How did Hurling become bigger than Rugby in Limerick?
I'm a Munster fan from Cork who's just moved home for a little while having been away for many years.
One thing I'm hearing in discussions about Munster's woes is that Hurling has overtaken Rugby in Limerick in the last while (Dion Fanning said this on Off the Ball the other day).
I only casually watch the GAA and am not involved in the grassroots so didn't see this coming.
What happened? When did it begin and why?
Reason I ask is that I try to explain to non-Irish friends of mine that:
(a) Rugby is not as big as it can sometimes seem
(b) GAA is the biggest sport despite being amateur
That said, I would have thought Rugby in Limerick 15 years ago had everything going for it. Loads of clubs, good rugby schools, successful team with stalwarts like Foley, Hayes, O'Connell, etc.
Is Limerick Hurling just particularly strong right now or has there been bigger shifts in the grassroots underlying it all?