National Forum

Cork Chairman Pitches New AI SHC Revamp

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Replying To Viking66:  "Sure why did we play Provincial Football Championship games this year then? All the Football counties played in the tier 1 or tier 2 All Ireland competitions that followed."
The football provincials were played to determine whether those teams would be in the AI tier 1 or tier 2.

Under this proposal the hurling provincials would serve no such purpose as all 12 teams are in the AI tier 1 no matter how well or badly they do in the province.

CastleBravo (Meath) - Posts: 1746 - 23/07/2026 09:36:12    2686695

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Replying To legendzxix:  "That's what I'm suggesting!!!

Munster 5 as is.
Leinster 8 in 2 groups of 4.

All Ireland quarter finalists:
2 provincial winners
2 provincial runners up
2 Leinster semi finalists
3rd in Munster
1 winner of a qualifier from 4th in Munster and the two 3rd placed teams in Leinster."
If we did away with League finals we would have enough time to do that too.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 20329 - 23/07/2026 10:42:15    2686709

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Replying To Viking66:  "They are still only slightly more relevant. The vast majority of counties qualify for Sam based on their League positions.
And all of them qualify for some sort of All Ireland Championship."
8 qualify from the provincial championship. 7 from the league and one from the TC.

Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 757 - 23/07/2026 12:08:04    2686724

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Replying To legendzxix:  "2 groups of 4 in Leinster is key. Perfectly reasonable for the top 2 in each Leinster group to go onto the All Ireland quarter finals. With the top 3 of 5 going through in Munster - just a matter of the two 3rd placed teams in Leinster and 4th in Munster battling it out for the final quarter final spot."
If there were 2 groups of 4 in Leinster how would that work?
Would there be seeding?
Would one group of 4 be seeded and the other unseeded or would the semi finalists from previous year be seeded etc?
How would relegation work?
There would have to be a leinster Semi Final round too to even out the games( 4 per championship).

Also what about the inevitable yo yo team? The team that gets promoted after great work developing hurling. Its a big issue this season so why wouldnt it be a big issue in this format?

What about the extra 2 teams affect on the Joe Mc competition and format and the roll on affect on the Ring, Rackard and Meagher Cups? There is currently 6 teams in each of those and they are keenly contested championships. Do they not count anymore?

Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 757 - 23/07/2026 12:15:21    2686729

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Replying To Viking66:  "If we did away with League finals we would have enough time to do that too."
I don't think you need to scrap league finals for that reason anyway. Leinster with 3 group games and semi finals has the final on the same current weekend.
A weekend with 4 hurling quarter finals, 2 Tailteann semi finals and 4 football round 3 would be hectic though. If there were 4 hurling quarter finals, should be a hurling weekend only IMO.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 9996 - 23/07/2026 12:34:56    2686736

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Replying To legendzxix:  "2 groups of 4 in Leinster is key. Perfectly reasonable for the top 2 in each Leinster group to go onto the All Ireland quarter finals. With the top 3 of 5 going through in Munster - just a matter of the two 3rd placed teams in Leinster and 4th in Munster battling it out for the final quarter final spot."
With much discussion about whether Muns 4th/Lein 3rd should advance to the AIC Series, I wonder if a golf-style "making the cut" would be better.

Say, a variable team quantity in the AIC Series with all teams averaging at least '1 point per game' advancing.
So currently, 4 points needed in Muns; 5 in Lein - this way a 2 win/2 loss Muns team could be worthy of 'earning' their berth. AIC byes (variable) to teams with best records - incentives all 'round.

omahant (USA) - Posts: 3497 - 23/07/2026 13:11:21    2686750

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Replying To CastleBravo:  "The football provincials were played to determine whether those teams would be in the AI tier 1 or tier 2.

