Hurling at the lower end – the most important level for many

Continuing on from yesterday’s piece, the lower tiers of the hurling league’s are heating up, with an array of permutations beginning to unfold, read our comprehensive analysis below.

Division 2

Down will undoubtedly be the happiest team, three games, three wins, 6 points.  They have away trips to Meath and Kerry to go, with Tyrone at home. They have no bye week to break up their fixtures as their free week falls in the last round. Will this impact the stamina come round six in Tralee. They will target 6 points from the last 6 available but may only achieve 4, yet they can still end up with 2. Two wins from those games should see them up. Ronan Sheehan has built up a base with the county over a few years bringing in some highly regarded coaches from Cork, Tipperary and Dublin. With only really three senior clubs for many many years, the increase of their own club championship to six teams will hopefully see the upward trend continue for those round the Ards peninsula and the Mournes.

Kildare, Meath and Kerry will all be in the hunt for promotion.  We could see two of these three make it up but I believe that would require Down to lose out to Tyrone in round six.  Kildare defeated Kerry convincingly enough in St Conleth’s Park but must still travel to Trim, while Kerry play Meath at home. At the top end this could be the tightest of all divisions with head to head, and the other permutations required to decide the top two on the final day.

At the foot of Division 2 Tyrone will be pleased with their effort so far despite claiming no points. Home to Derry was maybe the one that really got away. Derry will be hopeful of getting at least one more win. They have two games at home before they head to Donegal in the final round of fixtures and will hope to have enough points on the board that would see at least a draw on the last day keep them in the division heading into 2026. Donegal have improved over recent years and are now most definitely ranked alongside Derry as 3^rd/4^th best team in Ulster. March 22nd in Letterkenny will not be one many will foresee as a big day – but I think that’s where the relegation to division three will be decided.

Division 3

London will be favourites as it stands to be promoted.  Having spent time in GAA circles in England, the players and coaches deserve all the praise they get for continuously putting in the effort. With underage development now producing some home based players, the turnover has probably reduced which can only help the cause of a county who could’ve had no less that 15-20 player changes each winter.

Wicklow sit in second and would be in pole position to make the step up to Division two, especially with closest challengers Mayo and Roscommon to travel to Aughrim. 

The biggest dip in Ireland in hurling in recent years must be Armagh.  They have played in three Ulster finals since 2011, the most recent in 2017.  They were also runners up in the Nicky Rackard final that year when it was the third tier competition. Contrast this with 2024 where they lost league games to Cavan and Monaghan. A county with six clubs, the internal struggles against their own CCC surrounding club championship games publicised in 2024 are not good optics.  Karl McKeegan named a team last week without any member of six in a row champions Na Fianna. It looks like they may fall to division four for 2026 with surely many questions to be answered. In my opinion one Sam Maguire is brilliant for a county but shouldn’t hide the difficulties they have in the small ball code.

Division four is as important for those competing in it as division one would be for Cork, Clare and Limerick. Louth must be favourites to go up with three from three so far with Fermanagh my tip to join them. 

I respect those players, coaches, officials and supporters who drive the game in the counties in this division as much as I do for those in the top tiers, if not more. GPA figures recently out reference the struggles county players make and are retweeted by some top figures, but did they ever get off a site to go train for Leitrim hurlers, or travel between Manchester and Liverpool to hurl for Lancashire on a Tuesday in January?