Top 10 Startling Facts From Last Year’s Hurling Championship

As we start the 2013 hurling championship here are some of the top facts from the 2012 campaign:

1. Tipperary’s 18 point loss to Kilkenny was their biggest defeat in in 115 years – since 1897.
2. Limerick’s  6-21(39) against Laois was their highest ever score in hurling championship history. Amazingly, one week later, Limerick would beat this score by 11 points when they scored 8-26(50) against Antrim.
3. If Brian Cody’s management period was considered a different county they would be the fourth most successful in championship history Cork(30), Tipperary(26), Kilkenny(25), Kilkenny -Brian Cody(9), Limerick(7)
4. If you were 18 years or younger in September 2012 then this was the first All-Ireland Final in your lifetime where  Kilkenny played Galway.
5. Galway have still never beaten Dublin or Waterford in the entire history of the hurling championship. They have met Dublin 5 times and Waterford 10 times.
6. In the last 9 championship meetings between Clare and Limerick neither team has managed two wins in a row.
7. The All-Ireland final draw was the first in 53 years. In 35 meetings  Galway and Kilkenny had never previously finished in a draw.
8. Galway were  the 7th different county that Brian Cody has met in an All Ireland final while manager of Kilkenny.
9. Kilkenny have beaten Tipperary more times(five) under Brian Cody than in the previous 112 years of championship hurling.
10. Kilkenny under Brian Cody have lost 3 times to Galway. The same number they have lost to all Munster teams combined(Cork 1999,2004 – Tipperary 2010).