DUBLIN GO IN search of their first Leinster senior hurling title since 1961 on Sunday in Croke Park.
Standing in their way are the reigning provincial champions Galway.
While Dublin’s confidence levels will have soared after last Saturday’s brilliant Leinster semi-final replay win over Kilkenny, they don’t have the best of track records of late in clashes in hurling finals against Galway at various levels.
Here’s a look at some of the recent heartache that Dublin teams have experienced.
2007 – All Ireland U21HC final – Galway 5-11 Dublin 0-12
INPHO/Morgan Treacy
The Tribesmen’s goalscoring prowess was crucial to their success here as they had 14 points to spare over Dublin.
From that Galway team goalkeeper James Skehill, centre-forward Kevin Hynes, full-forward Joe Canning and substitute Aidan Harte all started against Laois in the recent Leinster senior semi-final.
On the Dublin side, the survivors for the current senior setup are Joey Boland, Johnny McCaffrey and Shane Durkin.
Both Tomas Brady, a recent cruciate victim, and Diarmuid Connolly are with Jim Gavin’s senior football setup while Alan McCrabbe was an Allstar in 2009.
GALWAY - J Skehill, A Leech, G Mahon, C O’Donovan, M Ryan, J Lee, A Keary, D Kennedy, K Kilkenny 0-1, S Glynn 1-0, K Hynes, F Coone 0-2, C Kavanagh 2-0, J Canning 0-3, K Wade 1-4. Subs: B Hanley for Glynn, A Harte for Kennedy, J Greene for Coone, N Kelly 1-1 for Kavanagh, P Loughnane for Leech.
DUBLIN – P Curtin, R Drumgoole, P O’Callaghan, D Webster, K Dunne, T Brady, J Boland, J McCaffrey 0-1, A McCrabbe 0-9, E Moran, R O’Carroll, D Connolly 0-1, P Carton 0-1, D O’Dwyer, S Durkin. Subs: M McGarry for Webster, I Fleming for O’Carroll, S Lehane for Connolly.
INPHO/Morgan Treacy
2011 – All Ireland MHC final – Galway 1-21 Dublin 1-12
INPHO/Billy Stickland
Dublin’s minors were undone in Croke Park by an extremely strong Galway team.
The Tribesmen had notable scoring contributions in that game from current seniors Shane Maloney (1-9) and Padraig Brehony (0-4) while Paul Killeen and Jonathan Glynn were also part of that setup
On the Dublin side, Glenn Whelan is part of the extended senior squad at present. While Eric Lowndes, Ciaran Kilkenny, Emmet Ó Conghaile and Cormac Costello are involved with the Dublin senior footballers.
GALWAY - S Mannion, C Diviney, P Killeen, P Mannion; A Tuohy (0-1), S Sweeney, J Hanbury, P Brehony (0-4), D Higgins (0-1), J Flynn (0-3), J Glynn, B Lane, G O’Donoghue (0-1), J Carr (0-1), S Maloney (1-9, 6f). Subs – M Mullan for Hanbury, K Cullinane for Higgins, D Dolan (0-1) for O’Donoghue, P Flaherty for Carr.
DUBLIN – C Ryan, E Lowndes, C O’Callaghan, S McClelland; C Crummey, J Desmond, M McCaffrey (0-1), C Cronin (0-2), G Whelan, E Ó Conghaile, C McHugh, C Kilkenny (1-3, 1-1f), C Costello (0-1), A Clabby (0-2, 1f), P Winters (0-3, 2f, 1 ’65). Subs – D Gormley for Desmond, O O’Rourke for McHugh, C Boland for Winters.
INPHO/Billy Stickland
2011 – All Ireland U21HC final – Galway 3-14 Dublin 1-10
INPHO/Lorraine O’Sullivan
Another day when Galway were far too strong for Dublin. Current senior manager Anthony Cunningham presided over that Galway U21 side which featured Niall Donoghue, Johnny Coen, David Burke, Barry Daly, Niall Burke, James Regan, Conor Cooney and Davy Glennon.
On that Dublin U21 side there are graduates to the senior setup in Jack Doughan, Liam Rushe, Martin Quilty, Danny Sutcliffe, Mark Schutte, Niall McMorrow and Eamonn Dillon.
GALWAY: J Ryan, D Connolly, N Donoghue, G O’Halloran, J Grealish, P Gordon, R Foy, J Coen, D Burke (0-03, 1f), B Daly (0-01), N Burke (0-03, 2f), T Haran (1-03, 1-00 pen), J Regan (1-02), C Cooney, D Glennon (1-02).
Subs: R Burke for Gordon, B Burke for Haran, D Fox for Cooney, N Quinn for N Burke.
DUBLIN: G McManus, B O’Carroll, D Kelly, J Doughan, D Curran, L Rushe, M Quilty, C Gough, D Sutcliffe, D Plunkett, M Schutte, T Connolly (1-02, 0-02f), K O’Loughlin (0-05, 5f), N McMorrow (0-01), E Dillon.
Subs: F Clabby for Schutte, R McMahon (0-02) for O’Loughlin, B Quinn for Connolly.
INPHO/Lorraine O’Sullivan
2012 – Division 1A league relegation final replay – Galway 4-21 Dublin 0-19
INPHO/James Crombie
After drawing in Tullamore, Dublin saw themselves consigned to Division 1B hurling as they suffered a heavy defeat against Galway by 14 points in Portlaoise.
11 of the Galway team that started in that game against Dublin were in action from the off against Laois in their recent Leinster semi-final victory.
On the Dublin side that started against Kilkenny last week, there were also 11 survivors from that relegation decider loss to Galway.
GALWAY: F Flannery; K Hynes, D Collins, J Coen (0-1); N Donoghue, F Moore, T Og Regan; D Burke (1-3), I Tannian (0-1); A Smith, N Burke (0-4), C Donnellan (0-2); D Hayes (0-1), J Canning (2-7), D Glennon (1-2). Subs – J Glynn for A Smith, J Regan for C Donnellan, B Flaherty for N Donoghue, C Cooney for N Burke.
DUBLIN: G Maguire; N Corcoran, P Kelly, P Schutte; M Carton, J Boland (0-1), S Durkin; J McCaffrey (0-1), M Quilty (0-3); C McCormack (0-2), D Treacy (0-1), L Rushe; D Sutcliffe, Ross O’Carroll, P Ryan (0-11). Subs – S Lambert for D Treacy, N McMorrow for R O’Carroll, E Dillon for M Quilty, R Treanor for P Schutte, D Plunkett for P Ryan.
INPHO/James Crombie
