HISTORIC CONCLUSION TO ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE
History beckons in the Allianz Hurling League (Division 1) final on Sunday week when Kilkenny and Dublin meet in the decider for the first time.
Dublin clinched a place in the final for the first time since 1946 by beating Cork on Sunday while Kilkenny, who last won the title in 2009, are back in the final for the seventh time in ten seasons. They ensured a place in the final by beating Offaly but, with other results going their way, they would have qualified for the final even if they lost. Dublin last won the title in 1939.
It has been an outstanding Allianz League campaign for Dublin whose footballers are also through to the Division 1 final where they take on Cork next Sunday. It’s the first time since 2004 that the same county is represented in both the hurling and football finals. Galway achieved it seven years ago and had mixed results, winning the hurling title but losing the football final to Kerry. Cork were the last county to win the League double in the same year, triumphing in 1980 when the footballers beat Kerry and the hurlers beat Limerick in the finals.
While it was a happy conclusion to the Divisional series for Dublin and Kilkenny, Offaly experienced heartbreak on the final day when their defeat by Kilkenny, combined with Wexford’s draw against Tipperary, sentenced Joe Dooley’s men to relegation.
They will be replaced in Division 1 by Limerick or Clare who meet in the Division 2 final on Sunday week. Meanwhile, Wicklow, Roscommon and South Tyrone won the Division 3A, 3B and 4 finals and will be promoted next year.
2011 ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE: RESULTS & FIXTURES
Round 1: Kilkenny 1-17 Tipperary 1-10; Galway 1-24 Wexford 0-6; Cork 1-20 Offaly 1-15; Waterford 3-16 Dublin 2-19.
Round 2: Dublin 1-16 Tipperary 1-15; Galway 1-24 Offaly 1-10; Kilkenny 0-14 Cork 1-10; Waterford 1-11 Wexford 0-12.
Round 3: Tipperary 1-20 Waterford 0-18; Cork 1-20 Galway 1-17; Dublin 2-23 Offaly 1-13; Kilkenny 2-16 Wexford 0-17.
Round 4: Galway 4-14 Kilkenny 3-13; Tipperary 1-20 Offaly 0-10; Waterford 0-18 Cork 0-17; Dublin 3-21 Wexford 2-15.
Round 5: Cork 1-14 Tipperary 1-14; Galway 2-11 Dublin 0-14; Offaly 2-15 Wexford 1-16; Kilkenny 2-16 Waterford 1-13.
Round 6: Dublin 1-17 Kilkenny 3-11; Tipperary 4-23 Galway 1-14; Waterford 2-19 Offaly 1-19; Wexford 1-16 Cork 1-15.
Round 7: Dublin 1-15 Cork 1-14; Wexford 1-14 Tipperary 0-17; Waterford 1-17 Galway 1-16; Kilkenny 1-27 Offaly 1-19
Final: May 1: Dublin v Kilkenny
Division 2
Round 1: Laois 1-19 Westmeath 0-9; Down 2-11 Carlow 0-14; Antrim 1-15 Kerry 0-12; Limerick 2-9 Clare 0-6.
Round 2: Limerick 1-20 Westmeath 0-15; Carlow 0-20 Laois 2-10; Clare 2-14 Antrim 2-13; Kerry 2-23 Down 3-16.
Round 3: Laois 0-20 Antrim 0-16; Clare 1-27 Westmeath 2-17; Limerick 1-25 Down 2-11; Carlow 2-17 Kerry 1-12.
Round 4: Kerry 1-15 Westmeath 1-13; Antrim 0-10 Carlow 1-6; Clare 5-22 Down 0-6; Limerick 1-18 Laois 0-16.
Round 5: Clare 6-23 Kerry 1-18; Antrim 2-13 Westmeath 2-9; Down 3-15 Laois 3-11; Limerick 3-18 Carlow 1-15.
Round 6: Laois 3-16 Clare 3-13; Carlow 2-15 Westmeath 1-14; Antrim 5-8 Down 1-14; Limerick 1-24 Kerry 1-9.
Round 7: Down 4-14 Westmeath 3-15; Limerick 4-15 Antrim 0-15; Laois 4-15 Kerry 1-15; Clare 4-28 Carlow 0-8.
Final: May 1: Clare v Limerick
Division 3A
Round 1: Wicklow 2-15 Kildare 0-18; Derry 3-16 Armagh 0-15; London 1-13 Meath 1-8.
Round 2: Wicklow 1-11 Meath 0-11; London 3-15 Armagh 2-10; Derry 1-20 Kildare 0-19.
Round 3: Kildare 1-16 Armagh 0-12; Derry 0-15 Meath 0-14; Wicklow 1-15 London 1-14.
Round 4: Wicklow 2-15 Derry 1-17; Meath 1-20 Armagh 1-17; Kildare 2-16 London 1-15.
Round 5: Derry 1-14 London 1-13; Armagh 5-11 Wicklow 2-14; Meath 2-19 Kildare 3-13.
Final: Wicklow 2-20 Derry 3-14.
Wicklow promoted.
Division 3B
Round 1: Fingal 4-18 Monaghan 0-13; Louth 3-20 Sligo 0-5; Mayo 0-17 Roscommon 1-5; Donegal (bye)
Round 2: Roscommon 1-14 Donegal 2-9; Louth 3-18 Monaghan 1-4; Mayo 1-13 Fingal 0-9; Sligo (bye).
Round 3: Donegal 3-12 Monaghan 1-14; Louth 1-14 Fingal 0-14; Roscommon 1-19 Sligo 1-10; Mayo (bye).
Round 4: Fingal 1-13 Donegal 1-7; Sligo 1-12 Monaghan 2-8; Mayo 3-12 Louth 2-14; Roscommon (bye).
Round 5: Roscommon 3-14 Monaghan 1-17; Fingal 0-16 Sligo 1-12; Mayo 2-18 Donegal 0-12; Louth (bye).
Round 6: Louth 6-12 Donegal 1-8; Mayo 3-18 Sligo 1-10; Roscommon w/o Fingal s; Monaghan (bye).
Round 7: Donegal 2-12 Sligo 2-11; Roscommon 2-24 Louth 0-15; Monaghan 2-15 Mayo 0-17; Fingal (bye).
Final: Roscommon 0-17 Mayo 1-12.
Roscommon promoted
Division 4
Round 1: South Down 2-17 Longford 1-10; Fermanagh 8-23 Cavan 1-8; Tyrone 2-19 Leitrim 0-9.
Round 2: Tyrone 3-15 South Down 3-11; Leitrim 3-19 Cavan 1-8; Fermanagh 2-14 Longford 1-7.
Round 3: Tyrone 4-23 Cavan 1-6; Longford 2-15 Leitrim 3-8; South Down 4-13 Fermanagh 2-11.
Round 4: South Down 6-11 Leitrim 0-11; Longford 6-23 Cavan 1-1; Tyrone 1-10 Fermanagh 3-4.
Round 5: Fermanagh 4-19 Leitrim 1-9; South Down 5-32 Cavan 1-3; Tyrone 4-26 Longford 1-8.
Final: Tyrone 1-15 South Down 0-11.
