Saturday, June 7: Leinster Championship, quarter-final (Nowlan Park)
KILKENNY 5-32 Offaly 1-18
The Cats inflicted a 26-point mauling on Offaly in the opening round of the Leinster championship. On the dawn of the Sky age in the GAA, Colin Fennelly led the charge as Kilkenny showed Offaly no mercy in Nowlan Park.
Eoin Larkin bagged 2-4 and the younger Fennelly hit 1-6, but it could have been far greater was it not for a stunning goalkeeper display by James Dempsey between the Offaly sticks.
Kilkenny: E Murphy; P Murphy (0-01), JJ Delaney, B Kennedy; P Walsh, J Tyrrell, C Buckley; L Ryan (0-02), R Hogan (0-04); W Walsh (0-03), M Fennelly (0-03), TJ Reid (0-06, 0-02f); C Fennelly (1-06), M Kelly (2-00), E Larkin (2-04). Subs: K Joyce for Kennedy (28mins); Tommy Walsh for C Fennelly (49mins); B Hogan for P Walsh (51mins); A Fogarty (0-03) for Reid (57mins); JJ Farrell for M Fennelly (61mins).
Offaly: J Dempsey; N Wynne, R Hanniffy (0-01), J Rigney; B Harding, D Morkan, C Parlon (0-01); C Mahon (0-01), S Ryan (0-01); J Bergin (0-01), D Currams (0-01), P Geraghty; K Connolly, S Dooley (0-01), B Carroll (1-10, 0-05f). Subs: C MacDonald for Rigney (27mins); T Geraghty for P Geraghty (35mins); S Quirke (0-01) for Connolly (35mins); G Healion for Harding (53mins); K Slevin for Bergin (61mins).
Sunday, June 22: Leinster Championship, semi-final (O’Connor Park)
KILKENNY 3-22 Galway 5-16
Galway scored three late goals to rescue a replay in a memorable finish to an epic encounter in O’Connor Park. A couple of goals from Conor Cooney and one from a Joe Canning penalty dramatically brought the Tribesmen on level terms with time almost up.
But 62nd minute sub Henry Shefflin put Cody’s men back in front in stoppage time when he drove over from a tight angle, only for Canning to send over an identical point from the narrowest of angles on the stroke of full-time.
Kilkenny: E Murphy, P Murphy, JJ Delaney, B Kennedy; K Joyce, J Tyrrell, C Buckley; P Walsh (0-02), R Hogan (0-05); W Walsh, M Kelly, TJ Reid (1-08, 0-07f); C Fennelly (1-03), R Power, E Larkin (1-01). Subs: M Walsh for Kennedy (34); T Walsh (0-01) for W Walsh (43); A Fogarty (0-01) for Power (52); H Shefflin (0-01) for M Kelly (62); B Hogan for Tyrrell (68).
Galway: C Callanan; F Moore, R Burke, D Collins; I Tannian, D Burke, J Coen; A Smith (0-01), P Brehony; D Burke, J Canning (2-03, 2-00 pens), C Cooney (2-07, 0-04f, 0-02 ‘65); C Mannion, N Burke (1-02), J Flynn (0-02). Subs: J Glynn (0-01) for Mannion (35); K Hynes for Smith (49); G McInerney for Brehony (60); J Cooney for David Burke (62); D Hayes for N Burke (63).
Saturday, June 28: Leinster Championship, semi-final replay (O’Connor Park)
KILKENNY 3-19 Galway 1-17
A TJ Reid inspired Kilkenny made no mistake on the second time of asking when they booked their place in the Leinster final with a pulsating victory over the Tribesmen.
Reid hit 2-11 in a rip roaring display and his second goal in stoppage time ensured there would be no repeat of the previous week’s antics. Galway were heavily reliant on Conor Cooney’s placed balls to remain in touch with Kilkenny and despite trailing by two points at half-time, an unanswered 1-4 from Kilkenny in the third quarter left the result in no doubt.
