Galway–Kilkenny hurling rivalry

Galway-Kilkenny
LocationCounty Galway
County Kilkenny
Teams Galway
Kilkenny
First meetingKilk. 3-4 - 0-4 Galway
1897 All-Ireland semi-final
(30 October 1898)
Latest meetingKilkenny 4-21 - 2-26 Galway
2023 Leinster Senior Hurling Championship final
(11 June 2023)
Next meetingTBD
Statistics
Meetings total50
Most player appearances Henry Shefflin (12)
Top scorer Henry Shefflin (5-101)
All-time series Championship: Galway 13-33 Kilkenny
(4 draws)
Largest victoryKilkenny 5-28 - 3-7 Galway
1972 All-Ireland semi-final
(6 August 1972)

The Galway-Kilkenny rivalry is a hurling rivalry between Irish county teams Galway and Kilkenny, who first played each other in 1898. Recently it has become one of the biggest rivalries in Gaelic games.[1][2][3] Kilkenny's home ground is Nowlan Park and Galway's home ground is Pearse Stadium, however, all of their championship meetings have been held at neutral venues.

While Kilkenny have the highest number of All-Ireland and Leinster titles, Galway were the standard bearers in Connacht before joining the Leinster championship in 2009, however, All-Ireland success for them has been sporadic. Between them the two teams have won 41 All-Ireland championships.

History[edit]

While Kilkenny is classed as one of the "Big Three", Galway is considered an in-between county, meaning it has some good years and some bad years. Galway have always had the capability to stop the Kilkenny forces.

Statistics[edit]

Up to date as of 2023 season

Team All-Ireland Provincial National League Total
Kilkenny 36 75 19 130
Galway 5 28 11 44
Combined 41 103 30 174

Notable Matches[edit]

  • Galway 5-18 : 4-18 Kilkenny (August 2005 Croke Park) - Lauded as the greatest game of the modern era, Galway went in as underdogs but managed to stun the hurling world by enialating Kilkenny in the opening 30 minutes leading 2-11:1-04 after 30 minutes. Kilkenny came back into it and trailed only by 2 points at the break 2-11:3-05. But 3 second-half goals by Niall Healy helped Galway to stay in front and bring them to a shocking win by 5-18:4-18.[4]
  • Kilkenny 1-19 : 1-12 Galway (July 2010 at Croke Park) - Galways first Leinster final pitted them against the mighty Kilkenny who were going for an infamous 5-In-A-Row All Irelands. Despite a strong start with Galway jumping to a 1-03:0-00 lead, Kilkenny soon got to grips and rallied to lead 0-14:1-05 at half time. Galway were unlucky not to win the second half (K 1-05:0-07 G), but never gave up and battled until the end.[5]
  • Galway 2-21 : 2-11 Kilkenny (July 2012 at Croke Park) - Kilkenny had become the Kings of hurling and were seen as unbeatable, that is until Anthony Cunninghams men took them on in the Leinster Final of 2012. Galway held Kilkeeny scoreless for 20 minutes and led at half time by 2-12:0-04. Kilkenny fought back in the second half, but it was never going to be enough as Galway finished strongly to win their first Leinster title by 2-21:2-11.[6]
  • Kilkenny 0-19 : 2-13 Galway (September 2012 at Croke Park) - The sides second meeting in the 2012 Trilogy was the All-Ireland final.[7] Again Galway jumped into a lead 1-04:0-02 and held on to lead by 5 at the break 1-09:0-07, but sloppy defending meant they conceded 10 second half frees all converted by Henry Shefflin. Galway finished with a last-gasp free from Joe Canning to force a replay, final score Galway 2-13, Kilkenny 0-19.[8]
  • Kilkenny 3-22: 3-11 Galway (September 2012 #2 at Croke Park) - For the third match in 2012 Galway jumped into a 2-02:0-02 lead but that was the last we heard of Galway until the dying moments as Kilkenny dominated the rest of the match scoring 3-22 to win by eleven points.[9]
  • Galway 5-16 : 3-22 Kilkenny (June 2014 at O'Connor Park) - Galway came back from 10 points down with six minutes to play to force a draw. Joe Canning scored the last point of the game with the last play from out on the left near the touch-line to level the game after Henry Shefflin appeared to have won it for Kilkenny with a similar point at the other end. Kilkenny went on to win the replay the week after.[10]

