GALWAY’S YOUNG GUNS came through their latest challenge at the weekend when they successfully navigated their first exposure to Leinster championship hurling.
The newcomers proved to be Kilkenny’s tormentors when they collided in the league, and were imperious again at Salthill on Saturday. Aaron Niland was the headline act after that 18-point win in March, but the stage belonged to Rory Burke at the weekend, taking the Cats for 2-2, including a penalty.
He bagged his first championship minutes last year when he came on for the closing minutes of Galway’s All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Tipperary.
And this was a first start to savour. His opening goal was a brilliant illustration of the skills in his wheelhouse.
Despite the attention of experienced defender Paddy Deegan, Burke won the race to gather a pass from Tiernan Killeen. He lost his marker on the spin and powered through to fire the ball past goalkeeper Aidan Tallis.
His second goal from a penalty came less than 10 minutes later for a foul on Niland. Burke’s composed effort helped Galway into a 2-8 to 0-9 lead at half-time, with 2-1 of his final tally already wrapped up.
Advertisement
The lively forward deservedly collected the man-of-the-match award after the game which saw Kilkenny take their biggest Leinster championship beating since 1990. That 15-point defeat also means the Cats have not won a league or championship match in Pearse Stadium since 2009.
But despite Galway’s dominance against the Leinster seven-in-a-row chasers, Burke maintained a steely focus when he spoke to GAA+, insisting that “we’re not getting too carried away with ourselves.”
Manager Micheál Donoghue was suitably impressed with the starlets in his team, including championship debutants Niland, Jason Rabbitte, and Cian Daniels who combined for 1-10.
Burke during the 2025 league with Galway. James Lawlor / INPHO
James Lawlor / INPHO / INPHO
“I’ve been saying it all year, the squad’s gone through a fair transition,” he told Off The Ball. “The young fellas that have come in have just brought in unbelievable energy to the whole group. Every night at training, the energy is really evident and the spirit they forge together is really good.”
Burke’s league campaign was disrupted by Fitzgibbon Cup duty with ATU Galway, along with a hamstring injury which flared up before the Cork game, but even with his limited game time, he still showed flashes of his ability.
He started with 1-3 from play in the opener against a Tipperary outfit that contained 10 of last year’s All-Ireland-winning team. His goal came from a turnover and included an assist from Rabbitte before Burke applied the finish from a tricky angle.
He also featured heavily in that 0-35 to 0-17 drubbing of Kilkenny in the league, leaving his mark on the game with this beautiful sideline score as part of a four-point haul.
Burke was eligible for the Galway U20s last year too and finished the championship with 1-24 to his name. He started with 1-8 against Laois, put 0-9 past Offaly and posted 0-7 in a Leinster semi-final defeat to Dublin.
His Galway minor credentials include a 2022 All-Star award at midfield. The Tribesmen contested the All-Ireland semi-final that year when Burke scored five points from play in a high-scoring thriller against Tipperary.
Burke in action during the 2022 All-Ireland minor semi-final against Tipperary. Ken Sutton / INPHO
Ken Sutton / INPHO / INPHO
He’s a similarly prolific scorer for his club Oranmore-Maree who reached the senior quarter-finals of the 2025 county championship. Burke helped his side top Group D with a total of 0-23, and scored 0-7 as they bowed out to Turloughmore by 5-16 to 0-21.
He was also involved in an U20A county final against Loughrea last September which ended in a draw. Burke helped himself to 2-15 (0-11f, 1’65), including this brilliant goal in the first half before going on to force a replay with a late free.
The second game produced a frantic finish. Oranmore trailed by 3-13 to 0-16 with 53 minutes on the clock before mustering an incredible five-goal rally to clinch a 5-19 to 4-14 victory. Three of those goals were scored in injury time.
With the win already secured, Burke took a late free which dipped under the bar to bring his account to 1-13 (1-10f, 0-2 ’65) and cue the celebrations for a famous win.
Related Reads
The old and the new: O’Connor’s faith rewarded by Cork’s attacking mix
Lightning strikes twice as Galway hammer Kilkenny to start Leinster campaign
“To be honest, I thought it went over” Burke told Galway Bay FM after their replay win.
“I only realised it was a goal when the boys started jumping around and the umpire started flying the green flag. Thank God it went in. It shows the character of our team. We were a bit disappointed with our team performance the last day and thank God we got it today.”
A statement performance against the reigning Leinster champions puts Galway in a commanding position to qualify out of the province. A first provincial title since 2018 is surely in their sights too.
An absence of firepower has been a concern in recent seasons. But there’s been a notable shift. Galway are becoming less reliant Cathal Mannion and Conor Whelan for scores, with only the latter raising a white flag last Saturday. Burke and the rest of the young cubs have emerged to ease that burden.
