After the thrilling clash between these teams last year, the All-Ireland hurling final between Kilkenny and Limerick was hotly anticipated on Sunday afternoon.
It was the third time in six championship seasons that these two counties have met, as Limerick went for an historic fourth hurling crown in a row, while Kilkenny sought to claim their first Liam MacCarthy triumph in eight years.
READ HERE: Wild Scenes As Waterford Fairytale Continues With Their First All-Ireland Final In 78 Years
On a miserable day in Croke Park, the hurling on show was anything but, as a gritty and thrilling affair drew plaudits from fans and pundits alike before a second half scoring blitz pushed Limerick comfortably ahead.
The hurling final also drew plaudits across the water, as the action from Dublin drew in British viewers from its new UK home of the BBC iPlayer.
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Kilkenny v Limerick live on BBC iPlayer grips British viewers
After the contentious departure of live GAA from Sky Sports ahead of the intercounty season and the establishment of GAAGO, a deal was struck to see live All-Ireland hurling and football broadcast on BBC from 2023 onwards.
That meant Sunday's All-Ireland final clash between Limerick and Kilkenny was broadcast live both on BBC 2 Northern Ireland, and on the BBC iPlayer in Great Britain.
Despite the obvious appeal of hurling final day on these shores, the stiff competition provided by the packed sporting schedule on Sunday afternoon meant that there was an uphill battle to be fought across the water if the decider at Croke Park was to make a splash.
However, a rain-soaked final day of the Open, alongside an underwhelming performance from Lewis Hamilton at the Hungarian Grand Prix, had many viewers migrating to the BBC iPlayer on the recommendation of Irish comedian Dara Ó Briain.
UK friends! This year’s All-Ireland Hurling Final will be live on BBC iPlayer on Sunday afternoon 3.30pm. It’ll be Limerick v Kilkenny, a repeat of last year’s final and it might be a classic. You will certainly see why I keep going on about Hurling here…
— Dara Ó Briain (@daraobriain) July 21, 2023
READ HERE: A 2023 Hurling Team Of The Year With Players From Outside Limerick And Kilkenny
Naturally, given the quality of the contest on the rain-trodden Croke Park pitch, viewers were hooked, and the reactions from viewers in Great Britain were filled with appreciation for the thrilling hurling final.
Coverage of the hurling final on the BBC was hosted by Thomas Niblock, with studio analysis from Ciaran Carey, Paul Murphy, and Neil McManus. Oisin Langan and Jamesie O'Connor were on commentary duty, with refereeing insight from Fergal Horgan, and pitchside comment from Sarah Mulkerrins and Eoin Murphy.
There were also reactions of praise from the traditionally Gaelic football-centric Ulster counties, as well as from Irish viewers residing in the UK.
Just watching the All Ireland Hurling final on BBC. Marvelling, as ever, at the skill and physicality of its players, and the mixture of rugby and 3-D hockey which makes it so exciting from start to finish. Despite the early scores, still going for Limerick 😬👍
— Richard Burton (@RickyBee) July 23, 2023
If you aren’t watching the hurling final on BBC Northern Ireland right now you are off your head
— Pat (@patmoore97) July 23, 2023
Hurling, what a game!
BBC are showing it across the U.K. if anyone wants to watch the All Ireland final— Geraint Walters (@FarmerG5) July 23, 2023
For those who want to see the final of one of Ireland’s national sports, hurling, it’s on BBC Iplayer. Select Northern Ireland as a category. If you’ve not seen hurling before I guarantee you won’t have seen anything like it
— Paul (@BeanRialta) July 23, 2023
Hurling on BBC Red Button. Not sure of the rules but it is interesting to watch.
— Simon Sherburn (@nogis) July 23, 2023
And as neither Rory, Tommy or Jon are going to win The Open its the only sport worth watching this afternoon.
— Sheila O'Reilly 🇮🇪🇪🇺 (@OReillyReads) July 23, 2023
Try the Hurling Final on BBC I Player. Building up nicely
— Maff (@mattthebat92) July 23, 2023
Hurling final on BBC red button pic.twitter.com/JCFBjkeMBU
— James Murphy 🇺🇦 (@jwmurphy) July 23, 2023
For the first time in my life I'm watching the All-Ireland Hurling Final on BBC.#LIMvKK
— Kevin O'Connor (@kevintoconnor) July 23, 2023
Being able to watch hurling on the BBC feels wrong, but I will continue to watch.
— Beefcake Dad (@JglfReturns) July 23, 2023
Just as when Sky Sports first took over broadcasting live GAA, it's terrific to see hurling reach a wider audience, and the coverage from the BBC has been of an excellent standard all year.
SEE ALSO: Jackie Tyrrell Says New All-Ireland Hurling Final Tradition Wouldn't Work In His Day
