Is Clare success the beginning of a new golden era for hurling?

The start of the new inter-county hurling year is just around the corner and, as we continue to get used to the era of the split season, distance has certainly made the heart grow fonder.

Hurling took a leaf out of football's book - Armagh's Sam Maguire glory was the fourth different big ball winner in four seasons - in 2024 with a new county claiming the ultimate prize.

Clare's triumph last July has given every county that feeling that '2025 could be our year' after the end of Limerick's domination of the sport for the previous four years.

The hurling year that was - a look back on 2024 with @shanemulrennan reading the words of @EndaEndamac95 #RTEGAA pic.twitter.com/0R04R10h5W

The All-Ireland championship is wide open with three Munster sides - Clare, Limerick and Cork - the favourites before a sliotar has been hurled in anger.

But Kilkenny will feel that last year was a let down and, facing into their longest run without an All-Ireland since the 1950s, they'll be determined to put things right.

Of the rest, there has been much change in Tipperary, new managers in Waterford and Dublin, year two for Keith Rossiter in Wexford, the return of a certain Davy Fitzgerald to the Leinster Championship - this time as manager of Antrim - while Micheál Donoghue has swapped the capital for his native Galway to see if he can repeat the wonders of the last decade, when he guided the Tribesmen to All-Ireland glory.

New league format leaves little room for error

Before all that, the Allianz League starts at the end of January, and we've a new format to look forward to in 2025.

Division 1A will be a proper top tier, with seven counties involved, while Division 1B - ostensibly Division 2 in any of the other codes - has two clear favourites for