Who’ll be kings of Leinster - College or CBS?

The Corn Ui Dhúill Leinster A Colleges senior hurling title will return to Kilkenny for the first time since 2019 when St Kieran’s and Kilkenny CBS meet in today’s provincial decider in UPMC Nowlan Park today (Wednesday) at 2.30pm.

Coláiste Eoin, Offaly Schools and Good Counsel, New Ross have all brought home the silverware since Kieran’s got one over Coláiste Eoin four years ago and they will be favourites to be celebrating once again.

The city neighbours will meet in the final for a 13th time with Kieran’s leading the head to head on eight wins to four. As the defending All-Ireland winners, they will be fancied to claim a 57th ever title.

The tasty final affair also shows the strength of schools hurling in Kilkenny with the same two also contesting the Junior A hurling final before Christmas where St Kieran’s won out after extra-time.

The tie brings back memories of the most recent Leinster final between the teams in 2017 where St Kieran’s had four points to spare in the windup.

Kieran’s ended up losing that season’s All-Ireland final to Templemore but they still produced a number of stars for the future including current Kilkenny senior players Mossy Keoghan, Mikey Carey and Adrian Mullen.

Kilkenny CBS themselves had major players in the O’Loughlin Gaels trio of Mikey Butler, Conor Heary and Jordan Molloy as well as James Stephens free-taker Niall Brassil.

They are just some of the players that came to the fore seven years ago and you can expect future Kilkenny stars to be on show in this year’s version.

The teams and players are very familiar with each other and they faced off as recently as last December when Kieran’s secured a one point win during the group-stages in Palmerstown.

Kieran’s have won all three of their championship games thus far including a notable success over Offaly Schools last time out while Kilkenny CBS have recovered from a slow start to beat St Mary’s, Enniscorthy, Colaiste Mhuire, Johnstown and Good Counsel in recent weeks.

CBS showed enough in the loss to Kieran’s to suggest that they’ll fancy their chances of turning the tables especially with the likes of Ryan Corcoran, Eanna Ó Casáide and Billy O’Neill having senior club experience as well as Mikey Stynes, Brian Moore and Greg Kelly impressing with the Kilkenny minor team in 2023.

The CBS will be looking to win the Leinster crown for the first time in 10 years and Kieran’s were the final opposition on that occasion as well.

Kieran’s will be the favourites though and they still have the likes of Stephen Manogue, Timmy Kelly, Jeff Neary, Aaron McEvoy, Rory Glynn and Sean Hunt available from the side that beat Athenry in the All-Ireland final on St Patrick’s Day last year.

Add in the younger talent of Ed Lauhoff, Ed McDermott, Evan Murphy and Conor Doyle and the management team of Brian Dowling, Richie Ruth and Michael Walsh will be hopeful of having the required firepower to make up for defeat in last year’s Leinster final.

Whatever the result, both teams will be assured of a place in the All-Ireland series with the winner making a semi-final and the loser looking to bounce back in a quarter-final.