Treaty and Tribesmen set from Croker clash
BY NIALL SHERRY, SPORTS EDITOR
SPORTSEDITOR@KILKENNYOBSERVER.IE
GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Final
Limerick vs Galway
Páirc an Chrócaigh, Sunday, 3:30pm
So, it’s All-Ireland hurling final time this weekend and the decider pits Munster vs Leinster. Most right-minded people would probably suggest that means the match will be between Kilkenny and one of the ‘big guns’ from Munster. Unfortunately, from a Noreside point of view, it’s not the Cats that will take on the formidable challenge of Limerick in Páirc an Chrócaigh on Sunday, but instead it’s Connacht’s finest hurlers, Galway. The stickmen from the west have been plying their trade in the Leinster Hurling Championship since 2009, and following their 14-point victory over Niall Ó Ceallacháin’s Dublin they were crowned provincial champions for a fourth time. Had Kilkenny have beaten the Dubs in the final group game in Parnell Park, it may have given then manger, Derek Lyng a third chance to get the better of The Tribesmen in 2026, but given the form of the Cats this year, the boys in blue probably saved our blushes.
Since the Noresiders exited the championship, their earliest departure since the mid-90’s, there has been some inevitable change, with Henry Shefflin taking the hot seat from Emerald’s clubman, Derek Lyng. The most famous son of Shamrocks Ballyhale club, Shefflin had a controversial stint as manager of Galway, departing in 2024 to be replaced by Tribesmen legend, Micheál Donoghue who has successfully turned the fortunes of the maroon-clad team around. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, given that the Clarinbridge man was at the helm when they secured Leinster titles in 2017 and 2018 and the big one, the Liam MacCarthy in ‘17. The 2025 decider for the Bob O’Keefe Cup pitted Kilkenny against Galway, and it would be the black and amber that would triumph by eight points in early June.
This year has seen the Westerner’s rise again, Leinster kingpins for the first time since 2018, the title earning them a semi-final berth against Cork. The Rebels, who had been hoping to redeem themselves following successive All-Ireland final defeats, failed to deliver in the last four clash, Galway running out 11-point winners in Croke Park, putting in undoubtably their best performance in headquarters since lifting Liam in 2017 when they defeated Waterford. There may not be a Joe Canning on the Tribesmen’s side, but they have plenty of quality hurlers and a lovely mix of youth and experience.
The man knitting it all together, Micheál Donoghue appears to get Galway, and Galway appears to get Micheál Donoghue. When you strike this beautiful balance, good things can happen and that’s taking place in the west. The likes of Daithi Burke, Mannion’s Padraic and Cathal, Tom Monaghan, Conor Cooney and Conor Whelan are seasoned campaigners, and they are pushed by the likes of Cillian Trayers, Tiernan Killeen, Jason Rabbitte, and Aaron Niland. In the win over the Leesiders, Donoghue’s charges had thirteen different scorers, impressive to say the least. The emergence of Jason Rabbitte has been a real find, and the Athenry clubman has settled into the senior side with ease and has notched 2-11 in this championship campaign. The top scorer for Galway is Clarinbridge’s Aaron Niland, and the dead ball specialist has a healthy 2-36 tally from his seven championship outings and will punish any opportunity from placed balls. Another player in great form is Tom Monaghan. The Craughwell clubman is a real driving force in the opponent’s half and has 1-28 to his name in the championship. Kinvara’s Conor Whelan is another reveling under Micheál Donoghue. The former captain is viewed as a mercurial figure but has a healthy scoring return of 1-25 during the business part of the season and is capable of producing a little bit of stardust; Sunday could provide the stage for such magic.
Going into the 2026 final as favourites, are Galway’s opponents Limerick. John Kiely’s side are experiencing a little drought, last climbing the Hogan Stand steps in 2023, when they completed their 4-in-a-row. There appears to be a renewed hunger and desire about The Treaty County this year, and the longest serving manager in the country can take credit for reigniting the green flame. When the Galbally and Garryspillane clubman was appointed to the role in September 2016, it may well have been beyond his wildest dreams that such a period of domination and success would follow. I think it’s fair to say that Limerick under Kiely have redefined modern hurling, especially in terms of strength and conditioning. The ‘green machine’ that developed in his reign struck fear into every opponent and to be truthful, no team could really live with The Treaty side. Yes, they do receive huge backing from the wealthy JP McManus, which possibly allows them to be extremely professional in the amateur GAA arena, but to a man, the squad buys into Kiely’s ethos, and they execute the game plan with military precision.
In Nickie Quaid, they possess possibly the best goalkeeper in the game over the last number of years, while their defensive strength comes from warriors like Seán Finn, Dan Morrissey, Barry Nash, Diarmaid Byrnes, William O’Donoghue and the controversial Kyle Hayes. Wing backs Byrnes and Hayes are regular names on the scoresheet, while the ‘corner men’ Nash and Finn are not averse to notching points from the deepest of positions. The engine room of Adam English and Darragh O’Donovan can more than hold their own which allows the front six to do their thing. In their semi-final win over old foes Clare, it was Aidan O’Connor that top scored, hitting 1-9 in their comeback win, and he has an impressive 3-60 across his six championship appearances. Diarmaid Brynes has a fine record with 0-23 this season, and you wouldn’t back against him increasing that figure in the final. Throw Aaron Gillane, Cian Lynch and Gearoid Hegarty into the mix and the talent and experience is there. Cathal O’Neill and Shane O’Brien have notched 5-28 between them, while one of their ‘veteran’s’ Tom Morrissey and David Reidy have been sprung from the bench to great effect.
As ever, the match ups will be key to each side trying to get the upper hand on the opponent. The talent on both sides, all over the pitch is frightening, and the bench of both sides could be crucial in the heat of the Croker battle. Messrs. Kiely and Donoghue will be confident that they have the tools to get the job done on Sunday, and both will look to the bench knowing that they can gain something from those men lying in wait. From a hurling point of view, let’s hope Cork whistler Colm Lyons lets the game flow, and we see a great spectacle in terms of physical battles and great scores. I’d say Henry will be watching, will you?
