Rarely in the ancient game have two provincial hurling finals faced such detailed comparison. From the frantic, dramatic climax in Munster, to the brief threat of an upending score-quake in Leinster.
Nothing Kilkenny and Galway could produce in Croke Park on Sunday afternoon was ever going to outdo the screenplay that Cork and Limerick served up at the TUS Gaelic Grounds on Saturday evening, although they did at least try.
From being comfortably in front by 13 points in the 58th minute, Kilkenny blinked for long enough to twice allow Galway reduce the deficit to four. That was the margin as the game spilled into added time. Then Kilkenny did what they do best, hitting the last 1-1 without reply to see out victory by 3-22 to 1-20 and clinch a sixth Leinster title in a row.
Galway’s earlier shortcomings left them with too much to do. Kilkenny were deserving winners, but the contest was nowhere near as delicately balanced or wildly exciting as Cork versus Limerick less than 24 hours earlier. Cork eventually won on penalties – ending Limerick’s seven-in-a-row hopes in the process.
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Some hurling aficionados in Kilkenny persist in thinking this is not a great Kilkenny team. Perhaps not, at least compared to other teams that represented the county. But no one can argue with their dominance in Leinster, this being their 77th title in all. For TJ Reid, it was number 14.
Galway came chasing their fourth title since joining the Leinster championship. That started back in 2009 with a narrow semi-final defeat . . . to Kilkenny.
Yesterday, in front of 37,503 at Croke Park – some 20,000 tickets were distributed free to underage teams – Galway never once looked like winning. Their lack of goal chances will be of significant concern to the management team.
They did lose goalkeeper Éanna Murphy at half-time due to a concussion sustained when trying to save the first Kilkenny goal just before the break, finished by Martin Keoghan. Replacement goalkeeper Darragh Walsh will also wish to forget Kilkenny’s third goal, in added time, also scored by Keoghan after Walsh misread the trajectory of the ball.
For Kilkenny manager Derek Lyng, that slightly frenzied endgame didn’t take much from his satisfied look afterwards. His team has an All-Ireland semi-final to look forward to, but he knows improvement is needed.
“We’re Leinster champions and that was the objective, but at the same time, we know we’ve a lot of work to do,” said Lyng. “I think it’s probably taken for granted that we’re going to go out and win these games, but a huge amount of work goes into it, particularly from the players.
“I suppose the [Galway] goal, it was very disappointing how that happened and how we conceded that . . . It gave Galway a great lift at that stage and the momentum was with them. I thought our response was very positive.”
Galway manager Micheál Donoghue conceded that his team played their best hurling a little too late. “Obviously disappointed with the result,” he said. “The priority was to try and come out and attack the game, which we didn’t and which was disappointing. Kilkenny took full advantage and showed the experience that they have.
Pat has done a fantastic job with that Cork team and, you know, to come down here and get a win is a serious achievement in a Munster final
— John Kiely
“I thought when we pushed up and figured that out, then we started being a bit more dominant in our own half-back line, got back into the game, brought it back to four. And then the concession of the 1-1 quickly took the wind out of the sails again.”
Kildare wrote some hurling history in the curtain-raiser, beating Laois in the Joe McDonagh final, 2-26 to 1-19. It was the Lilywhites’ first title in the second-tier grade, meaning they will play Liam MacCarthy hurling next summer. It also earns them a home preliminary quarter-final against Dublin next Saturday, the winners of which will play Limerick.
Cork manager Pat Ryan is another man looking forward to an All-Ireland semi-final. He was particularly pleased that his team gave a strong account of themselves after losing so convincingly to Limerick in the round-robin stage last month.
“We won by penalties against a brilliant Limerick team,” Ryan said in the aftermath of Saturday’s epic. “This is just the start. We move on to the All-Ireland series, the semi-finals. We know we’re a really good team. We saw what we were like when we were not at it three weeks ago.
“To be honest, we were just focused on coming up here and really going to battle with Limerick and represent the jersey, represent our people.”
For Limerick manager John Kiely, losing on penalties was hard to stomach. He is not a fan of the shootout as a means of deciding the outcome of a game. With that said, the Limerick manager is already looking ahead to the next game.
“I think everybody would agree that a game should be finished in normal play,” he said. “But listen, these are the rules, these are the procedures and we have to go with that.
“In fairness to Pat [Ryan], Pat has done a fantastic job with that Cork team and, you know, to come down here and get a win is a serious achievement in a Munster final. We have to acknowledge that.”
