All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final

Waterford vs. Kilkenny – Waterford will play Kilkenny in the 2008 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final on Sunday next, September 7th at 3:30pm in Croke Park.

It’s a very special occasion for both counties. Kilkenny are seeking their 6th title this decade and their 31st in all which would put them into the lead – one ahead of Cork – on the all-time honours table. And then there’s the three-in-a-row element as Kilkenny bid to complete the All-Ireland treble for the first time since 1911-12-13. Cork were the last to win the three-in-a-row in 1976-77-78.

Waterford are back in the All-Ireland final for the first time since 1963 when they lost in most unusual circumstances to Kilkenny by 4-17 to 6-8. It was the first time since 1910 (Wexford 7-0 Limerick 6-2) that a team had lost the final after scoring six goals. Waterford last won the title in 1959 when they beat Kilkenny in a replay.

Team News

WATERFORD (SH v Kilkenny) — C Hennessy; E Murphy, D Prendergast, A Kearney; T Browne, K McGrath, K Moran; M Walsh, J Nagle; D Shanahan, S Prendergast, S Molumphy; E McGrath, E Kelly, J Mullane

LAST CHAMPIONSHIP CLASH
Kilkenny 3-12 Waterford 0-18
(2004 All-Ireland semi-final)

Kilkenny: James McGarry; Michael Kavanagh, Noel Hickey, James Ryall; Tommy Walsh, Peter Barry, JJ Delaney; Derek Lyng, Ken Coogan (0-1); Eddie Brennan (1-1), John Hoyne, DJ Carey (0-2); ‘Cha’ Fitzpatrick (0-1), Martin Comerford (0-3), Henry Shefflin (2-4)..

Waterford: Ian O’Regan; Eoin Murphy, Declan Prendergast, James Murray; Tony Browne, Ken McGrath, Brian Phelan; Dave Bennett, Eoin Kelly (0-1); Dan Shanahan, Michael Walsh (0-1), Paul Flynn (0-13); Shane O’Sullivan, Seamus Prendergast, Eoin McGrath.
Subs: Jack Kennedy (0-3) for O’Sullivan; Paul O’Brien for Eoin McGrath

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship – Podcast

Irish Examiner experts Tony Considine and Donal O’Grady, along with Diarmuid O’Flynn and Michael Moynihan, discuss the strengths of both sides and the pressure that they will be under in the run-up to Sunday’s contest. Click here for more details