The GAA master fixture list is out for 2025 - with a strange trend in the Leinster hurling championship set to continue for another year.
Though they may feel their counterparts in Munster receive more affection from the wider GAA world, the main players of the Leinster championship have thrown up some peak drama in recent years.
With Kilkenny, Galway, Dublin, and Wexford vying for just three qualification spots, there have been some dramatic final day battles since the round-robin format was introduced in 2018.
However, eagle-eyed supporters noted that a strange repeating pattern is set to be repeated once more in the championship for 2025.
READ HERE: Seán Óg Ó hAilpín Interview After Sensational Mon Harty Cup Win Was An All-Timer
READ HERE: Third Inter-county Team Makes Change To McKeever As Armagh Brand Grows In GAA Circles
Repeat of hurling trend in 2025 Leinster championship fixtures
26 May 2024; Jack O'Connor, right, and Damien Reck of Wexford after the Leinster GAA Hurling Senior Championship Round 5 match between Kilkenny and Wexford at UPMC Nowlan Park in Kilkenny. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile
The round-robin format was introduced in the Leinster championship in 2018 and, bar the two COVID-impacted seasons in 2020 and 2021, has been maintained every year since.
For the sixth time in a row, the 2025 championship will see Wexford face Kilkenny while Dublin take on Galway.
The rest of the fixture list has not remained the same every year, making it all the stranger that there has not been one occasion in the round-robin when the fixtures have differed on the final day.
Down in Munster, the format only accounts for five teams, meaning that the fixtures vary with at least one team enjoying a bye each week. However, even in the days before a sixth team was introduced to the Leinster championship, the final-day fixtures were still Wexford v Kilkenny and Dublin v Galway on both occasions.
The trend was noted on Twitter by Wexford man Noel Holohan, with some fans in the replies pointing out that the final day of the Leinster championship has served up sensational drama in previous years.
The year is 3046 and the final game of the Leinster Hurling Championship Round Robin will see Wexford play Kilkenny in round 5
— Noel Holohan (@NoelHolohan) December 5, 2024
The most infamous instance was the 2019 round-robin, when a draw in Wexford Park and a win for Dublin over Galway in Parnell Park saw all four teams finish level on points and Galway eliminated on points difference.
Last year's game served up yet more drama, with Wexford holding on to third place despite defeat in Kilkenny, as Dublin got the better of Galway in Salthill. The 2023 closer saw a ridiculous game in Wexford park finish 4-23 to 5-18 in favour of the hosts.
When it comes to the schedule of the Leinster hurling championship, perhaps the organisers are living by the old adage of, 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it.'
SEE ALSO: The Seven Best GAA Games To Watch This Weekend
