Galway players celebrate with the Bob O'Keeffe Cup following the 2018 Leinster GAA Hurling Senior Championship Final Replay match between Kilkenny and Galway at Semple Stadium in Thurles, Co Tipperary.
This year’s Leinster Hurling Championship is shaping up to be one of the most competitive ever.
The absence of Joe Canning from Galway’s team for the duration of the provincial series as the rash of injuries to key players suffered by Kilkenny means that both Wexford and Dublin will really fancy their chances of doing something big this summer.
Carlow won’t be just there to make up the numbers either, and are coming into the competition on the back of a positive League campaign that saw them draw with Galway.
It’s going to be a Championship of fine margins, and you get the feeling it will all come down to Round 5 when Dublin host Galway and Wexford host Kilkenny.
GALWAY
Manager: Micheal Donoghue
Captain: David Burke
Fixtures: May 12: Galway v Carlow, Pearse Stadium, 3pm
May 26: Galway v Wexford, Pearse Stadium, 4pm
June 9: Kilkenny v Galway, Nowlan Park, 2pm
June 15: Dublin v Galway, Parnell Park, 7.pm
League Form: Galway finished third in Division 1B with three wins and a draw from five matches. They then beat Wexford in the Division 1 Quarter-Finals before losing Waterford in the Division 1 Semi-Finals.
Round 1: Galway 1-27 Laois 2-15
Round 2: Carlow 0-20 Galway 0-20
Round 3: Galway 0-20 Dublin 1-11
Round 4: Offaly 0-14 Galway 2-20
Round 5: Waterford 1-18 Galway 2-13
Quarter-Final: Galway 3-21 Wexford 3-11
Semi-Final: Waterford 1-18 Galway 0-19
Team news: Joe Canning has been ruled out of the Leinster SHC after undergoing groin surgery but the Tribesmen are boosted by the return to the panel of Johnny Glynn and Joseph Cooney.
Player to watch: Cathal Mannion
Mannion has played most of his hurling for Galway in the half-forwards but he really blossomed when given the opportunity to play in midfield during the League campaign. His ability to ghost into space and score on the run makes him a huge threat around the middle third. It will be interesting to see if Galway persist with him there for the Championship.
Prospects: The loss of Joe Canning to injury is a blow for the Tribesmen because he’s very much the man their attack revolves around but it would still be a major surprise if they failed to progress from Leinster. Manager Micheal Donoghue blooded a lot of players during the League and the onus will be on them now to prove they can give him some added options during this Championship campaign. If they step up to the mark, then Galway will be formidable.
Kilkenny goalkeeper Eoin Murphy is expected to miss the Leinster Championship.
KILKENNY
Manager: Brian Cody
Captain: TJ Reid
Fixtures: May 11: Kilkenny v Dublin, Nowlan Park 7pm
May 19: Carlow v Kilkenny, Netwatch Cullen Park, 3pm
June 9: Kilkenny v Galway, Nowlan Park, 2pm
June 15: Wexford v Kilkenny, Innovate Wexford Park, 7pm
League Form: Kilkenny won just two of their five matches in Division 1A and were then beaten in the Division 1 play-off by Cork.
Round 1: Kilkenny 2-18 Cork 0-17
Round 2: Clare 2-20 Kilkenny 1-22
Round 3: Kilkenny 0-15 Kilkenny 2-18
Round 4: Tipperary 0-17 Kilkenny 0-18
Round 5: Wexford 1-19 Kilkenny 1-12
Play-Off: Cork 2-15 Kilkenny 1-16
Team news: Kilkenny have been significantly weakened by injuries to key players. Conor Delaney and James Maher are ruled out for the foreseeable future with broken legs. Eoin Murphy will miss the entire Leinster Championship with a knee injury as could Cillian Buckley who is recuperating from knee surgery. Joey Holden will miss the Leinster opener against Dublin with a hamstring injury.
Player to watch: Billy Ryan
Ryan is an elusive inside-forward with a nice combination of pace, skill, and the bravery to take on defences. Kilkenny badly need new forwards to step forward to take the scoring burden off TJ Reid and Ryan could help in that regard.
Prospects: It’s hard to imagine Kilkenny failing to progress from Leinster but they’ve been seriously weakened by injuries, especially in defence. Their first match to Dublin is crucial. Win that, and they’ll fancy their chances of making a provincial final. Lose it, and they’ll be on the back foot.
Wexford will hope to give their supporters something to shout about when they play Kilkenny in the final round of the Leinster SHC at Innovate Wexford Park.
