Senior hurlers hoping to reverse most recent trend against the Cats

Galway, the reigning GAA hurling All-Ireland senior champions, and Kilkenny, who won the Allianz League title last month, begin their Leinster championship campaigns this weekend.

Similar to Munster, it’s a new-look format in the Leinster championship with the five competing counties (Dublin, Galway, Kilkenny, Offaly, Wexford) playing each other, with the top two qualifying for the final. The third placed teams in Leinster and Munster will qualify for the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals where they will play the Joe McDonagh Cup finalists.

Galway play Offaly in Bord na Mona O’Connor Park on Saturday (7.00pm) while Dublin face Kilkenny in Parnell Park on Sunday (2.00pm)

DUBLIN v KILKENNY

Dublin wins over Kilkenny in the championship have been very rare – only one in the last 75 years - which underlines the extent of the challenge awaiting them in the first series of Leinster round-robin games in Parnell Park on Sunday.

Dublin’s only success in that period came in 2013 when they won a Leinster semi-final replay by three points. They later went on to win the Leinster title for the first time since 1961.

Dublin's Seán Moran says Pat Gilroy's men are fully focused on this Sunday's Parnell Park clash.

“That’s one game we’re going to target straight away, prepare as best we can and set up in the best way we can to beat Kilkenny.

“You have quick turnaround between matches but our first game against Kilkenny, that would be huge to get a victory under our belts if we can in that first match.”

LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP CLASHES

2016: Kilkenny 1-25 Dublin 0-16 (Leinster semi-final)

2014: Kilkenny 0-24 Dublin 1-9 (Leinster final)

2013: Dublin 1-16 Kilkenny 0-16 (Leinster semi-final replay)

2013: Kilkenny 1-14 Dublin 0-17 (Leinster semi-final)

2012: Kilkenny 2-21 Dublin 0-9 (Leinster semi-final)

Kilkenny were crowned Division 1 Allianz League champions this year after winning six and losing two (Cork, Clare) of eight games. Dublin won two and lost three games in 1B before losing to Tipperary in the quarter-final.

Brian Cody is in his 20th season as Kilkenny manager; Pat Gilroy is in his first season with Dublin.

He served as football manager for four seasons (2009-2012), during which Dublin won one All-Ireland and three Leinster titles. His overall championship record was: Played 22; Won 18, Lost 4. The four defeats came against Kerry (2009 All-Ireland quarter-final), Meath (2010 Leinster semi-final), Cork (2010 All-Ireland semi-final) and Mayo 2012 (All-Ireland semi-final).

Brian Cody has come up against Dublin eleven times in the championship since taking over as Kilkenny manager at the start of the 1999 season.

In that period, they have played Dublin eleven times in the cham-pionship, winning nine, losing one and drawing one. Kilkenny’s only defeat was in the 2013 Leinster semi-final replay, their first setback against Dublin in the championship since 1942.

2000: Kilkenny 3-16 Dublin 0-10 (Leinster semi-final)

2003: Kilkenny 3-16 Dublin 0-10 (Leinster semi-final)

2004: Kilkenny 4-22 Dublin 0-8 (All-Ireland qualifier)

2009: Kilkenny 2-18 Dublin 0-18 (Leinster final)

2010: Kilkenny 4-19 Dublin 0-12 (Leinster semi-final)

2011: Kilkenny 4-17 Dublin 1-15 (Leinster final)

2012: Kilkenny 2-21 Dublin 0-9 (Leinster semi-final)

2013: Kilkenny 1-14 Dublin 0-17 (Leinster semi-final)

2013: Dublin 1-16 Kilkenny 0-16 (Leinster semi-final replay)

2014: Kilkenny 0-24 Dublin 1-9 (Leinster final)

2016: Kilkenny 1-25 Dublin 0-16 (Leinster semi-final)

OFFALY v GALWAY

They meet for a second successive season, with Galway having won last year’s Leinster semi-final by ten points in Portlaoise.

PREVIOUS CHAMPIONSHIP CLASHES

This will be the 13th championship clash between the counties. It’s 7-4 to Galway with one draw from the previous twelve meetings.

2017: Galway 0-33 Offaly 1-11 (Leinster semi-final)

2016: Galway 2-19 Offaly 2-9 (Leinster semi-final)

2012: Galway 5-23 Offaly 3-15 (Leinster semi-final)

2010: Galway 3-17 Offaly 2-18 (Leinster semi-final replay)

2010: Galway 2-19 Offaly 3-16 (Leinster semi-final)

1994: Offaly 2-13 Galway 1-10 (All-Ireland semi-final)

1990: Galway 1-16 Offaly 2-7 (All-Ireland semi-final)

1988: Galway 3-18 Offaly 3-11 (All-Ireland semi-final)

1985: Offaly 2-11 Galway 1-12 (All-Ireland final)

1984: Offaly 4-15 Galway 1-10 (All-Ireland semi-final)

1981: Offaly 2-12 Galway 0-15 (All-Ireland final)

1980: Galway 4-9 Offaly 3-10 (All-Ireland semi-final)

Offaly are seeking their first win over Galway in the championship since the 1994 All-Ireland semi-final. The counties clashed in the third round of this year’s Allianz League 1B campaign when Galway won by 2-19 to 0-14 in Pearse Stadium. Galway finished second in 1B (four wins, one defeat) before losing to Wexford in the quarter-finals. Offaly finished third on the table (two wins, three defeats) before losing to Kilkenny in the quarter-finals. Micheal Donoghue is in his third season as Galway manager while Kevin Martin is in his first term at the Offaly helm.