Recent results[edit]

Legend[edit]

Galway win
Kilkenny win
Drawn match

Senior championship[edit]

No. Date Winners Score Runners-up Venue Stage
1. 30 October 1898 Kilkenny (1) 3-4 - 0-4 Galway Athlone All-Ireland semi-final
2. 13 May 1906 Kilkenny (2) 2-8 - 1-7 Galway Athlone All-Ireland semi-final
3. 29 September 1912 Kilkenny (3) 8-3 - 2-2 Galway Jones's Road All-Ireland semi-final
4. 18 May 1924 Galway (1) 5-4 - 2-0 Kilkenny Croke Park All-Ireland semi-final
5. 9 August 1925 Galway (2) 9-4 - 6-0 Kilkenny Croke Park All-Ireland semi-final
6. 29 August 1926 Kilkenny (4) 6-2 - 5-1 Galway Croke Park All-Ireland semi-final
7. 11 August 1929 Galway (3) 7-7 - 7-1 Kilkenny St. Brendan's Park All-Ireland semi-final
8. 16 August 1931 Kilkenny (5) 7-2 - 3-1 Galway Croke Park All-Ireland semi-final
9. 13 August 1933 Kilkenny (5) 5-10 - 3-8 Galway St. Brendan's Park All-Ireland semi-final
10. 4 August 1935 Kilkenny (6) 6-10 - 1-8 Galway St. Brendan's Park All-Ireland semi-final
11. 8 August 1937 Kilkenny (7) 0-8 - 0-6 Galway St. Brendan's Park All-Ireland semi-final
12. 6 August 1939 Kilkenny (8) 1-16 - 3-1 Galway St. Cronan's Park All-Ireland semi-final
13. 29 July 1945 Kilkenny (9) 5-3 - 2-11 Galway St. Brendan's Park All-Ireland semi-final
14. 27 July 1947 Kilkenny (10) 2-9 - 1-11 Galway St. Brendan's Park All-Ireland semi-final
15. 16 August 1953 Galway (4) 3-5 - 1-10 Kilkenny Croke Park All-Ireland semi-final
16. 6 August 1972 Kilkenny (11) 5-28 - 3-7 Galway Croke Park All-Ireland semi-final
17. 4 August 1974 Kilkenny (13) 2-32 - 3-17 Galway St. Brendan's Park All-Ireland semi-final
18. 7 September 1975 Kilkenny (14) 2-22 - 2-10 Galway Croke Park All-Ireland final
19. 6 August 1978 Kilkenny (15) 4-20 - 4-13 Galway Croke Park All-Ireland semi-final
20. 2 September 1979 Kilkenny (16) 2-12 - 1-8 Galway Croke Park All-Ireland final
21. 8 August 1982 Kilkenny (17) 2-20 - 2-10 Galway Croke Park All-Ireland semi-final
22. 10 August 1986 Galway (5) 4-12 - 0-13 Kilkenny Semple Stadium All-Ireland semi-final
23. 6 September 1987 Galway (6) 1-12 - 0-9 Kilkenny Croke Park All-Ireland final
24. 9 August 1992 Kilkenny (18) 2-13 - 1-12 Galway Croke Park All-Ireland semi-final
25. 5 September 1993 Kilkenny (19) 2-17 - 1-15 Galway Croke Park All-Ireland final
26. 27 July 1997 Kilkenny (20) 4-15 - 3-16 Galway Semple Stadium All-Ireland quarter-final
27. 13 August 2000 Kilkenny (21) 2-19 - 0-17 Galway Croke Park All-Ireland semi-final
28. 19 August 2001 Galway (7) 2-15 - 1-13 Kilkenny Croke Park All-Ireland semi-final
29. 10 July 2004 Kilkenny (22) 4-20 - 1-10 Galway Semple Stadium All-Ireland qualifier
30. 21 August 2005 Galway (8) 5-18 - 4-18 Kilkenny Croke Park All-Ireland semi-final
31. 22 July 2006 Kilkenny (23) 2-22 - 3-14 Galway Semple Stadium All-Ireland quarter-final
32. 28 July 2007 Kilkenny (24) 3-22 - 1-18 Galway Croke Park All-Ireland quarter-final
33. 20 June 2009 Kilkenny (25) 2-20 - 3-13 Galway O'Connor Park Leinster semi-final
34. 4 July 2010 Kilkenny (26) 1-19 - 1-12 Galway Croke Park Leinster final
35. 8 July 2012 Galway (9) 2-21 - 2-11 Kilkenny Croke Park Leinster final
36. 9 September 2012 Galway 2-13 - 0-19 Kilkenny Croke Park All-Ireland final
37. 30 September 2012 Kilkenny (27) 3-22 - 3-11 Galway Croke Park All-Ireland final replay
38. 22 June 2014 Kilkenny 3-22 - 5-16 Galway O'Connor Park Leinster semi-final
39. 28 June 2014 Kilkenny (28) 3-19 - 1-17 Galway O'Connor Park Leinster semi-final replay
40. 5 July 2015 Kilkenny (29) 1-25 - 2-15 Galway Croke Park Leinster final
41. 6 September 2015 Kilkenny (30) 1-22 - 1-18 Galway Croke Park All-Ireland final
42. 3 July 2016 Kilkenny (31) 1-26 - 0-22 Galway Croke Park Leinster final
43. 27 May 2018 Galway (10) 1-22 - 2-11 Kilkenny Salthill Leinster Round Robin
44. 1 July 2018 Galway 0-18 - 0-18 Kilkenny Croke Park Leinster final
45. 8 July 2018 Galway (11) 1-28 - 3-15 Kilkenny Croke Park Leinster final replay
46. 9 June 2019 Galway (12) 2-22 - 3-20 Kilkenny Nowlan Park Leinster Round Robin
47. 14 November 2020 Kilkenny (32) 2-20 - 0-24 Galway Croke Park Leinster Final
48. 1 May 2022 Galway (13) 1-24 - 3-17 Kilkenny Pearse Stadium Leinster Round Robin
49. 30 April 2023 Kilkenny 0-28 - 1-25 Galway Nowlan Park Leinster Round Robin
50. 11 June 2023 Kilkenny (33) 4-21 - 2-26 Galway Croke Park Leinster Final

