In probably the most exciting hurling championship in living memory, four unfancied teams are left in at the semi-final stage, with one of Cork, Clare, Limerick, or Dublin set to bring home the Liam McCarthy Cup come the first Sunday in September. Cork and Dublin meet in what's likely to be a titanic duel between two counties who would have had slim hopes of All-Ireland success before the start of the Championship in May. Cork's Tom Kenny is the only hurler left in the All-Ireland championship with an All-Ireland medal; the Cork stalwart winning his two the way back in 2004 and 2005. It's a mark of how much has changed in the Cork set-up that he's the only player left in the 30-strong squad after 8 years without a title for the Rebels. However, he's the only experienced starter in what has to be one of the youngest Cork sides ever to grace Croke Park. The Corkonians have had a mixed 2013; relegated from Division 1 of the league after defeat to Clare, then hammered by Limerick in the Munster Final. However, Jimmy Barry-Murphy's young charges pulled off an unbelieveable performance against Kilkenny to beat last year's All-Ireland champions
0-19 to 0-14, and put a side that have won 6 titles in the past 7 years out of the 2013 championship. However, they're not the only team to have disposed of Kilkenny in this year's championship. Dublin had their first win against their Leinster rivals since 1942 when they beat them in a Leinster Semi-Final replay. Dublin have played a total of 5 matches in this year's championship, drawing with Wexford in Wexford Park before beating them narrowly in a replay, and repeating the sequence with Kilkenny, before comfortably surprising Galway in the final, with a 2-25 to 2-13 scoreline, a comprehensive defeat of the Tribesmen.
The title was Dublin's first Leinster crown since 1961, a 42 year drought for the capital. Dublin haven't played competitively since, and although the calibre of the opposition they faced down in Leinster was so high, they need to be aware not to be caught cold in Croke Park this Sunday. It's a really hard game to call. In normal circumstances, a Cork team would be expected to comfortably dispose of a Dublin hurling team at this stage of the Championship. Dublin haven't reached an All-Ireland final since 1961, and it's 1938 since the capital's hurlers last won hurling's premier title. However, given the year they've had, it looks like they've a serious shot at it this time around. Hurling in the capital has undergone a revival at under-age level over the past 10-15 years, and Clare-man Anthony Daly has developed this squad over the past 6 years into one of the best hurling sides in the country from a vastly inferior outfit 10 years previous who couldn't win a match in Leinster. That said, Cork are one of the most successful counties in hurling, and the sport is akin to a religion in parts of the county. They have a promising set of young hurlers in this squad, with 12 of the starting 15 having played in an All-Ireland semi-final last year. They won't expect to be beaten by Dublin, and they'll come out all guns blazing, led by a string of impressive hurlers up front. Barry-Murphy has won titles as manager before; back in 1999 notably, and the new Cork boss will have his charges well primed for this match. With his experience, and Lehane, O'Farrell, and Horgan leading a prodigious full-forward line, Cork should just about shade this. But only just.
Prediction: Cork by 1 pointCork: A Nash, S McDonnell, S O'Neill, C O'Sullivan, T Kenny, C Joyce, W Egan, L Mc Loughlin, D Kearney, S Harnedy, J Coughlan, P Cronin, L O'Farrell, P Horgan, C Lehane.
Dublin (expected): G Maguire; N Corcoran, P Kelly, P Schutte; S Hiney, L Rushe, M Carton; J McCaffrey, J Boland; C Keaney, R ODwyer, D Sutcliffe; D OCallaghan, D Treacy, P Ryan.