After three successive years of Kilkenny-Tipperary GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Finals, Kilkenny have new opponents in next Sunday's decider when Galway bid to take the title for the first time since 1988. Throw-in at Croke Park will be at 3.30pm and the senior game will be preceded by the Electric Ireland GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Final between Dublin and Tipperary at 1.15pm.

Galway and Kilkenny clash for the second time in nine weeks, having previously met in the Leinster final on July 8 when Galway won by 2-21 to 2- 11. This will be the first clash between the counties in the All-Ireland final since 1993 when Kilkenny won by five points (2-17 to 1-15). Defending champions, Kilkenny are bidding for their ninth title in thirteen seasons, having previously won in 2000-02-03-06-07-08-09-11. It's the first time since 2004 that Kilkenny are in the final, having been beaten in the Leinster championship. They lost the 2004 final to Cork.

Paths to the final
Galway
Galway 5-19 Westmeath 4-12 (Leinster quarter-final)
Galway 5-23 Offaly 3-15 (Leinster semi-final)
Galway 2-21 Kilkenny 2-11 (Leinster final)
Galway 0-22 Cork 0-17 (All-Ireland semi-final)
Average For: 3-22; Average Against: 2-15

Galway scorers
Joe Canning…………1-32 (0-17 frees, 0-6 '65's)
David Burke…………4-6
Niall Burke…………..0-13 (0-6 frees, 0-2 '65s')
Damien Hayes……….1-10
Cyril Donnellan……..1-9
Conor Cooney…….....2-2
James Regan…………1-5
Andy Smith…………..1-2
Iarla Tannian………..0-4
Davy Glennon………..1-0
Tadhg Haran………..0-1
David Collins………...0-1

Kilkenny
Kilkenny 2-21 Dublin 0-9 (Leinster semi-final)
Galway 2-21 Kilkenny 2-11 (Leinster final)
Kilkenny 4-16 Limerick 1-16 (All-Ireland quarter-final)
Kilkenny 4-24 Tipperary 1-15 (All-Ireland semi-final)
Average For: 3-18; Average Against: 1-16

Kilkenny scorers
Henry Shefflin……………..3-35 (0-29 frees, 0-1 '65'))
Richie Power………………1-10 (0-2f, 0-2 '65s')
Richie Hogan………………1-3
TJ Reid…………………….3-4
Colin Fennelly……………..1-3
Aidan Fogarty……………..2-5
Eoin Larkin……………….1-3
Michael Fennelly…………..0-2
Paddy Hogan………………0-2
Michael Rice……………….0-2
Tommy Walsh……………..0-1
Cillian Buckley…………….0-1
Brian Hogan……………….0-1

Last Championship Clash....
Galway 2-21 Kilkenny 2-11 (2012 Leinster final, Croke Park July 8)
Incredibly, Galway had scored 1-6 before Kilkenny scored their first point in the 20th minute. Galway led by 2-11 to 0-1 after 30 minutes and by 2-12 to 0-4 at half-time. Goals by Richie Hogan and Henry Shefflin helped Kilkenny cut the deficit to eight points (2-17 to 2-9) after 54 minutes but Galway regained the initiative in the final quarter, which they won by 0-4 to 0-2. Earlier in the year, Kilkenny beat Galway 3-26 to 0-10 in the Allianz League in Nowlan Park on April 1 and by 2-20 to 1-14 in the Walsh Cup final in Pearse Stadium on February 12.

Previous Galway-Kilkenny All-Ireland final clashes
This will be the fifth All-Ireland final clash between the counties with Kilkenny having won three of the previous four. Galway's sole success came in 1987 when a team which featured current manager, Anthony Cunningham beat Kilkenny by six points. Kilkenny manager, Brian Cody was on the Kilkenny team that beat Galway in 1975.

1993: Kilkenny 2-17 Galway 1-15
1987: Galway 1-12 Kilkenny 0-9
1979: Kilkenny 2-12 Galway 1-8
1975: Kilkenny 2-22 Galway 2-10

All-Ireland Honours Table
Kilkenny are seeking to extend their lead to four at the top of the All-Ireland table. They trailed Cork by two at the end of 2005 but have since won five tiles to open a commanding lead at the top. Galway are seeking their fifth title, having previously won in 1923-80-87-88.