Kilkenny: E Murphy; P Murphy, JJ Delaney, J Tyrrell; J Holden, B Hogan, C Buckley; C Fogarty, R Hogan (0-02); T Walsh (0-01), P Walsh (0-03), TJ Reid (2-11, 0-10f); C Fennelly, A Fogarty (1-01), E Larkin (0-01). Subs: D Herity for E Murphy (8 mins), J Power for C Fennelly (52), L Ryan for Fogarty (58), H Shefflin for T Walsh (62), W Walsh for A Fogarty (68),
Galway: C Callanan; F Moore, R Burke, D Collins; P Killeen, Daithi Burke, I Tannian (0-01); David Burke (0-01), A Smith (0-01); J Cooney, J Canning (0-01, 0-01 sl), C Cooney (0-12, 0-08f, 0-01’65); J Flynn, N Burke, J Glynn (1-01). Subs: D Hayes for Killeen (half-time), J Coen for N Burke (45), A Harte for J Cooney (51), P Brehony for Smith (57), C Mannion for David Burke (57),
Sunday, July 6: Leinster Championship, final (Croke Park)
KILKENNY 0-24 Dublin 1-09
TJ Reid once again was the chief tormentor for Kilkenny as his 10 points propelled them to a comfortable victory over Dublin in the provincial decider.
Henry Shefflin was sprung from the bench in the final quarter and he fired over three quick-fire points for the Cats, but the game was well wrapped up by that stage. Dublin looked flat and lifeless, but went in just four points behind at the break thanks to Colm Cronin’s 22nd minute goal.
Anthony Daly’s men scored just three times after the break and failed to find the target for the last 22 minutes as Kilkenny eased to victory, scoring the last seven points of the game.
Kilkenny: D Herity; P Murphy, JJ Delaney, J Tyrrell; J Holden, B Hogan (0-01), C Buckley; R Hogan (0-02, 0-01f), C Fogarty; P Walsh (0-02), C Fennelly (0-03), TJ Reid (0-10, 0-04f, 0-04’65); W Walsh (0-01), E Larkin, J Power (0-01). Subs: H Shefflin (0-03) for W Walsh (56 mins), A Fogarty (0-01) for J Power (59), L Ryan for C Fogarty (69).
Dublin: A Nolan; S Durkin, P Kelly, P Schutte; S Hiney, L Rushe, M Carton; J Boland, J McCaffrey; R O’Dwyer, D O’Callaghan (0-01), D Sutcliffe (0-01); C Cronin (1-01), A McCrabbe (0-03, 0-03f), C Keaney (0-01, 0-01 pen). Subs: C McCormack (0-01) for O’Dwyer (29 mins), P Ryan (0-01) for Sutcliffe (41), N McMorrow for Boland (41), D Treacy for Keaney (50), N Corcoran for Schutte (61),
Sunday, August 10: All-Ireland, semi-final (Croke Park)
KILKENNY 2-13 Limerick 0-17
Limerick went toe-to-toe with the Cats in an absorbing encounter, but ultimately a goals either side of half-time from Richie Hogan and Eoin Larkin saw-off the brave Treaty challenge.
Limerick gave it everything in a thrilling game played out in horrendous weather conditions. When Shane Dowling sent them into a 0-16 to 1-11 lead with 15 minutes remaining, TJ Ryan’s men looked on the verge of a huge result but they would score just once more as Kilkenny powered home to victory.
Limerick’s absence of a goal threat was their undoing as Kilkenny sealed a return to the All-Ireland final.
Kilkenny: D Herity; J Tyrrell, JJ Delaney, P Murphy; J Holden, B Hogan, C Buckley; R Hogan (1-00), C Fogarty; M Fennelly (0-02), C Fennelly (0-04), P Walsh (0-02); M Kelly, TJ Reid (0-05f), E Larkin (1-00). Subs: H Shefflin for Kelly (52), R Power for Walsh (54).
Limerick: N Quaid; T Condon, S Hickey, R McCarthy; P O’Brien, W McNamara, G O’Mahony; J Ryan, P Browne; D Breen (0-01), D Hannon (0-05), D O’Grady (0-01); S Dowling (0-07, 4f, 1 65), K Downes, G Mulcahy (0-02). Subs: S Tobin (0-01) for Downes (41), T Ryan for Breen (62), N Moran for O’Grady (62).
