The SixCounties

The Ground

Nowlan Park, Kilkenny city. Built in 1926, holding 20,000 - on a warm May afternoon with black-and-amber flags filling the terraces, it feels like a cathedral of hurling.

Known For

The undisputed king of Leinster hurling. Nine All-Irelands under Brian Cody between 2000 and 2015. TJ Reid holds the record for most Leinster medals - fourteen.

While You're There

• Kilkenny Castle - medieval stronghold above the River Nore
• Smithwick's Experience - Ireland's oldest brewery, est. 1710
• Medieval Mile Museum - underground 13th-century church
• The Black Abbey & intact city walls

The Ground

Pearse Stadium, Salthill - with Galway Bay visible beyond the stands. On matchday the sea air, the roar, and the backdrop make it unlike any other venue in the championship.

Known For

The only Connacht county in the Leinster Championship. Reached the 2025 Croke Park final. Joe Canning delivered one of hurling's most iconic goals in the 2017 All-Ireland final.

While You're There

• Galway city - pubs, trad sessions, Quay Street at dusk
• Salthill Promenade - walk the prom, kick the wall
• Connemara National Park - rugged & wild, 30 min away
• Aran Islands - ferry from Rossaveel, timeless island life

The Ground

Parnell Park for home fixtures, compact and intimidating. For the big days: Croke Park, the 82,300-capacity home of the GAA - right on the northside doorstep.

Known For

The only major-city hurling county in Ireland. In a capital where Gaelic football, rugby and soccer compete for eyeballs, hurling holds its own.

While You're There

• Croke Park Museum & Tour - the GAA's spiritual home
• Trinity College & the Book of Kells
• Guinness Storehouse - St. James's Gate brewery
• Phoenix Park - one of Europe's largest urban parks

The Ground

Wexford Park, Wexford town - one of the most atmospheric venues in the championship. Supporters stand close to the pitch; the noise is overwhelming. No visiting side leaves unmarked by it.

Known For

Wexford's golden era came in the 1950s–60s. In 2019 they reclaimed the Leinster title under Davy Fitzgerald - a moment that sent the whole county into delirium.

While You're There

• Wexford town - one of Ireland's best-preserved medieval towns
• Curracloe Beach - Ireland's longest, a Saving Private Ryan location
• Hook Head Lighthouse - working since the 12th century
• Irish National Heritage Park - 9,000 years of history

The Ground

O'Connor Park, Tullamore. On matchdays swallowed whole by green-and-white. The atmosphere is measured, deeply passionate, and utterly unwilling to accept defeat until the final whistle.

Known For

In 1994 Offaly won one of the most dramatic All-Ireland finals in history - an extraordinary comeback against Limerick that stopped the country cold. They never stop believing.

While You're There

• Clonmacnoise - early Christian monastery on the Shannon
• Birr Castle & Demesne - home of the Great Telescope
• Tullamore D.E.W. Distillery - Midlands whiskey heritage
• Charleville Castle - one of Ireland's most Gothic castles

The Ground

St Conleth's Park, Newbridge - compact, characterful, within walking distance of the town centre. On matchdays white jerseys fill the streets and the particular optimism of underdogs hangs in the air.

Known For

Kildare are the underdogs - and they wear it well. A hurling culture is visibly growing in a county long known for horse racing. Belonging here is already a beginning.

While You're There

• The Curragh Racecourse - Ireland's premier flat racing venue
• Japanese Gardens & Irish National Stud
• Castletown House - Ireland's largest Palladian country house
• The Curragh Plains - open grassland, walk among horses