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Football Better Than Hurling In 2025? Thank You Jim Gavin,

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While football has no doubt improved (from a very low base it must be said), there is no product in Irish sport like the Munster Hurling championship for entertainment.

While the Ulster Football Championship brings its own excitement, the crowds, the colour, the excitement and cut throat nature of the Munster hurling championship is on another level to anything Irish sport can provide.

7/10 of Munster hurling championship games sold out this year. Don't think any other game in Ulster did besides the Ulster final, only 8,000 attended the Donegal V Down match in the semi final which is shocking.

The average attendance at the Munster hurling matches was around the 29,500 mark.

Past hurler (None) - Posts: 1018 - 16/12/2025 09:31:01    2648498

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Replying To Past hurler:  "While football has no doubt improved (from a very low base it must be said), there is no product in Irish sport like the Munster Hurling championship for entertainment.

While the Ulster Football Championship brings its own excitement, the crowds, the colour, the excitement and cut throat nature of the Munster hurling championship is on another level to anything Irish sport can provide.

7/10 of Munster hurling championship games sold out this year. Don't think any other game in Ulster did besides the Ulster final, only 8,000 attended the Donegal V Down match in the semi final which is shocking.

The average attendance at the Munster hurling matches was around the 29,500 mark."
You often heard the phrase quality not quantity. Big attendance does not mean the product is good. The rivalry in Munster is obviously fierce and historic and the games are quite entertaining. But it is getting easier and easier to score in hurling. And as mentioned lads are throwing the ball at will these days in the game.

alalalalalum (USA) - Posts: 182 - 16/12/2025 10:30:11    2648506

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Football has improved no question. Hurling is a great game and always will be. I don't know why football people (of which I'm one) feel the need for a pat on the back. Likewise I don't get the snobbery towards football and other sports from some hurling people.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11841 - 16/12/2025 10:58:09    2648515

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Replying To alalalalalum:  "You often heard the phrase quality not quantity. Big attendance does not mean the product is good. The rivalry in Munster is obviously fierce and historic and the games are quite entertaining. But it is getting easier and easier to score in hurling. And as mentioned lads are throwing the ball at will these days in the game."
Yes but you don't have any passages of play in hurling where one team keeps a ball 10 minutes as still happens in Football.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17830 - 16/12/2025 11:03:25    2648518

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Replying To Viking66:  "Yes but you don't have any passages of play in hurling where one team keeps a ball 10 minutes as still happens in Football."
Well now there's no way there's passages in football where they keep it 10 mins, 2 maybe. But the masters of it were that Dublin team, and now this thread is praising the former manager who came up with that game style. Incredible

alalalalalum (USA) - Posts: 182 - 16/12/2025 13:24:28    2648539

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Replying To alalalalalum:  "Well now there's no way there's passages in football where they keep it 10 mins, 2 maybe. But the masters of it were that Dublin team, and now this thread is praising the former manager who came up with that game style. Incredible"
Ok 10 minutes was an exaggeration, it was around 6 minutes. 77 passes most them handpasses, by Roscommon against Dublin. Back a couple years ago.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17830 - 16/12/2025 15:23:01    2648560

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Replying To Viking66:  "Forward handpasses shouldn't be restricted. The problem with handpasses in Football is that many are backwards with the sole aim of retaining possession, rather than creating a score."
Let's keep it simple!

Aibrean (Kerry) - Posts: 357 - 17/12/2025 16:45:07    2648701

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Replying To Aibrean:  "Let's keep it simple!"
How complicated would it be to have forward only handpasses?

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17830 - 17/12/2025 17:52:10    2648708

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Replying To Viking66:  "How complicated would it be to have forward only handpasses?"
What if it's really windy ?? or your bottled up along opponents endline?

No need to get rid of hand pass in football it would be madness.

teams could just kick pass back and over.

Wouldn't mind it going in hurling and limiting it to stick passing

I'd get rid of fisted point and let players have cojones to go for goal.

I'd also get rid of 2pt free while happy they won sat night seeing beggan chip over 2pt frees I don't like

If it leads to more cynical fouls around arc potentially I'd rather like to see that play out.

jm25 (Galway) - Posts: 1844 - 17/12/2025 19:52:45    2648717

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Tinkering with the rules, like competition formats, a rabbit hole! The line has to be drawn some where. Fr. Ted tapping away at a small dent on the car bonnet springs to mind!!

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 9316 - 17/12/2025 21:22:57    2648720

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Replying To Past hurler:  "While football has no doubt improved (from a very low base it must be said), there is no product in Irish sport like the Munster Hurling championship for entertainment.

While the Ulster Football Championship brings its own excitement, the crowds, the colour, the excitement and cut throat nature of the Munster hurling championship is on another level to anything Irish sport can provide.

7/10 of Munster hurling championship games sold out this year. Don't think any other game in Ulster did besides the Ulster final, only 8,000 attended the Donegal V Down match in the semi final which is shocking.

The average attendance at the Munster hurling matches was around the 29,500 mark."
Cut throat nature ?? 3/5 qualify and no threat of relegation in unlike Leinster along with Kerry been excluded

Waterford ever qualify since round robin started ?

Exciting yes cut throat far from it

I can remember barely any Tipp fans showing up to game in Thurles in 2024

jm25 (Galway) - Posts: 1844 - 17/12/2025 21:38:00    2648723

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Replying To Viking66:  "Yes but you don't have any passages of play in hurling where one team keeps a ball 10 minutes as still happens in Football."
I think a backcourt violation rule like in basketball is worth a try. I played in some blitz tournaments abroad where this rule was enforced and it makes it much harder to play keep ball, especially at the end of a game.

tribesmen (Galway) - Posts: 154 - 18/12/2025 08:12:51    2648743

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Replying To tribesmen:  "I think a backcourt violation rule like in basketball is worth a try. I played in some blitz tournaments abroad where this rule was enforced and it makes it much harder to play keep ball, especially at the end of a game."
It could encourage more kicking in to forwards. Anyone carrying ball over the halfway line will be met with a welcoming comittee determined to put man and ball back over the halfway line.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 8405 - 18/12/2025 13:24:45    2648765

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Replying To tribesmen:  "I think a backcourt violation rule like in basketball is worth a try. I played in some blitz tournaments abroad where this rule was enforced and it makes it much harder to play keep ball, especially at the end of a game."
Sounds a good idea!

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17830 - 18/12/2025 19:31:22    2648794

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