Galway 0-21 Kilkenny 0-14
Galway are back-to-back Electric Ireland All-Ireland minor champions, a feat they last achieved in 2005, after burning off Kilkenny at Croke Park with a storming second-half display.
Jeffrey Lynskey's side trailed by a point at half-time and by two early in the second-half but came good when it counted to retain the title and secure their third win in four seasons.
Donal O'Shea, son of former Tipperary manager Eamon, maintained his strong scoring form in the championship with 10 points, bringing his summer takings to 1-37.
It's the second time Galway have beaten Kilkenny in this season's campaign having also won by seven points when the sides met at the quarter-final group stage.
It looked like being far tighter when Kilkenny took that two-point lead in the 33rd minute in what was the 10th game of a marathon campaign for Richie Mulrooney's side.
But Galway outscored them by 0-11 to 0-02 from there to win with some to spare as the crowd grew in advance of the senior final.
Wing-forward Diarmuid Kilcommons impressed for Galway while full-back Shane Jennings, part of a defence that held Kilkenny to just five points from play, was named Man of the Match.
Kilkenny couldn't have asked for a better start and dominated the opening exchanges, carving out a whopping eight scoring chances in the first five minutes.
They took four of them as Darragh Maher opened the scoring inside 30 seconds and was joined on the score-sheet by free-taker Conor Kelly and Ciaran Brennan.
But they also clipped four wides in that period and were powerless to prevent Galway from roaring into the game when they finally gathered themselves.
The holders were handed an opportunity to haul themselves right back into the game when, trailing by that four points, they were awarded a penalty following Padraig Dempsey's foul on Niall Collins.
O'Shea blasted it over and while they'd have preferred a goal the score ignited a scoring blitz Galway hitting six points in a row to take the lead.
They led 0-07 to 0-05 after 14 minutes though true to the pattern of a game that ebbed and flowed initially, Kilkenny responded with four points in a row to lead again.
The Leinster outfit, beaten by Dublin in a high scoring Leinster final, led by 0-10 to 0-9 at half-time and by two after Kelly converted a long range free in the 33rd minute.
But it was all downhill from there for them as Galway finished with gusto and roared down the home straight to a famous win.
They got a strong kick from their bench with Colm Cunningham and Sean McDonagh registered 0-03 between them in the second-half.
Galway: Patrick Rabbitte; Michael Flynn, Shane Jennings, Oisin Salmon; Shane Quirke, Sean Neary, Evan Duggan (0-01); Jason O'Donoghue, Oisin Flannery (St Thomas') (0-01); Diarmuid Kilcommins (0-02), Oisin Flannery (Padraig Pearses) (0-01), Adam Brett; Dean Reilly (0-03), Donal O'Shea (0-10, 0-06f, 0-01 65, 0-01 pen), Niall Collins.
Subs: Colm Cunningham (0-01) for O'Donoghue (33), Connell Keane for Brett (34), Sean McDonagh (0-02) for Flannery (Padraig Pearses) (41), Ian McGlynn for Flannery (St Thomas') (45), Keelan Creaven for Collins (49).
Kilkenny: Jason Brennan; Padraig Dempsey, Jamie Young, Dylan Crehan; Darragh Maher (0-02), Shane Staunton, Jamie Harkin; Conor Kelly (0-07, 0-07f), Cian Kenny (0-02); Ciaran Brennan (0-02, 0-01 s/l), Jack Buggy (0-01, 0-01 s/l), George Murphy; Cathal O'Leary, Jack Morrissey, Killian Hogan.
Subs: Eoin Guilfoyle for O'Leary (41), Padraic Moylan for Buggy (43), Jack Doyle for Murphy (52), Killian Rudkins for Hogan (57), Dan Coogan for Morrissey (62).
Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick).
