Round 1 of the Hurling Leagues throwing in this weekend. AHL2 looks like a very competitive division this year, a real mix of clubs pushing for promotion, others looking to consolidate, and a couple coming down from AHL1 hoping to bounce straight back. Here's our Power Ranking for 2026:
6th AHL2 – SHC2 Semi-Final
Raheny are our top pick for AHL2 this year assumin they have the same pick as played champsionship. Once Liam Dunne came back from Australia, running up some big scores and making it all the way to the semi-final. They'll be fresher than most for the league given they don't have the county call-up issues that affect some of their rivals, and if Dunne is back and firing from early on, they'll take some stopping. The league position of 6th last year arguably flatters to deceive given the championship form.
8th AHL2 – SHC2 – Promoted to SHC1 (won play off Boden Bs couldnt go up)
The Isles had a mixed league but really came good when it mattered, winning the SHC2 promotion play-off to earn a place in SHC1 for 2026. That's a serious achievement for the club. They'll be without Conor Donohoe and Ollie Gaffney for the league, which hurts, but there's clearly a serious team there when everyone is available. One to watch?
Promoted from AHL3 – 1st – PIHC Champions
A brilliant 2025 for Commercials, winning AHL3 and then going on to claim the Premier Intermediate Championship, beating Syls in the final. They went on a decent Leinster run too before Danesfort proved a step too far. This is a club that has been building steadily and they arrive in AHL2 with real momentum and confidence. One of the most interesting teams in the division this year.
4th AHL2 – PIHC Final
Syls had a decent enough league and were brilliant in the championship, reaching the PIHC final where they narrowly lost out to Commercials. There's a good team there and they'll fancy their chances of challenging at the top end of AHL2. Will be interesting to see how they respond after that final defeat, and when the two sides meet in the league it'll be one of the games of the round.
12th AHL1 – Relegated – SHC2 Final (lost to Faughs, penos)
A caveat is needed here straight away. Boden Bs are ranked 5th purely on the back of their SHC2 final appearance, where they pushed Faughs all the way before losing out on penalties after extra time. That's a serious championship run by any measure. However, as with any B team, their league form tells a different story, finishing bottom of AHL1 last year. It depends heavily on who filters down from the senior panel from week to week, and in the league that availability is always harder to predict. Championship team and league team can look very different for a side like this. On their best day they're well capable of competing with anyone in this division, but consistency over a full league campaign is the question mark.
3rd AHL2 – SHC2 Group Stage
Davis were the top AHL2 side last year who didn't earn promotion, finishing 3rd. They were competitive in SHC2, going 2-3 in the group with a very tight points difference, just not quite getting over the line in the big games. Should be solid again this year and will be hoping to push into the top two.
5th AHL2 – SHC2 Group Stage
A disappointing championship for Clontarf after what had been a few years of building. Finished at the bottom of their SHC2 group, though whether injuries or absentees were a factor isn't entirely clear. Solid enough AHL2 side who will be hoping to put things right this year. If anyone knows what went wrong for them, let us know over on the forum.
11th AHL1 – Relegated – SHC1 RPOW
OPER come down from AHL1 after a tough year, though they put up a right battle in the SHC1 relegation play-off against Jude's. The good news is that Cian Boland may be back from Australia, which would be a real boost, and they've had some good youngsters coming through on recent Dublin underage panels. With a bit of luck on the injury front and the right players available, they should be well capable of competing in AHL2 and pushing for a quick return to the top tier.
7th AHL2 – SHC2 Quarter-Final
BSJ have some good young players coming through and were improving as the SHC2 championship wore on, pushing Faughs in the quarter-final. They also won the U21 B Hurling Championship in 2025, which is a good sign for the future. They won't be favourites to challenge at the top but they're a club clearly trending in the right direction.
10th AHL2 – SHC2 Quarter-Final
Mearnog were very competitive in SHC2, running Erins Isle closer than most expected in the quarter-final. The league position of 10th is a concern but the championship form suggests there's more to this team than that. One of the harder sides to call this year.
9th AHL2 – SHC2 Relegated
A tough year for Fingallians, relegated from SHC2 after what had been a few years of steady progress up the ranks. Will be without Darragh Power for the league, which is a real blow. They'll need to regroup and hopefully kick on, but you'd have to put them in the bottom half for now.
Promoted from AHL3 – 1st (joint) – PIHC Semi-Final (Syls)
Naomh Olaf come up as joint winners of AHL3 alongside Commercials and actually had a very decent championship, reaching the PIHC semi-final before losing out to Syls. That's a solid benchmark and suggests they're not coming into AHL2 completely blind. Will still be looking to establish themselves at this level but the championship form gives some encouragement. One for those who follow them closely to weigh in on over on the forum.
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