All-Ireland Champions Kilkenny will open their campaign against Cork on the 4th of February after the fixtures for next season’s Allianz National Hurling League were issued today. Cork will have home advantage in the Division 1B match. Ironically, it’s the third consecutive year that Cork and Kilkenny will have met in the opening round of matches. Kilkenny won last February but Cork won in both 1999 and 1998.
League champions Galway will start their Division 1A campaign away to Offaly. Tipperary, runners-up to Galway this year, will have a bye on the opening day. New Wexford manager, Tony Dempsey, faces an away clash with Laois on opening day while Waterford will be at home to Derry.
The divisional matches will be played between the 4th of February and the 1st of April. The semi final pairings will be the winners of Division 1A versus the runners up in Division 1B and winners 1B versus runners up in 1A.
Allianz NHL Round 1 fixtures, 4/02/2001
Division 1A:
Limerick v Antrim
Offaly v Galway
Clare v Meath
Dublin bye
Division 1B:
Cork v Kilkenny
Laois v Wexford
Waterford v Derry
Tipperary bye
Division 2:
Westmeath v London
Roscommon v Carlow
Armagh v Kerry
Wicklow v Down
Kildare v Louth
Division 3:
Fermanagh v Longford
Leitrim v Monaghan
Mayo v Sligo
Cavan v Tyrone
Donegal bye
Filed by Seán Folan
