Senior hurlers to get NHL underway under lights

The honour of launching this year’s Allianz Hurling League falls to Tipperary, Dublin, Cork and Clare, all of whom will be in action this coming Saturday night as the 2017 campaign gets underway.

Tipperary return to Croke Park, the scene of their brilliant win over Kilkenny in last September’s All-Ireland final, to take on Dublin (5.0, followed by Dublin v Tyrone in NFL) while Cork host Clare, who won last year’s Hurling League, having come out of Allianz Hurling League Division 1B to beat Tipperary, Kilkenny and Waterford in a replayed final.

Waterford, the 2015 Allianz Hurling League champions, begin their programme on Sunday in Nowlan Park, where they take on Kilkenny, who have won three of the last five titles.

Clare return to  Hurling League Division 1A after a season in 1B, replacing Galway who lost a relegation play-off to Cork last year. The Tribesmen begin their promotion drive against Offaly in Tullamore on Sunday, while Wexford host Limerick and Kerry host Laois on the same day.

Donal Moloney and Gerry O’Connor, who replace Davy Fitzgerald in Clare, are the only new managers in the  Hurling Division 1A, where Brian Cody begins his 19th season as Kilkenny boss.

There are wholesale managerial changes in the Allianz Hurling League Division 1B, with no fewer than five of the six counties under new stewardship, leaving Michael Donoghue (Galway) as the only survivor from last year.

Davy Fitzgerald switches from Clare to Wexford; Eamonn Kelly switches from Offaly to Laois; Fintan O’Connor replaces Ciaran Carey in Kerry; John Kiely takes over from TJ Ryan in Limerick and Kevin Ryan takes over at the Offaly helm.

Next weekend’s first round fixtures are as follows:

SATURDAY

 Hurling League Division 1A:

Dublin v Tipperary, Croke Park, 5.0; Cork v Clare, Pairc Ui Rinn, 7.0.

SUNDAY (2.0 unless otherwise noted)

 Hurling League Division 1A:

Kilkenny v Waterford, Nowlan Park.

 Hurling League Division 1B:

Offaly v Galway, Tullamore, 1.0; Kerry v Laois, Tralee; Wexford v Limerick, Innovate Wexford Park.

 Hurling League Division 2A:

Armagh v Kildare, Athletic Grounds, 1.15; Antrim v London, Corrigan Park, 1.0; Westmeath v Carlow, TEG Cusack Park.

 Hurling LeagueDivision 2B:

Roscommon v Wicklow, Athleague, 12.30; Meath v Down, Pairc Tailteann 1.0; Mayo v Derry, Elverys MacHale Park.

 Hurling League Division 3A:

Donegal v Louth, Letterkenny; Tyrone v Monaghan, Omagh.

 Hurling League Division 3B:

Warwickshire v Sligo, Pairc na hEireann;

Longford v Fermanagh, Glennon Brother Pearse Park.

 HURLING LEAGUE 2017: KEY DATES

February 11/12: Round 1

February 18/19: Round 2

March 4/5: Round 3

March 11/12: Round 4

March 26: Round 5

April 1/2: Division 1 quarter-finals; Div 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B finals; Relegation play-offs

April 16: Division 1 semi-finals

April 23: Division1 final

 HURLING DIVISION 1 LEAGUE ROLL OF HONOUR

19 – Tipperary (1928-49-50-52-54-55-57-59-60-61-64-65-68-79-88-94-99-2001-2008)

17 – Kilkenny (1933-62-66-76-82-83-86-90-95-2002-2003-2005-2006-2009-2012-2013-2014)

14 – Cork (1926-30-40-41-48-53-69-70-72-74-80-81-93-98)

11 – Limerick (1934-35-36-37-38-47-71-84-85-92-97)

9 – Galway (1932-51-75-87-89-96-2000-2004-2010)

4 – Wexford (1956-58-67-73)

4 – Clare (1946-77-78-2016)

3 – Waterford (1963-2007-2015)

2 – Dublin (1929-39-2011)

1 – Offaly (1991)