JOE MCDONAGH CUP—ROUND 2

ANTRIM v CARLOW, CORRIGAN PARK, BELFAST (SATURDAY, 3.0PM)

This has been a busy rivalry since the start of last year. The sides have met on four occasions in that period (twice in the Allianz League and twice in the Christy Ring Cup). They drew in a 2A League group game last year before Antrim won the final by three points to clinch pro-motion. Antrim also won (by a point after extra-time) in the early rounds of the Christy Ring Cup but Carlow gained revenge in the final, which they won by 11 points. Both sides won last weekend. Antrim beat Meath while Carlow beat Kerry.

WESTMEATH v MEATH, TEG CUSACK PARK (SUNDAY 1.0PM)

They meet for the second time this year, with Westmeath having won a 2A Allianz League game by 1-19 to 1-18 in Trim in February. Meath led by three points at half-time before Westmeath increased the tempo, opening up a five point lead. Meath rallied and cut the deficit to the minimum but Westmeath held on in a frantic finish. Westmeath made a successful start to the Joe McDonagh Cup campaign last weekend, beating Laois by three points while Meath lost to Antrim.

KERRY v LAOIS, AUSTIN STACK PARK, TRALEE (SUNDAY 3.0PM)

They meet in the championship for a second successive year, with Laois winning a Leinster ‘round robin’ tie by 2-21 to 3-15 in Tralee last season. Kerry led by four points at half-time but Laois improved consider-ably in the second and ran out three-point winners. Both lost their opening Joe McDonagh Cup games last weekend. Kerry went down to Carlow while Laois lost to Westmeath. May 5/6: Meath v Antrim; Car-low v Kerry; Laois v Westmeath.

LEINSTER

Round Robin 1

May 12: Offaly v Galway, Bord na Mona O’Connor Park. May 13: Dublin v Kilkenny, Parnell Park.

Round Robin 2

May 20: Kilkenny v Offaly, Nowlan Park; Wexford v Dublin, Innovate Wexford Park.

Round Robin 3

May 26/27: Offaly v Wexford, Bord na Mona O’Connor Park. May 27: Galway v Kilkenny, Pearse Stadium

Round Robin 4

June 2: Wexford v Galway, Innovate Wexford Park June 3: Dublin v Offaly, Parnell Park.

Round Robin 5

June 9: Kilkenny v Wexford, Nowlan Park; Galway v Dublin, Pearse Stadium

July 1: Final, Croke Park.

MUNSTER

Round Robin 1

May 20: Limerick v Tipperary, Gaelic Grounds; Cork v Clare, Pairc Ui Chaoimh.

Round Robin 2

May 27: Tipperary v Cork, Semple Stadium; Clare v Waterford, Cusack Park.

Round Robin 3

June 2: Cork v Limerick, Pairc Ui Chaoimh June 3: Waterford v Tipperary. Gaelic Grounds

Round Robin 4

June 10: Limerick v Waterford, Gaelic Grounds; Tipperary v Clare, Semple Stadium

Round Robin 5

June 17: Waterford v Cork, Semple Stadium; Clare v Limerick, Cusack Park

July 1: Final

All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals

July 7/8: 3rd placed Munster v Joe McDonagh Cup winners; 3rd placed Leinster v Joe McDonagh Cup runners-up

All-Ireland quarter-finals

July 15: Munster runners-up v Preliminary quarter-final winner; Leinster runners-up v Preliminary quar-ter-final winner.

July 28: All-Ireland semi-final, Croke Park

July 29: All-Ireland semi-final, Croke Park

August 19: All-Ireland final, Croke Park.

JOE McDONAGH CUP

Round 1

May 5/6: Antrim 5-25 Meath 2-18; Carlow 0-21 Kerry 0-18; Westmeath 2-2 Laois 1-21.

Round 2

May 12/13: Kerry v Laois; Antrim v Carlow; Westmeath v Meath.

Round 3

May 20: Kerry v Westmeath; Antrim v Laois; Carlow v Meath

Round 4

June 3 Meath v Kerry; Laois v Carlow; Westmeath v Antrim.

Round 5

June 9/10: Meath v Laois; Carlow v Westmeath; Antrim v Kerry