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Galway book Leinster final berth with historic five-point win over Dublin

Updated / Sunday, 25 May 2025 21:25
All eyes were on Cathal Mannion after is large scoring tally at the start of the campaign, he managed no points from play but was vital in Galway's forward line
All eyes were on Cathal Mannion after is large scoring tally at the start of the campaign, he managed no points from play but was vital in Galway's forward line

A historic win of sorts for Galway at Parnell Park.

Returning to the home of the county he managed just last season, Galway manager Micheál Donoghue guided his native county to a first ever championship win over Dublin in the capital.

With both sides locked on six points beforehand, and Kilkenny ahead of them and already through to the provincial final, it was a de facto semi-final with clear consequences for both teams.

Galway were good value for their five-point win, pretty much dominating the second half to secure their fourth consecutive victory in the group.

Dublin clawed back two late goals from Sean Currie and Conal Ó Riain to put some gloss on the scoreline but they were out-hurled, out-fought and out-thought for the majority of the contest.

Free-taker Cathal Mannion maintained his strong scoring form for Galway with eight points overall though Brian Concannon's five from play, and Tom Monaghan's four points, were more impressive.

Galway had 10 different scorers in all, and powered past a surprisingly errant and sloppy Dublin in the second half to book their place in the Leinster final at nearby Croke Park on June 8.

All is not lost for Dublin, who have still locked down third position in the Leinster table and they will play Kildare or Laois, the Joe McDonagh Cup finalists, in an All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final on the weekend of June 14/15.

Galway were installed as significant favourites beforehand though both teams arrived at Round 5 with similar records, both beating Offaly, Wexford and Antrim and losing to Kilkenny.

In Dublin's case, they lost to Kilkenny last weekend but won the second half of that game, having turned what was at one stage a 16-point deficit into a two-point contest, and hoped to carry that momentum with them.

But they were sluggish to start and fell five points down as Galway struck five of the game's first six points to open up a 0-06 to 0-01 lead.

Boss Donoghue made sweeping changes to his Galway lineup from the side that put 6-27 beyond Antrim last weekend.

Padraic Mannion, Daithi Burke, David Burke, John Fleming and Cathal Mannion all came back into the lineup.

All eyes were on Cathal Mannion in particular after sniping a whopping 2-35 in his first three games of the campaign.

He didn't score from play, though did register three first-half points from frees and assisted two early points for Brian Concannon.

Dublin were wasteful initially and rued eight first-half wides, the majority of which were struck in the opening quarter.

Dublin caught fire briefly between the 17th and 19th minutes, reeling off 1-03 without response.

Rian McBride struck the goal in the 17th minute after a surging run and lay-off by Sean Currie.

Brian Hayes played in Currie for a 19th-minute point to put Dublin ahead for the first time, 1-04 to 0-06.

But it was tight and scrappy for the rest of the half and it was no surprise the sides hit the interval tied for the sixth time at 1-07 to 0-10.

They were level again for a seventh time shortly after the restart but when Galway took off they left Dublin as a speck in their rear view mirror.

Galway opened up with bursts of three and then four points in a row to leave Dublin fans with a sinking feeling.

And the Tribesmen hammered home their authority by outscoring Dublin 0-09 to 0-01 between the 53rd and 63rd minutes.

Galway were 0-28 to 1-13 clear at that stage and it was only those two late Dublin goals that took the look of a rout off this one.

Galway: Darach Fahy; Padraic Mannion, Fintan Burke, Daithi Burke; Cianan Fahy (0-02), Gavin Lee, TJ Brennan (0-01); David Burke (0-03), Sean Linnane (0-01); John Fleming, Tom Monaghan (0-04), Conor Whelan (0-03); Brian Concannon (0-05), Cathal Mannion (0-08, 8f), Anthony Burns (0-01).

Subs: Conor Cooney (0-01) for Fleming 22-25' (blood), Jack Grealish for Daithi Burke (48'), Cooney for Burns (60'), Tiernan Killeen for Fleming (60').

Dublin: Sean Brennan; Paddy Smyth, Conor McHugh, John Bellew; Conor Donohoe (0-01), Chris Crummey (0-01), Paddy Doyle (0-01); Conor Burke, Brian Hayes (0-01); Rian McBride (1-01), Cian O'Sullivan (0-03), Darragh Power; Sean Currie (1-06, 1-00 pen, 4f, 1 65), John Hetherton, Andrew Jamieson-Murphy (0-01).

Subs: Ronan Hayes for Murphy (46'), Colin Currie for Power (51'), David Lucey for Bellew (55'), Fergal Whitely for Conor Burke (58'), Conal O Riain (1-00) for Doyle 68-69' (blood), O Riain for B Hayes (70').

Referee: Colm Lyons (Cork).

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