WEXFORD
Manager: Davy Fitzgerald
Captain: Matthew O’Hanlon
Fixtures: May 19: Dublin v Wexford, Parnell Park, 3pm
May 26: Galway v Wexford, Pearse Stadium, 4pm
June 8: Wexford v Carlow, Innovate Wexford Park, 7pm
June 15: Wexford v Kilkenny, Innovate Wexford Park, 7pm
League Form: Wexford won three
of their five Division 1A matches but were then convincingly beaten by Galway
in the Division 1 Quarter-Finals.
Round 1: Wexford 2-11 Limerick 1-17
Round 2: Cork 0-17 Wexford 1-18
Round 3: Wexford 1-15 Tipperary 1-14
Round 4: Clare 2-22 Wexford 1-22
Round 5: Wexford 1-19 Kilkenny 1-12
Quarter-Final: Galway 3-21 Wexford 3-11
Team news: Diarmuid O’Keeffe is in a race against time to recover from a leg injury in time for Wexford’s Championship opener against Dublin. James Breen is on the way back from knee injury and should be fit in time for the Leinster Championship.
Player to watch: Named on the EirGrid U-21 Hurling team of the year in 2018, Casey has already caught the eye this year for the Wexford seniors. A knacky inside forward who is accurate from both open paly and frees, he could give the Wexford attack a new dimension this summer.
Prospects: Wexford’s schedule looks like a tricky one as their first two matches are away to Dublin and Galway in the space of seven days. You wouldn’t bet against them though if they can go into their final game against Kilkenny on a Saturday evening in a heaving Innovate Wexford Park needing a result to progress. That’s just the sort of bear-pit atmosphere Davy Fitzgerald and his players would relish.
Mattie Kenny has gotten off to a strong start as Dublin hurling manager.
DUBLIN
Manager: Mattie Kenny
Captain: Chris Crummey
Fixtures: May 11: Kilkenny v Dublin, Nowlan Park, 7pm
May 19: Dublin v Wexford, Parnell Park, 3pm
June 6: Carlow v Dublin, Netwatch Cullen Park, 3pm
June 15: Dublin v Galway, Parnell Park, 7.pm
League Form: Dublin topped
Division 1B with four wins from five matches and then beat Tipperary in the
quarter-finals before losing to eventual champions Limerick in the semi-finals.
Round 1: Dublin 3-15 Carlow 0-18
Round 2: Offaly 0-12 Dublin 2-19
Round 3: Galway 0-20 Dublin 1-11
Round 4: Dublin 1-26 Waterford 4-15
Round 5: Dublin 0-13 Laois 0-11
Quarter-Final: Tipperary 0-23 Dublin 1-21
Semi-Final: Limerick 1-19 Dublin 1-16
Team news: Cian O’Callaghan, Fiontan MacGib, and John Hetherton are ruled out of Dublin’s Leinster SHC opener against Kilkenny while Donal Burke is also not expected to feature as he’s sitting final exams.
Player to watch: Oisin O’Rorke caught the eye for Dublin during the League. What he lacks in size he makes up for in speed, skill, and an eye for a score. On hard summer pitches he should really find his stride.
Prospects: Dublin are certainly moving in the right direction under new manager Mattie Kenny and their Allianz Hurling League quarter-final victory over Tipperary at Semple Stadium was a real statement victory. They’ll fancy their chances of pulling off an upset victory over Kilkenny in Round 1 and are definitely good enough to progress from Leinster.
Marty Kavanagh is a key man for the Carlow hurlers.
CARLOW
Manager: Colm Bonnar
Captain: Diarmuid Byrne and Richard Cody (joint-captains)
Fixtures: May 12: Galway v Carlow, Pearse Stadium, 3pm
May 19: Carlow v Kilkenny, Netwatch Cullen Park, 3pm
June 2: Carlow v Dublin, Netwatch Cullen Park, 3pm
June 8: Wexford v Carlow, Innovate Wexford Park, 7pm.
League Form: Carlow made a major
statement by drawing with Galway in Division 1B but ultimately only retained
their Division 1B status by beating Offaly in a relegation play-off.
Round 1: Dublin 3-15 Carlow 0-18
Round 2: Carlow 0-20 Galway 0-20
Round 3: Waterford 3-15 Carlow 0-10
Round 4: Carlow 0-17 Laois 0-17
Round 5: Carlow 1-10 Offaly 4-8
Relegation Play-Off: Offaly 1-16 Carlow 2-14
Team news: Carlow have no major injury worries ahead of the Leinster SHC
Player to watch: Marty Kavanagh
Marty Kavanagh is the key man in the Carlow attack. A powerful ball-winner and clinical finisher from open play, he’s also one of the best free-takers in the country.
Prospects: Carlow proved during an Allianz Hurling League campaign that saw them draw with Galway and push Dublin all the way that they’re a quality outfit. It’s incredible that they’re competing at this level to the extent they are considering they draw their players from just four senior clubs. Finishing in the top three in Leinster will most likely be beyond them, but they’ll be no push-overs for the other four teams.
