The 2025 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship is one of the two biggest days on every GAA fan’s calendar. Two of the top hurling teams in the nation will meet at Croke Park and battle for the honour of lifting the Liam McCarthy Cup. There have been some classic finals in recent years, and several teams will be dreaming of achieving sporting immortality.
This year, some of the biggest names in hurling will be in the conversation. There isn’t a clear-cut dominant side with several teams in the mix. Cork, Limerick, Kilkenny, and Galway are amongst a cluster of counties that could go all the way. Let’s look at everything you need to know about the 2025 All-Ireland Hurling Final, including when it’s happening and the path to glory.
When Is The All-Ireland Hurling Final?
The All-Ireland Final will take place in Croke Park on Sunday, July 30th, with a throw-in scheduled for 3.30 pm. It will take place after the completion of the knockout stages. Cork and Kilkenny are the two best-placed teams to make the final, but at this point, there are no guarantees for anybody. We’ve seen some stunning victories and defeats across both codes in this year’s GAA competitions, so it promises to be a thrilling clash.
It’s also worth noting that the All-Ireland Final will go to a replay if this hurling match finishes in a draw. This would take place one week later on August 2nd. This won’t occur if recent trends continue because we haven’t had a hurling final replay since 2014. However, 2012, 2013, and 2014 saw consecutive replayed finals, so it’s possible! Clear your calendar for both dates to stay safe.
Road To The All-Ireland Hurling Final
The road to the All-Ireland Final is a gruelling one for most teams in this competition. Some of the best hurling players in Ireland will hope to help guide their counties to All-Ireland glory. First, Tipperary will face Laois, and Kildare will take on Dublin in the Preliminary quarter-finals. This will leave us with a six-team field.
Next, the winners of the Kildare vs Dublin will face Limerick in the quarter-finals on Saturday, June 21st. Galway will play the winner of Laois and Tipperary. The Leinster and Munster champions, Kilkenny and Cork, earned a bye to the semi-finals with their provincial victories. The Rebels will play their first game since their penalty shoot-out win over Limerick on Saturday, July 5th, at Croke Park. It will be the Cats’ turn to tog out at Croke Park the following day on July 6th.
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There are pros and cons for all teams here. Cork and Kilkenny may appear to have an advantage, but they won’t play a game of senior hurling for over a month, so they may be rusty. They also won’t play at home again this season. However, the other teams have a higher risk of suffering injuries and suspensions en route to the final. That’s what makes this sport so compelling.
All-Ireland Hurling Final Favourites
Cork is the current favourite to win this season’s All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. It will be almost 20 years since they’ve lifted the Liam McCarthy Cup by the time the 2025 final comes around. They’re looking to end two decades of pain and have the tools to do so. Cork came very close last season in a heartbreaking defeat against Clare, but should bounce back. Their outstanding Munster championship victory over Limerick shows why they’re one of the strongest teams in the nation.
Players like Ciaran Joyce, Darragh Fitzgibbon, and Shane Barrett can torment opposition backlines. There’s a nastiness to Cork that will give them an extra edge if they face Limerick again. The Treaty is the second favourite at 7/5 on our sports betting platform. They’ll argue that dubious refereeing and the controversial practice of penalties cost them the Munster final, not Cork’s superiority. They might have a point and will enter the knockout stages with a chip on their shoulder as they look to show they’re not finished yet.
Limerick took Cork to penalties in the Munster final as John Kiely failed to win a game with silverware on the line for the first time. They’ll blame factors beyond their control, but that doesn’t change the reality that they had some crucial misses. Barry Murphy, Tom Morrisey, and Declan Hannon blew their last three chances that could have won them the game. This is a fascinating period for hurling fans because Limerick is hurting, and we don’t know how they’re going to bounce back.
Just when the game looked to be getting away from them, Richie Hogan drags Kilkenny back into with a wonderfully taken goal. Kilkenny 1-15 Galway 0-20. Watch highlights on The Sunday Game at 9.30pm on @rte2 #rtegaa #thesundaygame pic.twitter.com/c6yPTyoICx
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) November 14, 2020
If you’re looking for a dark horse to win this season’s competition, consider Galway. They have an easier route to the semi-final than Tipperary. It’s 18-1 for them to win the All-Ireland hurling Championship for the first time since 2017. The Tribesmen’s hurlers are currently in their football team’s shadow, but that won’t faze them.