National League[edit]

No. Date Winners Score Runners-up Venue Stage
28 March 2010 Galway 2-21 - 1-23 Kilkenny Nowlan Park Round 5
13 March 2011 Galway 4-14 - 3-11 Kilkenny Pearse Stadium Round 4
1 April 2012 Kilkenny 3-26 - 0-10 Galway Nowlan Park Round 5
24 February 2013 Galway 3-11 - 0-17 Kilkenny Pearse Stadium Round 1
21 April 2013 Kilkenny 1-24 - 1-17 Galway Semple Stadium League semi-final
9 March 2014 Kilkenny 2-16 - 1-16 Galway Nowlan Park Round 3
20 April 2014 Kilkenny 1-16 - 0-15 Galway Gaelic Grounds League semi-final
8 March 2015 Galway 0-20 - 0-18 Kilkenny Pearse Stadium Round 3
6 March 2016 Kilkenny 0-21 - 1-14 Kilkenny Nowlan Park Round 3

Records[edit]

Scorelines[edit]

Top scorers[edit]

Team Player Score Total
Galway Joe Canning 6-56 74
Kilkenny Henry Shefflin 5-110 125

External links[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Breheny, Martin (19 June 2014). "Kilkenny wary of history against erratic Tribesmen". Irish Independent. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
  2. ^ McEvoy, Enda (21 June 2014). "The itch Cody can't scratch". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
  3. ^ McEvoy, Enda (24 June 2014). "Galway the stone in his shoe Brian Cody can't get rid of". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
  4. ^ "Galway turn Cats' milk sour". RTE Sport. 14 June 2007. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  5. ^ "Kilkenny 1-19 Galway 1-12". RTE Sport. 4 June 2010. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  6. ^ "Galway 2-21 Kilkenny 2-11". RTE Sport. 8 July 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  7. ^ "Analysis: How good was Henry Shefflin's iconic display in the 2012 All-Ireland hurling final?". The 42. 1 September 2015. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  8. ^ "Kilkenny 0-19 Galway 2-13". RTE Sport. 11 September 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  9. ^ "Kilkenny 3-22 Galway 3-11". RTE Sport. 1 October 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  10. ^ "Galway 5-16 Kilkenny 3-22". RTE Sport. 23 June 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
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