Kilkenny and Dublin progress in Leinster U20 hurling semis

PERHAPS DUBLIN have uncovered an unlikely new formula for success in the Leinster U20 hurling championship.

For the second year running, the Sky Blues have taken out Galway at the semi-final stage despite previously finishing bottom of their round robin.

The Sky Blues navigated the knock-out series in 2024, eventually facing Offaly in the final, and they have repeated that journey in 2025, overcoming Antrim, Offaly and now Galway in knock-out games to set up a decider date with Kilkenny.

Galway qualified for the semi-final as Tier 1, Group 1 winners, though Dublin’s greater momentum was clear as they hit the ground running in Tullamore this evening, racing 2-2 to 0-1 clear.

Callum Graham tore Offaly asunder at the quarter-final stage and netted twice in the opening six minutes this time, putting the Dubs into a lead they held onto.

Graham finished with 2-3 while free-taker Daniel O’Kelly and Ollie Gaffney shared 10 points evenly between them.

Senior duo Conal O Riain and Brendan Kenny were on the mark with scores too as Dublin built on a 2-8 to 0-11 half-time lead to win by a surprisingly comfortable seven.

Galway reduced the gap to a point at one stage late in the first half but were always chasing the game after the disastrous start.

Meanwhile, there was further evidence in Portlaoise that when a Kilkenny team hits the afterburners, few can live with them.

Laois kept pace with Mark Dowling’s young Cats for 40 minutes and trailed by just a point at that stage.

In fact, after scoring three points in a row from Ben Deegan, they were eyeing a win to mirror their minor defeat of the same opposition, at the same stage and venue, three years ago.

That was precisely when Kilkenny moved up a couple of gears, however, impressively reeling off 13 points in a row to secure their first final at this grade since 2022.

Michael Brennan scored eight points in all for Kilkenny, and five of those came during that scoring burst between the 40th and 56th minutes.

Powerful full-forward Marty Murphy came strongly into the game too, scoring three points in that period and five overall.

Kilkenny had 10 different scorers over the hour as they burned off a Laois side that had previously scored an impressive quarter-final win over Wexford.

Kyron Cuddy’s 30th-minute goal for Laois, when he followed up on a blocked shot to convert from close range, left the hosts just a point down at that stage, 1-4 to 0-8.

Rory Glynn and Brennan pointed for Kilkenny, who were 0-10 to 1-4 up at half-time, though those three Deegan points in a row, all from frees, hinted at a second Laois coming.

Laois only added two more points in the game, though, late scores from Jack Breen and sub Cian Hill as Kilkenny went for the jugular.