As they continue to nail every audition, a long and prosperous summer looks increasingly likely.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
The 2-2 hero against Kilkenny becoming the latest young gun for Galway
GALWAY’S YOUNG GUNS came through their latest challenge at the weekend when they successfully navigated their first exposure to Leinster championship hurling.
The newcomers proved to be Kilkenny’s tormentors when they collided in the league, and were imperious again at Salthill on Saturday. Aaron Niland was the headline act after that 18-point win in March, but the stage belonged to Rory Burke at the weekend, taking the Cats for 2-2, including a penalty.
He bagged his first championship minutes last year when he came on for the closing minutes of Galway’s All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Tipperary.
And this was a first start to savour. His opening goal was a brilliant illustration of the skills in his wheelhouse.
Despite the attention of experienced defender Paddy Deegan, Burke won the race to gather a pass from Tiernan Killeen. He lost his marker on the spin and powered through to fire the ball past goalkeeper Aidan Tallis.
His second goal from a penalty came less than 10 minutes later for a foul on Niland. Burke’s composed effort helped Galway into a 2-8 to 0-9 lead at half-time, with 2-1 of his final tally already wrapped up.
The lively forward deservedly collected the man-of-the-match award after the game which saw Kilkenny take their biggest Leinster championship beating since 1990. That 15-point defeat also means the Cats have not won a league or championship match in Pearse Stadium since 2009.
But despite Galway’s dominance against the Leinster seven-in-a-row chasers, Burke maintained a steely focus when he spoke to GAA+, insisting that “we’re not getting too carried away with ourselves.”
Manager Micheál Donoghue was suitably impressed with the starlets in his team, including championship debutants Niland, Jason Rabbitte, and Cian Daniels who combined for 1-10.
“I’ve been saying it all year, the squad’s gone through a fair transition,” he told Off The Ball. “The young fellas that have come in have just brought in unbelievable energy to the whole group. Every night at training, the energy is really evident and the spirit they forge together is really good.”
Burke’s league campaign was disrupted by Fitzgibbon Cup duty with ATU Galway, along with a hamstring injury which flared up before the Cork game, but even with his limited game time, he still showed flashes of his ability.
He started with 1-3 from play in the opener against a Tipperary outfit that contained 10 of last year’s All-Ireland-winning team. His goal came from a turnover and included an assist from Rabbitte before Burke applied the finish from a tricky angle.
He also featured heavily in that 0-35 to 0-17 drubbing of Kilkenny in the league, leaving his mark on the game with this beautiful sideline score as part of a four-point haul.
Burke was eligible for the Galway U20s last year too and finished the championship with 1-24 to his name. He started with 1-8 against Laois, put 0-9 past Offaly and posted 0-7 in a Leinster semi-final defeat to Dublin.
His Galway minor credentials include a 2022 All-Star award at midfield. The Tribesmen contested the All-Ireland semi-final that year when Burke scored five points from play in a high-scoring thriller against Tipperary.
He’s a similarly prolific scorer for his club Oranmore-Maree who reached the senior quarter-finals of the 2025 county championship. Burke helped his side top Group D with a total of 0-23, and scored 0-7 as they bowed out to Turloughmore by 5-16 to 0-21.
He was also involved in an U20A county final against Loughrea last September which ended in a draw. Burke helped himself to 2-15 (0-11f, 1’65), including this brilliant goal in the first half before going on to force a replay with a late free.
The second game produced a frantic finish. Oranmore trailed by 3-13 to 0-16 with 53 minutes on the clock before mustering an incredible five-goal rally to clinch a 5-19 to 4-14 victory. Three of those goals were scored in injury time.
With the win already secured, Burke took a late free which dipped under the bar to bring his account to 1-13 (1-10f, 0-2 ’65) and cue the celebrations for a famous win.
“To be honest, I thought it went over” Burke told Galway Bay FM after their replay win.
“I only realised it was a goal when the boys started jumping around and the umpire started flying the green flag. Thank God it went in. It shows the character of our team. We were a bit disappointed with our team performance the last day and thank God we got it today.”
A statement performance against the reigning Leinster champions puts Galway in a commanding position to qualify out of the province. A first provincial title since 2018 is surely in their sights too.
An absence of firepower has been a concern in recent seasons. But there’s been a notable shift. Galway are becoming less reliant Cathal Mannion and Conor Whelan for scores, with only the latter raising a white flag last Saturday. Burke and the rest of the young cubs have emerged to ease that burden.
As they continue to nail every audition, a long and prosperous summer looks increasingly likely.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Galway GAA Kilkenny GAA Leinster SHC rory burke starlet