1. Kilkenny are bidding for success this year after winning the Leinster title in 2012 but losing the All-Ireland final against Clare.
From that side that lost to the Banner, they have retained a large chunk of it.
Defenders Willie Phelan, Padraig Walsh, Jason Corcoran, Luke Harney and Brian Kennedy all started in that decider.
While the attacking quintet of Cillian Buckley, John Power, Ollie Walsh, Ger Aylward and Kevin Kelly also played in that final loss. Last year’s goalkeeper Dylan Walsh is on the bench this time around.
2. Carlow are chasing a historic first ever appearance in a provincial final at this grade when they take on Wexford tonight.
Last year they lost agonizingly by a narrow margin to Laois by 0-15 to 0-14 in their semi-final clash at Dr Cullen Park. There are survivors from that team in tonight’s line-up in Brian Treacy, John Corcoran, Craig Wall, John Michael Nolan, Marty Kavanagh, Daryl Roberts, James Doyle and Peter Shaw.
They were celebrating recently after dumping Dublin, who could draw on teams that had contested the last two All-Ireland minor finals, out of the competition.
Carlow’s Dion Wall, David Galway, Darren Dalton and Laurence Kinsella celebrate their win over Dublin.
Pic: INPHO/Lorraine O’Sullivan
3. Offaly last won the Leinster U21 championship in 2000 when they defeated Kilkenny. Their last final appearance was in 2008 when they lost out to the Cats while twelve months previously they had beaten in the decider in Parnell Park by Dublin.
The Faithful were 2-16 to 2-15 victors over Laois in their opening clash with corner-forward Stephen Quirke firing 1-9 for the winners.
4. Four members of Liam Dunne’s Wexford senior squad that defeated Antrim last week – Lee Chin, Jack Guiney, Andrew Kenny and Garry Moore – will be in action for the county U21 side tonight.
They will be bidding to get their side back to the decider after Wexford lost out in the finals of 2010 and 2011 to Dublin.
5. There is some strong family links in the Kilkenny side. Corner-back Padraig Walsh is a younger brother of county senior defender Tommy while centre-forward John Power is a younger brother of county senior attacker Richie.
6. Offaly include three players in their side who have recently lined out in All-Ireland senior club hurling finals. Wing-back David King was on the Coolderry side that lost out to Loughgiel Shamrocks of Antrim in the 2012 decider. While the Geraghty twins, Peter and Thomas, both line out in attack and were on the Kilcormac-Killoughey team that were defeated by St Thomas of Galway in the 2013 final.
Kilcormac-Killoughey’s Thomas Geraghty.
Pic: INPHO/Cathal Noonan
