Provincial crown on the line as Tribesmen look to tame Cats
BY NIALL SHERRY, SPORTS EDITOR
SPORTSEDITOR@KILKENNYOBSERVER.IE
Leinster GAA Senior Hurling Championship Final 2025
Kilkenny vs Galway
Sunday, 4pm, Croke Park
Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick)
Kilkenny will go in search of a sixth consecutive provincial title this weekend when they face-off against old foes, Galway in Croke Park on Sunday afternoon (Throw-in 4pm). While the debate across the Island of Ireland continues as to the hierarchy in our beloved sport, both Leinster finalists will block out the chatter and noise surrounding ‘Munster is where it’s at’ and concentrate on the battle to lift the Bob O’Keefe Cup at the Jones’ Road venue.
Having already met during the ‘round robin’ stage of the provincial championship, Sunday’s decider should be a competitive and feisty affair and while the Cats will go into the game as favourites, you would be foolish to ignore the merits of the Connacht side. Michéal Donoghue’s return to lead the Tribesmen has certainly galvanized Galway and the players appear to be happy with ‘one of their own’ in charge. Henry Shefflin was always going to be up against it when he ventured west, but his successor has plenty of credit in the bank and will be given time to put his stamp on matters again. Don’t forget, it was with the Clarinbridge clubman at the helm that Galway last lifted both Leinster and All-Ireland titles in 2017 and 2018.
When the sides met in the opening round of this year’s competition, Derek Lyng’s charges ran out 12-point winners in a rather one-sided game in UPMC Nowlan Park. It is hard to see that margin of victory being repeated in Drumcondra this weekend. Cathal Mannion top scored for the men in maroon on that wet Easter Saturday in April, but some of their other big names didn’t really impact the game like expected. The likes of captain Conor Whelan, Brian Concannon and Declan McLoughlin were all kept on the periphery of the game, while raiding centre back, Gavin Lee had his hands full on the defensive front, which thwarted his attacking capabilities.
Having suffered defeat on Noreside, Michéal Donoghue’s outfit headed to Glenisk O’Connor Park to tackle Offaly, and they bounced back to make the trip back west with maximum points secured following a 14-point win over Johnny Kelly’s troops. Such was the manner of the defeat to Kilkenny, the feeling was that the Galway faithful wouldn’t travel in numbers to Tullamore, but a healthy crowd of over 10,000 in attendance as the Westerners superior hurling, skill and speed ensured they took the victory, despite playing the second half with 14 men, following Daithi Burke’s red card for a little flare-up after the short whistle sounded. Again, Cathal Mannion was in eye-catching form, notching 2-8, 1-5 of which came from play. Corner forward Colm Molloy and TJ Brennan were also stellar performers against The Faithful County. Galway built on the Tullamore win with another victory in their round 3 clash with Wexford. When the long whistle sounded, they had ten points to spare over Keith Rossiter’s team, and yet again, Ahascragh-Fohenagh clubman Cathal Mannion spearheaded his side to collect maximum points, finishing his afternoon’s work with 0-17 including six lovely points from play. Gavin Lee was back to his roaming best, notching 0-2 from his ‘6’ position, something that Kilkenny are going to have to curtail on Sunday if they are to get on top of Micheál Donoghue’s men. Cianan Fahy was another to register a brace of scores, with the number 5 on his back.
Having picked up back-to-back wins in the group stage, another game in Salthill was next up for the Tribesmen, and a visit from Davy Fitzgerald and his Saffron’s. As expected, the home side learnt very little from this facile win. Twenty-eight points separated the teams at the long whistle, and in truth, the contest was probably done and dusted before the sides turned round for the second period, as Galway were 11-points up having played against the wind in Pearse Stadium. Antrim’s cause wasn’t helped when they were reduced to 14 men juts before the break, Declan McCloskey was sent off after linesman Johnny Murphy spotted something off the ball. This season’s championship top scorer for the Connacht side, Cathal Mannion was given a rest but once they found their groove, scoring wasn’t a problem. Conor Cooney hit 0-11, while Anthony Burns has 2-2 to his name. Two more players that Kilkenny will need to contain are Brian Concannon and Tom Monaghan and they registered 2-6 between them.
