GAA icon has some tough words to say about the state of Wexford hurling

A GAA icon has said some tough words about the state of Wexford hurling…

Hurling icon, Babs Keating of Tipperary, had some tough words to say about the current state of Wexford hurling, highlighted after their heavy loss to Kilkenny in Round 2 of the Leinster Senior hurling championship.

Speaking to The Irish Sun, the former Tipperary player and inter-county manager said:

“The outlook is not bright at all for Wexford, which is not something I’m comfortable acknowledging. Having been on the losing side against the purple and gold in the 1968 All-Ireland final, it’s a county I associate with greatness.

“The reality is that things look likely to get worse there before they get better. The life has gone out of hurling people in the Model County,” Keating said.

The published article comes less than 24 hours after the Wexford minor hurling team defeated Kilkenny in the Leinster championship to book their place in the Leinster Minor hurling semi-final.

Regarding the Wexford Senior hurling team, they’ll take on Dublin next weekend in Wexford Park — which will be a double-header in front of the home crowd, with the Wexford Senior Footballers on directly aferwards taking on Limerick in the Tailteann Cup.

In the article, Keating was critical not only of Wexford’s most recent performance — calling it “appalling” — but he was critical of the hurling championship as a whole. He warned that the current structure of the GAA hurling championship could seriously damage the sport, with the likes of Wexford’s and Waterford’s hurling potentially finishing before the end of the month.

The Tipperary man called for an overhaul of the current hurling format, noting that the whole system is “rotten”.

A win against Dublin for the Wexford Senior hurlers will see them in pole position for third place and a place in the All-Ireland series. Both the Wexford and Dublin managers have noted that this is now knock-out hurling for their respective sides.

Wexford failed to advance to the All-Ireland series in 2025; even though they are a team in transition, Keith Rossiter’s charges will be hoping for a big performance aganist the Dubs which would put them on the right track for the rest of their 2026 championship campaign.

While Babs’ call for an overhaul of the Championship may be warranted, perhaps his view of Wexford hurling is not. For 2026, Wexford are missing a number of key players, with multiple other players making their debut. The likes of Rory O’Connor, Conor McDonald, Eoin Ryan, and Cathal Dunbar are not part of this year’s squad, while Liam Ryan and Jack O’Connor have only recently returned to the starting team after absences.

Wexford Senior hurling manager Keith Rossiter also previously mentioned that out of this 40 man panel, 21 players were with him when he was u-20 hurling manager. This will surely stand to the team as they move forward.

And while some may even be critical of our domestic championship, it’s hard to argue with facts: St Martins are the reigning Leinster Club Senior hurling champions.