His argument acknowledges that the All-Ireland champions are in good form but questions whether that is necessarily a good thing. The judgment simply comes down to whether you believe the All-Ireland champions in any given year have reached a destination or are still travelling. In the list of breakthrough champions Limerick most resemble Clare, whose 2013 victory coincided with a run of four under-21 All-Irelands in six years. Without falling into the suckers’ file marked ‘All-Ireland champions with a good start in the league’ it’s possible to be more positive. Limerick won last August with players of an average age of 23.2.

Source: The Irish Times February 20, 2019 06:56 UTC