Results in the group meant that the final round game for Dublin and Galway would decide which side would secure a final berth and the chance to prevent six Leinster’s on the bounce for Kilkenny. The spicy contest took place in Parnell Park, and referee Colm Lyons was one of the busiest men on the pitch as both sides really went at it in a game that screamed championship hurling. It was a return to the Capital for Westerners boss, Micheál Donoghue who had managed the boys in blue for a couple of seasons prior to resuming managerial duties in his home county. Having rested a number of players for the Antrim game, the Galway boss restored Padraic Mannion, Daithi Burke, David Burke, John Fleming and Cathal Mannion to the starting lineup.
Dead ball specialist Mannion notched 0-8 in the win, while Brian Concannon (0-5) and Tom Monaghan (0-4) were again very prominent as Galway secured a provincial final berth with their first championship win over Dublin in the capital and were full value for a 5-point win with a total of ten different scorers registering for the Supermac’s sponsored side.
Derek Lyng and his management team will have done their homework on Galway, ahead of Sunday’s decider, but might need to wait a little longer to see who the opposition netminder will be. Darach Fahy has been the preferred number 1, but the Ardrahan clubman is awaiting his county’s appeal on a retrospective one-match ban handed down by the Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC), Fahy made contact with his hurl against Andrew Jamieson-Murphy’s leg after he made a clearance. Should the ban be upheld, Tommy Larkins player Eanna Murphy will come in for the Tribesmen, and the experienced netminder’s participation will not weaken his sides cause. In defence, TJ & Co. are likely to come up against at least one Burke, in Fintan and another experienced ‘head’ in Padraic Mannion. Tuloughmore’s Daithi Burke could start as well. The halfback line is a dangerous cog in this Galway machine, a bit like Kilkenny’s. Gavin Lee is an exceptional athlete and likes to trouble the scoreboard and the Clarinbridge player may have fellow clubman TJ Brennan flanking him on one side with Cianan Fahy on the other.
Tom Monaghan will slug it out in the engine room perhaps with David Burke for company, and their battle with Cian Kenny and Jordan Molloy will be pivotal. The Cats duo have been ploughing their trade well in the middle of the park and like to pick off a score or two also. As with any hurling match, placed ball accuracy is a key factor in securing victory, and in TJ Reid and Cathal Mannion, there will be two quality exponents of this art. Both sides have mercurial forwards that can light up a venue like Croke Park. Galway has Conor Whelan; we have Eoin Cody. Both have shown glimpses of hitting championship form and both are crucial to their team’s chances of being crowed provincial kings. Killimordaly’s Brian Concannon will look to ‘rough up’ the Kilkenny rearguard, but in Huw Lawlor, we have one of the best, if not thee best full-back in the business, a seriously classy hurler.
While it has taken time to get some players back on the pitch, manager Derek Lyng has been instrumental in helping unleash a reinvigorated Mossy Keoghan. The Tullaroan attacking star has been in inspirational form this season and is looking both clinical and hungry as he attempts to propel the Cats back to the top of the pile. Thomastown’s success has also led to opportunity for a number of players, notably, Stephen Donnelly who has looked at home in the black and amber stripes. It could well be his teammate and county captain, John Donnelly that is tasked with occupying Gavin Lee, a difficult job for anyone. Another player that has been managed brilliantly on his return from injury is Adrian Mullen. The Shamrocks Ballyhale man was deployed at centre back in the recent game with Wexford and his game intelligence and ability to give long accurate passes suits the flame-haired stickman.
If Bob O’Keefe number 77 is to be gained on Sunday, Mikey Butler, Tommy Walsh and Mikey Carey will all have big roles to play. Butler and Walsh could be given detailed marking jobs, while Young Ireland’s Carey possesses great athleticism and fielding ability to win many battles across the Croke Park pitch. Finding roles for physically imposing players such as Paddy Deegan and Fionan Mackessy could be key also, the latter possibly from the bench as Kilkenny seek to gain advantage. There will be plenty of players itching to get a taste of provincial final action in Croker, and that hunger and desire will be needed in the capital this weekend. Unfortunately, we might not see Luke Hogan on Sunday, due to injury, but the likes of Eoin Wall, Luke Connellan and Billy Drennan will be chomping at the bit to bring more Leinster glory to Noreside. Let’s hope and pray that it’s John Donnelly climbing the steps of the Hogan Stand with a big smile on his face and that the ribbons are those of black and amber.
