Hurling, often referred to as the fastest game on grass, is one of Ireland’s most beloved and ancient sports.
It is a sport deeply rooted in Irish culture and history, dating back over 3,000 years. And every year 17 counties battle it out to become the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Champions.
Whether you’re a devoted fan flying the flag of your county or simply have a passing interest, there are plenty of betting markets available.
So before we delve into how a team reigns supreme, let’s look at the odds for the 2024 Championship.
All-Ireland Hurling Championship 2024 Odds
(Betway 6th December 2023)
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Limerick | 8/11 |
| Kilkenny | 13/2 |
| Cork | 8/1 |
| Galway | 8/1 |
| Clare | 10/1 |
| Tipperary | 10/1 |
| Waterford | 22/1 |
| Wexford | 50/1 |
| Dublin | 66/1 |
| Antrim | 300/1 |
| Carlow | 500/1 |
| Laois | 500/1 |
| Offaly | 500/1 |
| Westmeath | 500/1 |
| Down | 1000/1 |
| Kerry | 1000/1 |
| Meath | 1000/1 |
BETWAY OFFER
Get £10 in Free Bets
Why Are Limerick Favourites?
Limerick have been on an incredible roll over the last few years.
Not only are the current title holders, but they’ve also won FOUR consecutive championships.
No other team in the history of the sport have won five All-Ireland Hurling championships in a row but Limerick will be attempting just that in 2024.
Two other teams, Cork (in the 1940s) and Kilkenny (in the 2000s) have both won four in a row and both were stopped from winning a fifth title by Tipperary.
So can Limerick make history and win a FIFTH title in 2024? They are already odds on and the championship hasn’t even started. So watch this space…
What Date Is The All Ireland Final In 2024?
The All-Ireland hurling championship is scheduled to begin in April 2024 and will end in July 2024.
While the specific dates of each game have not yet been released by the GAA, we do know that with the opening game of the Munster Championship will be played on either Saturday, the 20th or Sunday, the 21st of April.
The Championship hurling final will be played in July 2024.
Getting To The All Ireland Hurling Final
The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship is one of the most prestigious and competitive tournaments in Gaelic games, and it follows a structured process to determine the winner.
Provincial Championships
The championship begins with the provincial championships. Ireland is divided into four provinces: Leinster, Munster, Connacht, and Ulster.
Each province organises its own hurling championship: the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship, the Munster Senior Hurling Championship, etc.
Within each province are counties. For example, in Munster, the six counties are Limerick, Cork, Tipperary, Wexford, Clare and Waterford.
Each county team is formed by choosing the best players from the numerous GAA clubs that exist around that county.
Once the county teams are formed, they compete in knockout-style tournaments to win their provincial title.
Leinster Championship (six teams)
At the group stage there are 15 matches and each team plays each other once.
The top two teams advance to the Leinster final and the 3rd placed team advances to the all-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals.
All other teams are eliminated from the championship.
The top two teams in the group stage contest the Final. The Leinster champions then advance straight to the All-Ireland semi-finals.
The runners-up move on to the All-Ireland quarter-finals.
Munster Championship (five teams)
This works exactly the same way as the Leinster Championship though with fewer group stage games as there are only 10 matches.
The 1st and 2nd placed teams move on to the Munster final and the 3rd placed team heads to the quarter-finals.
The top two teams play in the final to determine the the Munster champions who advance to the All-Ireland semi-finals.
Joe McDonagh Cup (six teams)
If you are not part of either Munster or Leinster, you can still get to the All-Ireland Championship through the Joe McDonagh Cup.
The only difference is that the Joe McDonagh Cup champions AND runners-up advance to the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals.
Getting To The Hurling Final
The 3rd placed teams from the Leinster and Munster championships must then play the Joe McDonagh Cup champions and runners-up in what is known as the preliminary quarter-finals.
Two teams are eliminated at this stage while the winners advance to the quarter-finals.
The winners of the preliminary quarter-finals join the Leinster and Munster runners-up to make up the quarter-final pairings. The winners advance to the semi-finals.
It is in the semi-finals that the winners of the quarter-finals join the Leinster and Munster champions.
And like any knock out tournament, two games are played and two teams are eliminated. The winners head to the final, an epic showdown at Croke Park in Dublin.
The team that wins the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final is declared the champion.
All-Ireland Football Championship 2024 Odds
(Betway 6th December 2023)
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Kerry | 2/1 |
| Dublin | 5/2 |
| Galway | 7/1 |
| Derry | 15/2 |
| Mayo | 17/2 |
| Tyrone | 18/1 |
| Armagh | 22/1 |
| Donegal | 25/1 |
| Cork | 50/1 |
| Monaghan | 50/1 |
| Roscommon | 50/1 |
| Kildare | 80/1 |
| Down | 125/1 |
| Meath | 125/1 |
| Cavan | 200/1 |
| Westmeath | 250/1 |
| Louth | 300/1 |
BETWAY OFFER
Get £10 in Free Bets
Winning The Sam Maguire Cup
Historically, the All-Ireland Football Championship had been played with a straight knockout format. So if a team won they progressed but if they lost they were eliminated.
More recent however, the qualification procedures have changed several times.
These days qualification is determined by the outcome of six feeder competitions. They include the finalists of the four provincial championships: Munster, Connacht, Leinster, and Ulster.
They are joined by the Tailteann Cup holders and the best non-qualified National Football League teams. Combined, they make the 16 team group stage.
Unlike hurling which only has 17 teams in the Championship, thirty three teams participate in the All-Ireland Football Championship.
Given that Ireland only has 32 provinces, you may be wondering where the 33rd team comes from. Actually, only 31 Irish teams compete as Kilkenny doesn’t enter.
That leaves TWO teams which are surprisingly from New York and London and they are included in the Connacht provincial championship.
The all-time record-holders are Kerry, who have won the championship on a staggering 38 occasions. Which is also why their odds are so short for 2024!