Shane Dowling

Former All-Star, All-Ireland and Munster-winning Limerick hurler

"Cork are Cork, and when they are let hurl, by God they will punish you."

Harty highs followed by Páirc humbling for Clare

Within the space of a few hours, Clare hurling went from an extreme high to a very disappointing low, as Tulla's Harty Cup triumph was followed by a poor Allianz League defeat to Cork.

GAA • 11 Feb 22

Shane Dowling: 'It's all about looking for that balance, and this is where the clever management teams will gain an advantage'

New managers have no margin for error in snappy season

Limerick have started the year like they mean to continue, but our columnist has concerns that Tipperary could struggle to keep pace with challengers after changes in personnel.

GAA • 04 Feb 22

'I'd say Paul Kinnerk sleeps with the tactics board to see what he can do to get an advantage - a genius at his work'

Cahill call leaves Waterford best placed to challenge

Limerick's awesome demolition of Cork suggested this talented and well managed Limerick team can dominate for years, but Shane Dowling believes Waterford could be their closest challengers after Liam Cahill's decision to stick around.

GAA • 27 Aug 21

"Every preview you read, people will lay out their key match-ups... The reality is, every battle is of huge importance."

Limerick won't be fazed by looming red wave

When Cork move, and are able to spray the ball around, they are borderline impossible to stop. So the key here is for Limerick to stop them getting the ball at source, writes Shane Dowling

GAA • 20 Aug 21

'The first thing, anyway, that fries players minds is the tickets'

No nasty surprises needed in pre-All-Ireland bubble

Ten days out from an All-Ireland final, and what one team does, could be polar opposite to what the other team may do, writes Shane Dowling.

GAA • 13 Aug 21

'Limerick will know they can't start as slow as they did in the Munster final, because if Waterford get their dander up, they could be hard to stop'

Limerick for the final but against god knows who

Shane Dowling previews the weekend's All-Ireland SHC semi-finals with Limerick squaring up against Waterford and Cork facing Kilkenny.

GAA • 06 Aug 21

'I wasn't surprised by the news. Not his age, not his pace, and not even his mileage. That man has put up with so much mental pressure over the years. For about 13 years now, every single game he has played, he knows all eyes are on him'

Thanks Joe

From chatting with him in a jacuzzi as a schoolboy to facing him with club and county, or making a point of sitting down to watch him play, our columnist has long been a fan of Joe Canning.

GAA • 30 Jul 21

"Brian Lohan and his troops obviously have the blinkers on and are focusing on nothing else, only what matters."

Cork be wary - there's more to Clare than Tony Kelly

Any suggestion that the Banner are a one-man team is extremely unfair and disrespectful to the other players. Clare are a quality, hungry outfit, writes Shane Dowling.

GAA • 23 Jul 21

"If Wexford were to lose on Saturday, for the second year in a row in a qualifier, it could be bye bye time for Davy."

Kilkenny & Limerick to triumph, but all eyes on Thurles

Our columnist Shane Dowling sizes up a brilliant weekend of provincial and qualifier action - with talk of rivalries and grudge matches dominating the build-up.

GAA • 16 Jul 21

'There will be more people at games this weekend, and while it will be only minimal compared to previous years, it's a start, and a start that will get the players' blood pumping that bit quicker, for the first time in 12 months'

Hurlers need adrenaline rush of a crowd going buck ape

We'll see larger crowds back this weekend, including 8,000 in Croke Park on Saturday afternoon, but Shane Dowling believes hurling cannot scale the heights of a few years ago until full houses return.

GAA • 02 Jul 21