It’s coming close to big decision time in the Leinster and Munster hurling ‘round robin’ series, with both provinces staging their second last rounds next weekend.
The line-up is as follows:
SATURDAY
LEINSTER
Laois v Galway, MW Hire O’Moore Park, 5.0 (LIVE! on Galway Bay FM)
Westmeath v Wexford, TEG Cusack Park, 6.30
Dublin v Kilkenny, Parnell Park, 7.0
SUNDAY
MUNSTER
Waterford v Cork, Walsh Park, 2.0
Clare v Limerick, Ennis, 4.0
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LAOIS v GALWAY
Galway (five points) have beaten Westmeath and Kilkenny and drew with Wexford. Laois lost to Dublin, Kilkenny and Wexford.
LAST FIVE CHAMPINSHIP MEETINGS
2015: Galway 3-28 Laois 1-14 (Leinster semi-final)
2014: Galway 1-22 Laois 0-23 (Leinster quarter-final)
2013: Galway 2-17 Laois 1-13 (Leinster semi-final)
2009: Galway 5-29 Laois 0-17 (Leinster quarter-final)
2008: Galway 1-26 Laois 0-9 (All-Ireland qualifiers)
*Laois have beaten Galway only once in championship history, winning the 1949 All-Ireland semi-final by 4-6 to 3-5 in Croke Park.
*Top Scorers 2022 Round Robin - GALWAY
Conor Cooney……1-21 (0-15 frees, 1-0 pen, 0-2 ‘65s’)
Joseph Cooney……1-11
Brian Concannon…. 1-7
*Top Scorers 2022 Round Robin - LAOIS
PJ Scully………….0-20 (0-17 frees)
Enda Rowland…1-3 (frees)
Paddy Purcell…..1-2
*Galway will be at home to Dublin in Pearse Stadium in the final round on Saturday week; Laois will host Westmeath in MW Hire O’Moore Park on the same day.
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DUBLIN v KILKENNY
Dublin (six points) lead the ‘round robin’ table on six points after three wins over Laois, Wexford, Westmeath. Kilkenny (four points) beat Westmeath and Laois and lost to Galway.
LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP MEETINGS
2021: Kilkenny 1-25 Dublin 0-19 (Leinster final)
2020: Kilkenny 3-20 Dublin 2-22 (Leinster semi-final)
2019: Kilkenny 2-23 Dublin 1-21 (Leinster ‘round robin’)
2018: Kilkenny 1-24 Dublin 3-16 (Leinster ‘round robin)
2016: Kilkenny 1-25 Dublin 0-16 (Leinster semi-final)
*Dublin wins over the Cats in the championship have been rare – only one in the last 79 years. Their sole success in that period came in 2013 when they won a Leinster semi-final replay by three points. They later went on to win the Leinster title for the first time since 1961.
*Dublin’s top scorers in the opening three games of the Leinster ‘round robin ‘were as follows:
Donal Burke……0-36 (0-23 frees)
Rian McBride….0-8
Chris Crummey.0-5
*Kilkenny’s top scorers in their first three games:
TJ Reid………….1-17 (0-11 frees, 0-1 ‘65’)
Walter Walsh…1-9
Austin Murphy..0-12 (0-10 frees)
*Kilkenny beat Dublin by 2-23 to 0-16 in this year’s Allianz League in March.
*Brian Cody has come up against Dublin 15 times in the championship since taking over as Kilkenny manager at the start of the 1999 season. They have won thirteen, drawn one and lost one. Kilkenny’s only defeat was in the 2013 Leinster semi-final replay, their first setback against Dublin in the championship since 1942.
*Mattie Kenny is in his fourth season as Dublin manager.
*Dublin play Galway in Pearse Stadium in the final round on Saturday week; Kilkenny will be at home to Wexford in UPMC Nowlan Park on the same day.
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WESTMEATH v WEXFORD
Wexford have three points after drawing with Galway, losing to Dublin and beating Laois. Westmeath has lost all three games to Kilkenny, Galway and Dublin.
LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP MEETINGS
2018: Wexford 2-21 Westmeath 0-16 (All-Ireland preliminary Q-final)
2015: Wexford 1-26 Westmeath 1-24 (Leinster quarter-final)
2012: Wexford 3-22 Westmeath 2-9 (All-Ireland qualifiers)
1995: Wexford 6-23 Westmeath 1-7 (Leinster first round)
1983: Wexford 7-18 Westmeath 1-13 (Leinster first round)
*Westmeath are seeking their first championship win over Wexford since 1940 when they won a Leinster quarter-final by 2-15 to 2-4.
*Wexford’s top scorers in 2022 ‘round robin’:
Lee Chin……………….0-19 (0-13 frees, 0-3 ‘65s’)
Conor McDonald……2-5
Rory O’Connor ……..1-8 (0-4 frees)
*Westmeath’s top scorers in 2022 ‘round robin’:
Killian Doyle…….0-39 (0-34 frees, 0-1 frees)
Niall O’Brien………1-4
*Both will be ‘away’ in the final round on Saturday week. Wexford play Kilkenny in UPMC Nowlan Park; Westmeath play Laois in MW Hire O’Moore Park.
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WATERFORD v CORK
Waterford beat Tipperary and lost to Limerick in their opening two games; Cork lost to Limerick and Clare.
LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP MEETINGS
2020: Waterford 1-28 Cork 1-24 (Munster semi-final)
2019: Cork 2-30 Waterford 2-17 (Munster ‘round robin’)
2018: Cork 1-23 Waterford 1-20 (Munster ‘round robin’)
2017: Waterford 4-19 Cork 0-20 (All-Ireland semi-final)
2017: Cork 0-23 Waterford 1-15 (Munster semi-final)
*They meet in a big game for the second time in six weeks, with Waterford having won the Allianz Hurling League final by 4-20 to 1-23 in early April.
*Cork v Waterford has been a very busy rivalry over the past 22 years, in particular, with the sides having met on 21 occasions in the championship in that period. Cork have won ten times (1999-2003-
2005 (twice)-2006-2012-2014-2017-2018- 2019; Waterford have won eight (2002-2004-2007 (twice), 2010-2015-2017-2020) while the sides drew in 2007-2010-2014).
*This will be the 69th championship clash between the counties. It’s 47-15 in Cork’s favour with six draws. Cork also had a walkover when Waterford failed to field in 1890.
*Stephen Bennett scored 2-11 (0-9 from frees) in Waterford’s Allianz League final win over Cork last month. He scored 1-17 (0-16 frees, 0-1 ‘65’) in the first two Munster games against Tipperary and
Limerick. Dessie Hutchinson (1-8) and Austin Gleeson (0-7, 0-3 frees, 0-1 s/l were next highest scorers for Waterford.
*Patrick Horgan on 0-19 (0-14 frees, 0-1 ‘65’) was Cork’s highest scorer in the opening two Munster games, followed by Robbie O’Flynn on 0-5 and Shane Kingston on 1-2.
*Waterford will be away to Clare in Ennis in the final round on Sunday week; Tipperary will be at home to Cork in FBD Semple Stadium.
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CLARE v LIMERICK
Limerick top the Munster table on six points from three games; Clare have four points from their opening two games.
LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP MEETINGS
2020: Limerick 0-26 Clare 1-23 (Munster quarter-final
2019: Limerick 1-28 Clare 0-13 (Munster ‘round robin)
2018: Clare 0-26 Limerick 0-15 (Munster ‘round robin)
2017: Clare 3-17 Limerick 2-16 (Munster semi-final)
2016: Clare 0-19 Limerick 0-15 (All-Ireland qualifiers)
*This will be the 59th championship game between the counties. Limerick won 37 to Clare’s 20 with one draw, from the previous 58. The draw was in 1970.
*The sides met in this year’s Allianz League when it finished level (0-18 each) in Ennis in early March.
*Limerick’s last defeat in the championship was in the 2019 AllIreland semi-final when they lost to Kilkenny (1-21 to 2-17).
*Clare’s top scorers (Round robin 2022)
Tony Kelly………1-17 (0-9 frees, 1-0 pen, 0-2 ‘65s’)
Peter Duggan…..1-5
Ian Galvin…………1-4
*Limerick’s top scorers (Round robin 2022)
Aaron Gillane……….3-22 (0-13 frees)
Diarmaid Byrnes…..0-15 (0-10 frees, 0-1 ‘65’))
Cathal O’Neill………..0-7
Tom Morrissey……….0-7
*Limerick complete their ‘round robin’ programme on Sunday; Clare will host Waterford in Ennis on Sunday week.
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GAA HURLING ALL-IRELAND SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP 2022
LEINSTER
Round 1: Wexford 1-19 Galway 1-19; Kilkenny 5-23 Westmeath 1-19;
Dublin 1-20 Laois 2-15.
Round 2: Galway 3-36 Westmeath 1-17; Kilkenny 2-34 Laois 1-14;
Dublin 0-24 Wexford 0-23.
Round 3: Wexford 6-21 Laois 0-12; Galway 1-24 Kilkenny 3-17;
Dublin 0-27 Westmeath 1-16
Round 4: May 14: Dublin v Kilkenny; Laois v Galway; Westmeath v
Wexford.
Round 5: May 21: Kilkenny v Wexford; Galway v Dublin; Laois v
Westmeath
Final: June 4
MUNSTER
Round 1: April 17: Waterford 2-24 Tipperary 2-20; Limerick 2-25 Cork
1-17.
Round 2: Limerick 0-30 Waterford 2-21; Clare 3-21 Tipperary 2-16
Round 3: Clare 0-28 Cork 2-20; Limerick 3-21Tipperary 0-23.
Round 4: May 15: Clare v Limerick; Waterford v Cork.
Round 5: May 22: Tipperary v Cork; Clare v Waterford.
Final: June 5
JOE McDONAGH CUP
Round 1: Antrim 3-22 Offaly 2-24; Down 1-19 Kerry 0-18; Carlow 4-
30 Meath 0-17.
Round 2: Kerry 3-21 Carlow 0-15; Offaly 2-22 Meath 0-19; Antrim 6-
22 Down 3-16.
Round 3: Kerry 6-25 Meath 0-13; Antrim 2-22 Carlow 1-22; Offaly 1-
26 Down 2-18
Round 4: May 14: Carlow v Down; Kerry v Offaly; May 15: Meath v
Antrim
Round 5: May 21: Antrim v Kerry; Offaly v Carlow; Down v Meath.
June 4: Final
ALL-IRELAND CHAMPIONSHIPS
June 11/12: Preliminary quarter-finals: Joe McDonagh Cup winners v
3
rd Munster; Joe McDonagh Cup runners-up v 3rd Leinster.
July 18: Quarter-finals
July 2/3: Semi-finals
July 17: Final