Under this proposal the hurling provincials would serve no such purpose as all 12 teams are in the AI tier 1 no matter how well or badly they do in the province."
Advance all SHC teams with a Prov '1 point per match average' or more?

omahant (USA) - Posts: 3497 - 23/07/2026 13:17:54    2686751

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Replying To Tadhg2020:  "If there were 2 groups of 4 in Leinster how would that work?
Would there be seeding?
Would one group of 4 be seeded and the other unseeded or would the semi finalists from previous year be seeded etc?
How would relegation work?
There would have to be a leinster Semi Final round too to even out the games( 4 per championship).

Also what about the inevitable yo yo team? The team that gets promoted after great work developing hurling. Its a big issue this season so why wouldnt it be a big issue in this format?

What about the extra 2 teams affect on the Joe Mc competition and format and the roll on affect on the Ring, Rackard and Meagher Cups? There is currently 6 teams in each of those and they are keenly contested championships. Do they not count anymore?"
You'd imagine 2 groups of 4 would be seeded. Whatever is agreeable really. Relegation straight forward 4th v 4th. Yeah sure look if the promoted team loses the relegation final, sin é. Naturally any restructure would ripple down for anyone shuffling up.

4 All Ireland quarter finals is a nuclear option anyway. 3rd Munster home to 4th Leinster and 3rd Leinster home to 4th Munster in "All Ireland Playoffs" is the way to go. Trial it for 3 years and assess it from there.

All those complaining could very well be sated after say Clare v Kilkenny and Offaly v Waterford is played out. The playoff winners advancing to take on runners up in quarter finals would have a natural flow. Don't knock it until you try it!

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 9996 - 23/07/2026 13:43:00    2686766

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Replying To Tadhg2020:  "8 qualify from the provincial championship. 7 from the league and one from the TC."
That all depends how you look at it I guess. Most of the 8 qualify anyway from the League.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 20329 - 23/07/2026 13:50:20    2686771

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Replying To CastleBravo:  "The football provincials were played to determine whether those teams would be in the AI tier 1 or tier 2.

Under this proposal the hurling provincials would serve no such purpose as all 12 teams are in the AI tier 1 no matter how well or badly they do in the province."
Thats why in my original proposal I said that the Provincial hurling championships should return to being straight knockout, with any county in any of the 4 provinces able to enter if they choose to.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 20329 - 23/07/2026 14:50:22    2686779

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Replying To legendzxix:  "You'd imagine 2 groups of 4 would be seeded. Whatever is agreeable really. Relegation straight forward 4th v 4th. Yeah sure look if the promoted team loses the relegation final, sin é. Naturally any restructure would ripple down for anyone shuffling up.

4 All Ireland quarter finals is a nuclear option anyway. 3rd Munster home to 4th Leinster and 3rd Leinster home to 4th Munster in "All Ireland Playoffs" is the way to go. Trial it for 3 years and assess it from there.

All those complaining could very well be sated after say Clare v Kilkenny and Offaly v Waterford is played out. The playoff winners advancing to take on runners up in quarter finals would have a natural flow. Don't knock it until you try it!"
Im not knocking the preliminary quarters and I dont really care what Leinster do as long as their teams play 4 matches each minimum.
I do care that we are proposing to damage the McDonagh, Ring , Rackard and Meagher Cups in the name of saving hurling. I also think that its very hypocritical to shrug the shoulders on relegation as an inevitable consequence while simultaneously arguing the need to expand leinster to 7 or 8 to avoid relegation and yo yoing.

Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 757 - 23/07/2026 16:34:11    2686806

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Replying To Viking66:  "Thats why in my original proposal I said that the Provincial hurling championships should return to being straight knockout, with any county in any of the 4 provinces able to enter if they choose to."
And I'll make the point again that if you run provincial championships as a straight knock-out, with no effect on the All-Ireland championships that follow, then over time, they'll lose just about all relevance. Just as has happened in camogie. A "nice to win", but also a "doesn't really matter in the long run".

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3809 - 23/07/2026 17:04:19    2686816

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