Waterford job the only hurling post still up for grabs

When Limerick faced off against Galway at Croke Park last Sunday, it bridged an eight-year gap for the managers involved.

John Kiely and Micheál Donoghue had been the bosses in charge for the 2018 All-Ireland, when the Shannonsiders dethroned the Tribesmen to set in train a spell that has now featured five more titles.

Kiely has of course remained with Limerick for the entirety of that period while Donoghue departed Galway and had a stint in charge of Dublin before returning to his native county and guiding them to this year’s decider.

The gap between the pair’s meetings in finals is not a record – it falls just short of that of Brian Cody and Liam Sheedy, who took charge of Kilkenny and Tipperary respectively in the finals of 2009, 2010 and again in 2019.

However, there a chance, albeit slim, that Donoghue could create a new record next year. A year prior to the Limerick defeat, he had led Galway to the Liam MacCarthy Cup for the first time in 29 years – they were up against a Waterford team looking to claim a first title since 1959, with Derek McGrath in charge of them.

The De La Salle man departed the Déise role the following year but now, after a successful stint with Doon in Limerick, he is back on the inter-county scene, having been appointed as Wexford manager on a three-year term, succeeding Keith Rossiter.

It means that – unless Kiely decides to walk off into the sunset having delivered Limerick back to the peak – McGrath’s native Waterford remain the only one of the top-tier counties yet to make an appointment for next year.

Former Cork coach Donal O’Rourke had been coach this year under Peter Queally – who was appointed following the end of Davy Fitzgerald’s reign two years ago – and the Cappoquin man, who is also involved with Glen Rovers, had been mentioned as a potential manager, as had McGrath.

However. it is believed that Stephen Molumphy is set to get the nod from the county board on Suirside. Whoever is appointed will be one of three new managers in 2027, along with McGrath and Henry Shefflin, who has stepped up from U20 to senior in Kilkenny following Derek Lyng’s departure. The ten-time All-Ireland winner will have former team-mate David Herity as coach – the former goalkeeper had helped to guide Tipperary to last year’s All-Ireland.

Kiely, who would be going into a 11th year as manager, is at the other end of the spectrum, followed by Brian Lohan, who now has seven years under his belt as Clare boss.

It will be a fourth year in charge for Liam Cahill of Tipperary and Offaly’s Johnny Kelly and a third for Donoghue, Niall Ó Ceallacháin of Dublin and Laois’s Tommy Fitzgerald, with Cork’s Ben O’Connor the only top-flight boss who was new for 2025.

The hope on Leeside is that that first year can stand to him as a learning experience – and no doubt heart will be taken from the fact that Kiely was in his second season when he helped Limerick to end a 45-year wait.