There was a stirring over the weekend when the first promotional stings for the return of Gaelic Games appeared on TV. It was December 20th when we last saw Croke Park play host top players and seven days before that when Limerick defeated Waterford to reclaim the All Ireland Hurling Championship.
It has been four full and two part months, over 139 days but this weekend, the games are back with the start of the 2021 Allianz Hurling Leagues.
Eleven games will take place across the top two divisions with Limerick against Tipperary arguably the marquee match bringing together the last two All Ireland Champions in front of the RTÉ cameras.
This will be the 29th season that Allianz are aboard as sponsors of the Allianz Leagues, making it one of the longest sponsorships in Irish sport. In addition, Allianz is also a longstanding sponsor of schools Gaelic Games through their sponsorship of Allianz Cumann na mBunscol.
The Division 1, 2 and 3B programmes run from next weekend (May 8/9) to June 12/13 while Division 3A runs one week later to start and finish.
Five rounds will be played in each of the two groups in Division 1 with the top teams in each group deemed joint-winners unless they meet in the Championship, in which case the game will double up as the Allianz League final.
That happened last year when Limerick won the title by beating Clare in what was also the Munster Championship quarter-final.
The bottom two teams after the five rounds in Groups A and B will meet in a relegation play-off, with the losers dropping into Division 2. They will be replaced by the top team in 2A. There will be no finals in Divisions 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B. The winners will be crowned champions while the bottom team in 2A, 2B and 3A will be relegated.
It is a way around the shortened season caused by Covid-19’s second season among us but will hopefully be the last before normal service is resumed in 2022, just in time to celebrate Allianz’s 30th year as sponsor.
“Allianz has been supporting the GAA and the Allianz Leagues for close to three decades now,” said CEO Sean McGrath.
“We have faced some of the greatest challenges ever over the last 12 months but the return of inter-county sport and the Allianz Leagues is an exciting milestone on the road to brighter times.”
“The GAA have shown great leadership and resolve in their stewardship of our national games and our long-standing partnership is stronger than ever. I look forward to a season of exhilarating inter-county action for the people of Ireland that has been long-awaited.”
“The return of the Allianz Hurling League this year marks a special moment for the GAA community as our attention can once again turn to the action on the field,” added GAA president Larry McCarthy.
“As we enter the 29th year of our partnership with Allianz, it is a testament to Allianz’ commitment to Gaelic Games to see how these competitions have grown and evolved in terms of popularity and excitement.”
“We look forward with great anticipation to the opening of the 2021 season and what promises to be a great terrific year ahead.
Next weekend’s Round 1 fixtures and TV coverage details are as follows:
SATURDAY
Division 1: Group A: Westmeath v Galway, TEG Cusack Park, 2.0 (TG4); Limerick v Tipperary, LIT Gaelic Grounds 5.30 (RTÉ2);
Division 1: Group B: Dublin v Kilkenny, Parnell Park 3.30 (eir Sport)
SUNDAY
Division 1: Group A: Cork v Waterford, Pairc Ui Chaoimh, 3.45
Division 1: Group B: Antrim v Clare, Corrigan Park 1.0; Wexford v Laois, Chadwicks Wexford Park, 1.45 (TG4).
Division 2A: Kerry v Down, Tralee, 1.0; Meath v Offaly, Pairc Tailteann, 2.0; Carlow v Wicklow, Netwatch Cullen Park, 2.0
Division 2B: Donegal v Roscommon, Letterkenny, 2.0; Mayo v Derry, Elverys MacHale Park, 3.0
Allianz and the GAA are among more than 250+ members of the Sport for Business network of sporting and business organisations working together across a number of key areas.
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