Preview- Kilkenny hurling winners kick off Leinster campaign

Shamrocks Ballyhale, Danesfort and Barrow Rangers have ended the county championship season as the big winners and you’d have got big odds on those three winning on final day at the start of the season.

Shamrocks return to the top is hardly a big shock or anything but Danesfort upsetting the Village and Barrow Rangers capturing a first junior crown since 1990 show just how unpredictable the championships are on Noreside.

All three kicktart their Leinster journey at the weekend and hopes will be high that they can embark on an extended run through the province.

Leinster Senior Hurling Championship- Shamrocks v Kilcormac-Killoughey (Offaly), UPMC Nowlan Park, 1.45pm (Sunday)

While the Shamrocks lead the way with 12 Leinster titles in their history, there will be no easing their way ito things as they meet stern opposition from the get-go.

Kilcormac-Killoughey are just on the back of winning a third successive Offaly hurling crown and after reaching last year’s Leinster final before losing to subsequent All-Ireland winners Na Fianna, they will be eager to take a big scalp.

The Offaly club contain star power in the likes of Adam Screeney in their ranks and they collected county honours with a 1-24 to 2-14 success over Shinrone a few weeks ago.

Screeney may take the headlines but in Charlie Mitchell, Colin Spain, Cillian Kiely, Brecon Kavanagh and Conor Mahon, they have huge arrays of county pedigree which they will definitley need going into Nowlan Park.

You don’t have to go to far back for their last meeting with a Kilkenny team after they lost out to O’Loughlin Gaels in the 2023 Leinster Semi-Final.

Brian Hogan’s team ran out five point winners on that occasion as they outgunned their younger counterparts on a difficult day weather wise.

Shamrocks will look to do something similar on Sunday with their experience a massive asset at this time of the year and with Henry Shefflin helping them to return to something like their oldselves, they will be a very dangerous animal.

As it stands, the Ballyhale outfit are odds-on favourites to win back the Leinster crown and why shouldn’t they be fancied with names like TJ Reid, Eoin Cody, Adrian Mullen, Darragh Corcoran and Richie Reid all still starring in the green and white for the Kilkenny champions.

The big difference this year maybe in contrast to other is the coming of age of the likes of Killian Corcoran, Eoin Kenneally and Niall Shortall and that extra depth has definitley served the Shamrocks well.

This is a huge banana skin starting out for the Kilkenny side but if they perform like they did in the county final, it's hard to look beyond them doing enough to advance.

Leinster Intermediate Hurling Championship Quarter-Final- Danesfort v St Mogue’s, Fethard (Wexford), Chadwicks Wexford Park, 1.30pm (Saturday)

Danesfort’s intermediate championship success over the Village may have been against the grain a little but this Leinster challenge looks like something that they are keen to embrace.

It’s only three years since the club was invoved at this level but an opening round defeat at home in Nowlan Park to Trim still leaves a bitter taste.

St Mogue’s of Fethard are the opposition this time around after they defeated Cloughbawn on a 0-20 to 1-15 scoreline in the Wexford county decider last week.

Cian Byrne and Mikie Dwyer shared 16 points between them in the final victory and with both having Wexford inter-county experience, they will need to be closely watched by a Danesfort team that will be desperate to make a mark.

The ‘Fort have achieved success at both provincial and national level back in 2006/2007 with a Leinster win over Knockbridge of Louth proving the catalyst before they eventually defeated Antrim’s Clooney Gaels a couple of weeks later in the All-Ireland Final at Croke Park.

The county final win over the Village should give them huge confidence travelling to the Model County and while they are meeting strong opposition, Kilkenny pedigree at this level should hold them in good stead.

With Anthony Ireland Wall in flying form up front alongside Sam Hayes and the experienced Robbie Walsh they are more than capable of putting up a decent tally.

Ultimately though, the half-back line for Adrian Burke’s team which includes the inspirational Paul Murphy, Des Dunne and Daire O’Neill will look to put a stop to the threat of the Fethard dangerous duo in Byrne and Dwyer and how that plays out will have a major bearing on the last eight affair.

AIB Leinster Junior Hurlng Championship Quarter-Final- Barrow Rangers v Drumcullen (Offaly), Gowran, 12pm (Sunday)

While Nowlan and Wexford Park are familiar county grounds at this stage of the club championship, there is a novel feeling about Barrow Rangers playing in Gowran for their Leinster opener on Sunday.

Barrow Rangers would have had the choice of where they wanted to play and with the Young Irelands club only up the road, it’s a nice homely setting for the Paulstown-Goresbridge outfit.

It’ll will be over two weeks since the county final win when the Kilkenny junior winners take to the field and unlike Danesfort and Shamrocks, this is all new to Barrow Rangers as they take to the field in Leinster action for the very first time.

Their opponents Drumcullen won the Offaly intermediate title via a replay at the expense of Birr’s second team last month with Colm and Eoin Gath leading the scoring for the club better known as the Sash in their 2-18 t 0-14 success.

It’s only as recent as two years ago since Drumcullen played in this competition when they lost out to subsequent All-Ireland winners St Lachtain’s but with silverware and promotion in the bag this time around, they will be difficult opposition for Barrow Rangers.

A big weekend ahead!