Lower tier hurling counties deserve more coverage

THE three games in Croke Park last Saturday showcased the lower tiers of hurling and were most entertaining.

Firstly Longford won their first All-Ireland in 125 years with a deserved victory over Donegal. And how they celebrated. 125 years is a long time to wait. Then Armagh had a thrilling one-point win over unlucky London in the Nicky Rackard Cup. And, in the Christy Ring, Kevin Martin’s Westmeath beat Kerry by a point with the last puck of the game.

As a Kerryman, I was really proud of the fitness, application and skill of the Kingdom men. They took the game to the more experienced Westmeath side and, considering it was Kerry’s first Christy Ring final and their first game in Croke Park, they performed excellently.