Sounds of the Summer: Growing the game in non-hurling strongholds and the impact of the new rules | Willie Maher

Welcome to our Sounds of the Summer podcast, a look back, and look forward, to some of the biggest GAA stories which dominated 2026.

Willie Maher, the GAA’s National Head of Hurling, joins Eoin Sheahan in studio for a wide-ranging chat on the state of the game, the new rules, and what hurling needs next.

With the league finals and championship around the corner, Maher breaks down the updated dissent measures – 30 metres for players, a 21-yard free for sideline altercations – and why “tidying up” the game matters for respect and referee recruitment.

They also go deep on the bigger challenge: growing hurling in non-traditional counties, getting hurleys in kids’ hands, building coaching and games programmes, and what the new government funding is really designed to do.

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