With the return of inter-county hurling finally on the horizon, BBC Sport NI looks at the lie of the land ahead of the new season. While there will be no League Final this year, if the winners of 1A and 1B meet in the championship, that game will act as a decider. The standout game in the opening round pits the two most recent All-Ireland champions against each another as Limerick host Tipperary. Saffrons relishing top-flight returnAntrim's reward for securing promotion from the second tier in 2020 is sharing a Division 1B group with some of the code's heavyweights. With the GAA keen to stamp out cynical fouls, it will be intriguing to see how the new rules are implemented in the hurling league openers - and how they will shape the outcome of matches.

Source: BBC May 07, 2021 07:07 UTC