Only a fool would look past Kilkenny when betting on hurling. The Cats held off a Galway fightback to win their sixth Leinster title on the bounce. They were coasting with 12 minutes left, but the Tribesmen valiantly fought back to reduce a 13-point deficit to just four. Kilkenny held their nerve to earn another title. Cathal Mannion was the game’s top scorer with 11 points for Galway. However, Kilkenny spread scores with TJ Reid grabbing 1-4 and Martin Keoghan snatching 2-2. Betting on the All-Ireland hurling winner at this point reveals it’s 6-1 for Kilkenny.
Finally, nobody is giving Laois or Kildare a chance. They’re the two weakest sides left in this competition, and it would be a success for either to make it through the preliminary quarter-finals. However, stranger things have happened, and we’ve already seen Louth win the Leinster Senior Football Championship. It’s 500-1 for Kildare to win the All-Ireland and 300-1 if you’re backing the Wee County.
The Last 10 Winners of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
Let’s look at the recent history of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. Clare is the incumbent champion after they broke Cork’s hearts in 2024. The Banner ended Limerick’s historic four-in-a-row winning streak as the Treaty dominated the early 2020s. It’s been a decade since perennial finalists Kilkenny lifted the Liam McCarthy Cup. However, they’ve still played in five of the past 10 finals, including in 2022 and 2023.
Cork and Waterford have played in the most finals in the past decade without winning the All-Ireland championship. However, the Deise won’t be in the conversation this year. Cork will hope to end a 20-year curse this year and win their 31st title. Kilkenny is the most successful side in All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship history with 36 victories. Meanwhile, Tipperary has 28 while Limerick has 12, with almost half coming in the past decade.
Kildare is the only team remaining in this season’s competition that has never won the Liam McCarthy. 300-1 underdog Laois lifted the title in 1915 for the only time in their history. Dublin is tied with Wexford as the fifth most successful team in the competition’s history with six championship victories.
| Year | Winner | Runner-Up | Score |
| 2024 | Clare | Cork | 3-29 – 1-34 (AET) |
| 2023 | Limerick | Kilkenny | 0-30 – 2-15 |
| 2022 | Limerick | Kilkenny | 1-31 – 2-26 |
| 2021 | Limerick | Cork | 3-32 – 1-22 |
| 2020 | Limerick | Waterford | 0-30 – 0-19 |
| 2019 | Tipperary | Kilkenny | 3-25 – 0-20 |
| 2018 | Limerick | Galway | 3-16 – 2-18 |
| 2017 | Galway | Waterford | 0-26 – 2-17 |
| 2016 | Tipperary | Tipperary | 2029 – 2-20 |
| 2015 | Kilkenny | Galway | 1-22 – 1-18 |
| 2014 | Kilkenny | Tipperary | 2-17 – 2-14 (Replay). |
Where To Watch The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Final
Irish residents can watch the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Final for free as usual on the national broadcaster. The game will be live on RTE 2, with pre-game, half-time, and post-game analysis. There will also be a highlights package on the Sunday Game if you miss the main event or want to rewatch the best moments. Another option is to watch the big game on RTE Player if you prefer to watch online. Overseas viewers may also opt to stream the match on GAA+.
Predictions For The All-Ireland Hurling Final
Our hurling predictions point to the two guaranteed semifinalists, Cork and Kilkenny, meeting in the All-Ireland Final. We believe that Cork has momentum on their side after their inspiring victory over Limerick in the Munster Championship. They have outstanding players and a top manager in Pat Ryan. Meanwhile, their backroom staff, including strength and conditioning coach Eanna Shalvey and psychologist Cathal Sheridan, give them an edge.
We predict that this will be a close game, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if it went to a replay for the first time in a decade. There’s an outstanding field in this season’s competition with any one of the big four potentially capable of lifting the trophy again. Nonetheless, it’s easy to see why Cork are favourites, and that’s why we’re picking them to win the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship in 2025.
