Start of the NHL brings hope and excitement to the players as much as the supporters

Just as St Brigid’s Day traditionally marks the start of springtime, for GAA fans the conclusion of the All-Ireland Club finals signals the change in seasons and the inter-county throw-in.

It’s a new year, a new League format, and a scattering of new players replacing some departing faces. So what exactly has changed?

Of the seven teams in the new-look top tier, Division 1A, Cork are closest to the status quo.

No retirements have been announced since the season’s end and Pat Ryan identified Watergrasshill star Dáire O’Leary as the only player not involved due to starting work as a Garda in Kildare.

Three Sarsfields hurlers are set to rejoin the panel shortly in Jack O’Connor, who last week rejected “a false rumour” that he was going travelling this year, Cathal McCarthy, and new addition Daniel Hogan.

Other newcomers to receive game time in pre-season wins over Waterford and UCC include U20 graduates Darragh O’Sullivan, Diarmuid Healy, and William Buckley, plus Jack Cahalane and Alan Walsh.

On the injury front, it’s short-term issues affecting All-Star full-back Eoin Downey, Tommy O’Connell, and Seán Twomey. 

They are doubtful for the start of the League but should be back within the month.

Their Munster rivals are all down a couple of bodies since last year.

Provincial champions Limerick saw Ballyphehane-based Graeme Mulcahy conclude a glittering career.

Regular impact sub Conor Boylan, who came off the bench in the 2022 and ’23 All-Ireland finals, was absent from the pre-season squad announced in December.

All-Star goalkeeper Nickie Quaid faces a race against time if he is to play any part for the Treaty since sustaining an ACL injury in November.

Competing to start the year as number one are three goalies who have yet to play in a competitive game between the posts for their county seniors.

Fitzgibbon Cup-winner Jason Gillane is the front-runner having ended 2024 as sub-keeper. Sunday Game pundit Shane Dowling has completed a sensational return four years on from the attacker’s enforced retirement. 

Conor Hanley-Clarke is the other contender and, like Quaid, each of that trio has extensive experience playing outfield.

A change of captain sees Cian Lynch take over from Declan Hannon.

John Kiely has recruited Cork camogie coach Liam Cronin and strength-and-conditioning expert Adrian O’Brien, who helped St Finbarr’s to their 2022 county title, in a backroom shake-up. 

Paul Kilgannon (performance coach) and Catherine Norton (nutritionist) also come on board.

Departing are Dónal O’Grady, who takes over from Dowling as minor manager, Aonghus O’Brien, Cairbre Ó Cairealláin, and Joe O’Connor.

All-Ireland winners Clare wished Paul Flanagan and Séadna Morey well as they announced their retirements in the wake of that extra-time victory over Cork.

Brian Lohan has added four new players to the squad including three defenders in his nephew Daithí Lohan, a brother of Clare senior Darragh, Shane Woods, and Ian McNamara, plus returning attacker Rian Considine.

In his backroom team, Galway man Rory Gantley joins as a coach with Shane Hassett of Tipperary exiting due to study commitments.

Tipperary said goodbye to two more All-Ireland winners with Patrick ‘Bonner’ Maher and Dan McCormack stepping away, while double All-Star defender Cathal Barrett has been dropped.

Mark Kehoe was a regular for Tipp last year but he has taken a year out to go travelling while Barry Heffernan also departs.

Only six of the team that won the 2019 All-Ireland title remain.

Among the 16 new faces invited in by Liam Cahill are a handful of U20s.

With coach Tony Browne returning to his home county’s U20 backroom team under Ken McGrath, former Kilkenny goalkeeper David Herity will take a more prominent role.

Down in Browne’s native Waterford, Peter Queally succeeds Davy Fitzgerald as manager. Former Tipp captain Eoin Kelly stays on, joined on the backroom team by Dan Shanahan, Shane O'Sullivan, and John Matthews.

They have been boosted by the return of 2016 Hurler of the Year Austin Gleeson but he has been added to an injury list including Tadhg de Búrca, Conor Prunty, and Darragh Lyons. All three are expected to remain unavailable until March.

They continue to suffer what Queally described as an ongoing case of the “travel bug”. 

Calum Lyons, Jack Fagan, and Colin Dunford are all heading away while Neil Montgomery is working in London.

With all those absentees, Queally has had only 24 players available for their challenge games.

Cork will face three Leinster Championship teams in Division 1A.

Kilkenny have blooded Kerry-native Fionán Mackessy after Cillian Buckley, Walter Walsh, and Conor Fogarty stepped away. Diarmuid O’Keeffe and Matthew O’Hanlon have retired from Wexford.

Micheál Donoghue takes over Galway with Gearóid McInerney, Joseph Cooney, and Adrian Tuohey not involved for 2025.