Then there were eight.
With the provincial championships and the Joe McDonagh Cup over, all eyes now turn to the race for Liam MacCarthy.
The All-Ireland senior hurling final takes place six weeks from now, on July 21, with the preliminary quarter finals kicking off this Saturday.
Cork take on Offaly in Tullamore with Laois hosting Wexford in O’Moore Park.
The quick turn-around for the Joe McDonagh Cup teams has been criticised in the past though Offaly manager Johnny Kelly says that his side will celebrate their triumph despite having only one week to recover.
“These guys are on a high, they're going to have a few beers tonight, they're going to have a few beers tomorrow,” he told reporters after their 2-23 to 0-26 win over Laois.
11 May 2024; Darragh Fitzgibbon of Cork. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
The winners of their clash with Cork will be out the following weekend against Dublin, who are reeling on the back of a sixteen point loss to Kilkenny in the Leinster hurling final.
The winners of Wexford-Laois meanwhile, will play Clare in the other quarter final.
Preliminary Quarter Finals (Saturday June 15)
Offaly v Cork, Tullamore
Laois v Wexford, Portlaoise
Quarter Finals (June 22/23)
Dublin v Offaly/Cork
Clare v Laois/Wexford
8 June 2024; Eoghan O'Donnell of Dublin. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
Semi-finals (July 6/7)
Kilkenny's game is on the Saturday night, with Limerick's fixed for the Sunday afternoon. It's the fifth year in a row that both Kilkenny and Limerick have qualified directly to the All-Ireland semi-finals.
Dublin/Offaly/Cork are on Limerick’s side of the draw with Clare/Laois/Wexford on the Kilkenny side.
That will only change if Wexford and Cork reach the semis, due to the stipulation that teams that have already met in the provincial championships to be kept apart.
In that case, Wexford would play Limerick in the semi-final and Cork would play Kilkenny.
