All-Ireland hurling final - all you need to know

Say what you want about this championship summer, but it has at least produced two refreshingly unfamiliar pairings in the two All-Ireland senior finals.

But while Galway and Armagh must wait until 28 July to battle it out for football supremacy, Munster counties Cork and Clare renew hostilities in this weekend's All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final.

It is an impossible final to call, but we know new kings will be crowned after Limerick's quest for an unprecedented fifth straight title was ended.

With excitement building, here is all you need to know about the 137th All-Ireland Hurling final.

When is the All-Ireland SHC final?

The All-Ireland SHC final takes place on Sunday, 21 July at Croke Park with throw-in at 15:30 BST.

Can I watch on the BBC?

Yes, you can watch the All-Ireland hurling final across the BBC.

For the first time, the match will be broadcast on BBC network television. You can watch on BBC Two, BBC Two Northern Ireland, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website.

Coverage begins at 15:00 BST. Presenter Sarah Mulkerrins and pitchside reporter Mark Sidebottom will be joined by a star-studded cast of pundits, including:

• Jamesie O'Connor (two-time All-Ireland winner with Clare)

• Seamus Flanagan (five-time All-Ireland winner with Limerick)

• Paul Murphy (four-time All-Ireland winner with Kilkenny)

• Austin Gleeson (All-Star Waterford hurler)

• Neil McManus (legendary Antrim hurler)

Thomas Niblock will be joined on commentary by Jamesie O'Connor.

Limerick star Seamus Flanagan will be a part of the BBC's coverage on Sunday

Team news

Both sides are unchanged from their semi-finals with Clare boss Brian Lohan opting to keep Ryan Taylor on the bench.

Clare: Eibhear Quilligan; Adam Hogan, Conor Cleary, Conor Leen; Diarmuid Ryan, John Conlon, David McInerney; David Fitzgerald, Cathal Malone; Tony Kelly, Mark Rodgers, Peter Duggan; Aidan McCarthy, Shane O'Donnell, David Reidy.

Subs: Cian Broderick, Rory Hayes, Paul Flanagan, Cian Galvin, Darragh Lohan, Ryan Taylor, Seadna Morey, Aaron Shanagher, Ian Galvin, Shane Meehan, Robin Mounsey.

Cork: Patrick Collins; Niall O’Leary, Eoin Downey, Sean O’Donoghue; Ciaran Joyce, Robert Downey, Mark Coleman; Tim O’Mahony, Darragh Fitzgibbon; Declan Dalton, Shane Barrett, Seamus Harnedy; Patrick Horgan, Alan Connolly, Brian Hayes.

Subs: Brion Saunderson, Damien Cahalane, Ger Millerick, Tommy O’Connell, Luke Meade, Ethan Twomey, Conor Lehane, Jack O’Connor, Shane Kingston, Padraig Power, Robbie O’Flynn.

Who are the managers?

Clare are managed by Brian Lohan, who was appointed in 2019. Considered one of Clare's greatest ever players, Lohan won All-Ireland titles with the Banner in 1995 and 1997. He also won the Munster Championship in 1995, 1997 and 1998.

Like Lohan, Cork boss Pat Ryan is considered a great in his native county. Ryan was appointed in 2022.

Interestingly, Ryan was one of the stars of Cork's 1999 All-Ireland winning side, which will be presented to the crowd during Sunday's final to mark the 25th anniversary of their triumph.

Is extra-time possible?

If the game ends in a draw, extra-time will be played. If still tied after extra-time, a replay will be required. The replay will be held on Saturday, 3 August.

Who is the referee?

Johnny Murphy (Limerick) is the referee. It will be the biggest game of the match official's career.

This year, he has refereed four championship games: Tipperary v Clare in Munster, Wexford v Dublin and Dublin v Kilkenny in Leinster and Clare's All-Ireland quarter-final win over Wexford.

He also refereed Clare's National Hurling League Division One final win over Kilkenny in April.

All-Ireland hurling final ticket information

Tickets for the All-Ireland hurling final are not available through general sale.

Each county receives an allocation of tickets which is filtered down to their clubs.

Earlier this year, the GAA announced an increased pricing structure for the All-Ireland football and hurling finals.

Stand tickets now cost 100 euros (£85), an increase of 10 euros from 2023. Hill 16 tickets are 55 euros (£46), an increase of five euros from last year.

Given that Cork has over 200 clubs, the demand for tickets is enormous. Cork's All-Ireland semi-final win over Limerick sold out the 82,300-capacity Croke Park.

On Tuesday, Cork GAA also announced that all 15,000 tickets had sold out for the 'Fanzone' event at Pairc Ui Chaoimh, which will show the match on a big screen.

How did Clare and Cork reach the final?

It has been a thrilling journey to the hurling showpiece for both counties.

While Clare won three out of their four Munster SHC round-robin matches to reach the provincial final - which they lost to Limerick - and guarantee a place in the All-Ireland quarter-finals, Cork had a bumpier road past the first hurdle.

Beaten by Waterford and Clare in their first two games, the Rebels produced a stunning performance to beat Limerick 3-28 to 3-26 in a thriller at Pairc Ui Chaoimh and keep their championship hopes alive.

A comprehensive win over Tipperary in their final Munster game saw Cork progress to the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals against Offaly, who they beat 4-25 to 3-19 to reach the last eight.

In the quarter-finals, Cork beat Dublin 0-26 to 0-21 at Thurles while Clare saw off Wexford 2-28 to 1-19 at the same venue.

Neither side were favourites in the semi-finals. However, after Clare beat Kilkenny 0-24 to 2-16 to reach their first final in 11 years, Cork staged a stirring second-half comeback to pull the plug on Limerick's 'Drive for Five'.

That leaves us with a fascinating final with both counties having waited a long time to get their hands back on the Liam MacCarthy Cup.

While Clare beat Cork in the 2013 All-Ireland final replay - in one of modern hurling's greatest games - the Rebels lifted the last of their 30 titles in 2005.

In the 19 years since, Cork have lost three finals - in 2006, 2013 and 2021.