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Kilkenny hold off Galway rally to secure Leinster crown

Updated / Sunday, 8 Jun 2025 23:20

Kilkenny held off a late Galway rally to capture their 77th Leinster SHC title as they completed six provincial crowns in a row at Croke Park.

They were cruising to victory when they led by 13 points after 57 minutes but Galway struck 1-6 without reply in a blistering seven minute spell, before Kilkenny rallied and closed out the win.

The sides were level five times in the opening half but Kilkenny struck for a goal just before the break to lead by 1-09 to 0-08 at the break.

Galway, as expected, used captain Conor Whelan in a roaming role out the field but while he played a key part in the opening half, Adrian Mullen fulfilled a similar task throughout in addition to picking off four points from play in front of a crowd of 37,503.

Early points from Kevin Cooney, Cathal Mannion and TJ Brennan, after Mullen had got Kilkenny off the mark, settled Galway before the Cats hit back with efforts from Martin Keoghan, John Donnelly and Jordan Molloy.

The sides continued to exchange points but both were guilty of bad wides — Kilkenny hitting eight in the first-half to Galway's six — as the game struggled to burst into life.

Mannion’s fourth point of the opening half cut the gap to the minimum on the half hour but then Kilkenny struck. TJ Reid had been bottled up by Padraic Mannion and Daithi Burke after collecting a high ball but moments later collected another delivery and went for goal, with Galway goalkeeper Eanna Murphy doing well to save but Keoghan followed up and finished to the net.

Murphy, in for the suspended Darach Fahy, was injured in the incident and was replaced at half-time by debutant Darragh Walsh.

Cathal Mannion reduced the margin to a goal three minutes after the restart but the Galway challenge wilted in the third quarter.

Four points from frees from Mannion was all they managed from the start of the second-half until Sean Linnane scored after 59 minutes. Indeed, Linnane’s point was Galway’s first from play since the 23rd minute of the opening half.

By then Kilkenny, with Huw Lawlor commanding at full-back and Mikey Carey and Cian Kenny superb around the middle, were out of sight.

They outscored Galway by 1-10 to 0-04 from the break to the 57th minute with ten players in the end finding the target.

TJ Reid got their second goal after being set up by Keoghan and Galway, beaten by 12 points by Kilkenny earlier in the championship, looked set for a drubbing.

But they reeled off four points in a row and then Cathal Mannion caught the Kilkenny rearguard off guard, tapping a close range free to Brian Concannon who fired home from a tight angle. Cooney and Mannion added points and suddenly the gap was down to just four points with four minutes left.

However, that was as close as they got. Mullen and Billy Ryan shot points and then Keoghan flicked home his second goal after replacement goalkeeper Walsh failed to hold a high ball as Kilkenny completed six Leinster titles in a row for the third time.

Kilkenny: Eoin Murphy; Mikey Butler, Huw Lawlor, Tommy Walsh; Mikey Carey (0-02), Richie Reid, Paddy Deegan (0-01); Cian Kenny (0-02), Jordan Molloy (0-01); John Donnelly (captain) (0-01), Adrian Mullen (0-04), Billy Ryan (0-03); Stephen Donnelly (0-02), TJ Reid (1-04, 0-04f), Martin Keoghan (2-02).

Subs: David Blanchfield for Walsh (59), Luke Hogan for S Donnelly (59), Shane Murphy for Butler (66), Killian Doyle for Molloy (70), Harry Shine for Ryan (71).

Galway: Eanna Murphy; Padraic Mannion, Daithí Burke, Fintan Burke; Cianan Fahy, Gavin Lee, TJ Brennan (0-01); Seán Linnane (0-01), David Burke; John Fleming (0-01), Cathal Mannion (0-11, 0-07f), Tom Monaghan (0-01); Conor Whelan (captain), Brian Concannon (1-00), Kevin Cooney (0-03).

Subs: Darren Morrissey for F Burke (35), Darragh Walsh for Murphy (half-time), Ronan Glennon for David Burke (42), Tiernan Killeen (0-02) for Fleming (53), Anthony Burns for Monaghan (66)

Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick).

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