3pm

Maynooth's footballers may be the romantic story of the season in Kildare.

The surviving rebels of Easter week were still holed up in Frongach the last time Maynooth reached a Kildare SFC final but they managed to prise their way into this year's decider with a shock win over Naas last weekend.

The hurlers are more used to county finals in recent years though their experiences have not been happy ones. Maynooth have lost three of the last four Kildare deciders, all to Naas, who are going for eight in a row.

In '22 and '25, eight points was the margin in the finish. In '24, the gap was 17.

Maynooth overcame a Celbridge side who were heavily dependent on Gerry Keegan's scoring power in the semi-final.

Naas, with Jack Sheridan, James Burke, Simon Leacy, Cathal Dowling and the Borans in their ranks, look more or less unstoppable however.

They won the semi-final against Éire Óg Corra Choill on the rather embarrassing scoreline of 4-32 to 0-06. Barring a huge shock, a ninth title on the trot is coming.

Kilkenny SHC - Tullaroan v Ballyhale Shamrocks, Sunday 1.45pm (LIVE ON TG4)

Something of a novelty in Nowlan Park. A final clash between the top two clubs in the Kilkenny SHC roll of honour - but two teams who have never once met in a county final.

There's little mystery behind this. Tullaroan won their second most recent of their 20 county titles in 1958, almost a decade and a half before the parishes of Ballyhale and Knocktopher finally merged to form the Shamrocks.

Within six years of their foundation, the Shamrocks had won their first Kilkenny title and three years after that, they stopped St Finbarr's claiming the double in the 1981 All-Ireland final. Last year came title No. 21, which saw them nudge ahead of Tullaroan in the historical standings for the first time.

Meanwhile, Tullaroan's sole senior county championship win of the modern (sort of) era came in 1994, during a lull in the Shamrocks' story, after the Fennelly-family inspired successes of the 80s had ended but long before the Shefflin era had dawned.

Tullaroan haven't been in a senior final since '94. One of their greatest ever hurlers, Tommy Walsh, played the entirety of his career without reaching one, though he did stick around to win an Intermediate All-Ireland in 2020.

His brother Padraig is still knocking around at centre-back, while his cousin Tommy is at wing-back. There are two other Walsh's in a team managed by Leagiue of Ireland legend Dave Mulcahy, Shane in attack and Martin at midfield.

Inter-county star Mossy Keoghan and Gearóid Dunne are leading lights in attack. They edged out Bennettsbridge in a competitive semi-final.

The Shamrocks' win over Thomastown was written off as "scrappy." Having reclaimed their perch in Kilkenny in 2025, the Shamrocks were turned over by St Martin's in the Leinster final and have since lost their beloved gaffer to the Kilkenny hotseat.

A familiar ring to this side. TJ Reid, Eoin Cody and Adrian Mullen accounted for 0-13 of their 1-18 haul in the semis.

Limerick SHC - Kilmallock v Na Piarsaigh, Sunday 3.45pm (LIVE ON TG4)

A familiar feel to the Limerick decider, even if it's four years since they last tangled in the final. Na Piarsaigh won that skirmish as they have so many other Gaelic Grounds battles in the modern era.

The city club, based in Caherdavin on the northside, are looking to hit double-digit territory in the Limerick roll of honour just 15 years after they claimed their inaugural title in 2011.

Shane O'Neill, the mastermind of their sole All-Ireland success back in 2016, is seeking to add a third Limerick title since returning to the post at the beginning of 2023. In between, he had a two-year stint in charge of Galway during the Covid campaigns.

Na Piarsaigh edged out Doon in a thrilling and high-scoring semi-final. Veteran former county star Kevin Downes made a crucial contribution with 1-03, while Keith Dempsey racked up 0-09, seven from frees.

Their current county contingent of Peter Casey, Will O'Donoghue and Conor Boylan registered 0-01 apiece.

Shane Dowling, no longer in the county set-up, continues to man the goal.

Kilmallock just about held off insurgents Monaleen in the semi-final, winning by two in the finish. Pierce Connery hit 1-08, while retired inter-county star Graeme Mulcahy registered 0-03 for the south Limerick club, who last won in 2021.

Wexford SHC - Rathnure v Shelmaliers, Sunday 3.30pm

Wexford hurling hasn't had much to whoop and holler about of late, though the county has been home to the Leinster club champions for the past year, for only the second time in the 21st century.

St Martin's, who took down Ballyhale Shamrocks in the Leinster decider in Croker last December, aren't around to defend their title, however.

They were taken out by Rathnure after extra-time in a low-scoring semi-final played in a downpour. Eamonn Wickham's leveller had ensured a 14-a-piece draw and Rathnure took full control in the additional 20 minutes.

Jack Redmond hit 0-05 as they won 0-21 to 0-15 after 80 minutes of action.

Victory this Sunday would represent the end of a drought for Wexford's most successful club, with Rathnure not having won the senior title since 2006, when Paul Codd was their chief marksman.

Prior to that, they'd been picking them off at a rate of three-to-four a decade since the late 40s.

An Eoghan Nolan brace against Naomh Éanna was enough to send Shelmaliers to another Wexford decider.

The Castlebridge club, who've been successful in both codes in the modern era, last claimed the hurling crown in 2020. This weekend, they'll seek to bring the Bowe Cup back to the bright may meadow for a third time.