Galway v Kilkenny: 2025 All Ireland Senior Championship

June 21, 2025

2025 Glen Dimplex All Ireland Senior Championship – Round 4

Galway v Kilkenny
Date: 21 Jun, 4pm
Venue: tbc
Referee: Ray Kelly (Kildare)
FT: Galway 1-17 Kilkenny 0-12

Match Video

Match Report

A very strong final quarter from Galway saw them maintain their unbeaten run in the championship and it secured their spot in the All Ireland Quarter finals with a game in hand. Kilkenny, who had suffered a first ever defeat to Waterford in their previous group game at home, did hit Galway hard for the opening 45 minutes but good team work and experience from Galway helped them in seeing out the victory.

Galway came out the strongest in a low scoring first half with two quick fire points from Sabina Rabbitte and Ailish O’Reilly. Sarah Barcoe and Caoimhe Keher Murtagh brought the sides level by the 9th minute. Galway captain, Carrie Dolan restored the lead on the 11th minute with a free. Keher Murtagh and Aoife Prendergast, through a free, followed up with two points for Kilkenny to give them the lead for the first time by the midway point of the half. Dolan pointed two frees between the 19th and 25th minutes to restore the lead for Galway. Prendergast slotted her second free of the day on the 29th minute but Galway finished the half the strongest with points from Aoife Donohue and Ciara Hickey as Galway went in 0-7 to 0-5 to the good at half time.

Kilkenny were quickest out of the blocks in the second half with points from Katie Power and a free from Prendergast to leave the sides level by the 32nd minute. Dolan through a free and Mairead Dillion followed up with two points for Galway to restore their lead by the 36th minute. Prendergast followed
up with another free three minutes later. Galway started to get a grip on the game with three unanswered points through Donohue, a Dolan free and a point from play from substitute Caoimhe Kelly left Galway four points clear heading into the final quarter. Prendergast hit two frees either side of a Rabbitte point to leave a goal between the sides by the 48th minute.

Galway began to kick on however with points from Niamh Mallon, and two from Dolan, one through a free. Galway were beginning to work well as a team. Laura Murphy and Dolan swapped scores on the 57th minute. Kelly done well at holding up two Kilkenny defenders a minute later to set up substitute Niamh Niland who came in a broke through the Kilkenny defence and made no mistake in blasting the
ball into the back of the Kilkenny net. Prendergast hit a free in injury time but it wasn’t enough as Galway ran out 1-17 to 0-12 winners on the day.

When Galway went long with Sarah Healy’s puck outs in the second half, Galway began to pick off some valuable scores. The defence held strong too especially in around the goal which stopped Kilkenny getting through for goal opportunities. Upfront, Galway’s support play was very good in the second half with Kelly and the Rabbitte sisters setting up a lot of scores. Up next for Murray’s charges is a home game against Waterford next weekend. It is a top of the table clash and a win would see Galway straight through to an All Ireland Semi Final.

GALWAY:
S Healy, S Healy, D Higgins, R Hanniffy, C Hickey (0-1), E Helebert, A M Starr, A Hesnan, C Dolan (0-8, 0-6F), N Mallon (0-1), O Rabbitte, A Donohue (0-2), M Dillion (0-1), S Rabbitte (0-2), A
O’Reilly (0-1).
Subs: C Kelly (0-1) for O’Reilly (43mins), N Niland (1-0) for Dillion (58mins), A Kelly for Hesnan (60mins), S Gardiner for Starr (60mins)
KILKENNY:
A Norris, M Teehan, T Fitzgearld, C Phelan, N Deely, L Murphy, C Dowling, A O’Gorman, L Greene, M O’Connell, S Fitzgearld, S Barcoe (0-1), A Prendergast (0-7f), K Power (0-1), C Keher Murtagh (0-2)
Subs: S Holden for O Connell (43mins), K Doyle for Greene (47mins), M Bambrick for O Gorman (47mins), K Nolan for Barcoe (50mins), A McHardy for Keher Murtagh (54mins).

ADDITIONAL REPORTING