33: KILKENNY (1904-1905-1907-1909-1911-1912-1913-1922-1932-1933- 1935-1939-1947-1957-1963-1967-1969-1972-1974-1975-1979-1982-1983-
1992-1993-2000-2002-2003-2006-2007-2008-2009-2011).
30: Cork (1890-1892-1893-1894-1902-1903-1919-1926-1928-1929-1931- 1941-1942-1943-1944-1946-1952-1953-1954-1966-1970-1976-1977-1978-1984-1986-1990-1999-2004-2005).
26: Tipperary (1887-1895-1896-1898-1899-1900-1906-1908-1916-1925-1930- 1937-1945-1949-1950-1951-1958-1961-962-1964-1965-1971-1989-1991- 2001-2010)
7: Limerick (1897-1918-21-34-36-40-73).
6: Dublin (1889-1917-1920-1924-1927-1938).
6: Wexford (1910-1955-1956-1960-1968-1996)
4: GALWAY (1923-1980-1987-1988)
4: Offaly (1981-1985-1994-1998)
3: Clare (1914-1995-1997)
2: Waterford (1948-1959)
1: Kerry (1891)
1: Laois (1915)
1: London (1901)

How Kilkenny won their 33 All-Ireland Titles
1904 - Kilkenny 1-9 Cork 1-8
1905 - Kilkenny 7-7 Cork 2-9
1907 - Kilkenny 3-12 Cork 4-8
1909 - Kilkenny 4-6 Tipperary 0-12
1911 - Kilkenny 3-3 Tipperary 2-1
1912 - Kilkenny 2-1 Cork 1-3
1913 - Kilkenny 2-4 Tipperary 1-2
1922 - Kilkenny 4-2 Tipperary 2-6
1932 - Kilkenny 3-3 Clare 2-3
1933 - Kilkenny 1-7 Limerick 0-6
1935 - Kilkenny 2-5 Limerick 2-4
1939 - Kilkenny 2-7 Cork 3-3
1947 - Kilkenny 0-14 Cork 2-7
1957 - Kilkenny 4-10 Waterford 3-12
1963 - Kilkenny 4-17 Waterford 6-8
1967 - Kilkenny 3-8 Tipperary 2-7
1969 - Kilkenny 2-15 Cork 2-9
1972 - Kilkenny 3-24 Cork 5-11
1974 - Kilkenny 3-19 Limerick 1-13
1975 - Kilkenny 2-22 Galway 2-10
1979 - Kilkenny 2-12 Galway 1-8
1982 - Kilkenny 3-18 Cork 1-13
1983 - Kilkenny 2-14 Cork 2-12
1992 - Kilkenny 3-10 Cork 1-12
1993 - Kilkenny 2-17 Galway 1-15
2000 - Kilkenny 5-15 Offaly 1-14
2002 - Kilkenny 2-20 Clare 0-19
2003 - Kilkenny 1-14 Cork 1-11
2006 - Kilkenny 1-16 Cork 1-13
2007 - Kilkenny 2-19 Limerick 1-15
2008 - Kilkenny 3-30 Waterford 1-13
2009 - Kilkenny 2-22 Tipperary 0-23
2011 - Kilkenny 2-17 Tipperary 1-16

How Galway won their four titles
1923: Galway 7-3 Limerick 4-5
1980: Galway 2-15 Limerick 3-9
1987: Galway 1-12 Kilkenny 0-9
1988: Galway 1-15 Tipperary 0-14

Top Scorers - 2012 GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship
Henry Shefflin needs to score six points in the All-Ireland final to top the scoring charts for Championship 2012. He is on 3-35 (44 pts), five behind the leader, Shane Dowling (Limerick) who has scored 4-37 (49pts). Galway's top scorer is Joe Canning who has scored 1-32 (35pts), leaving him with a massive challenge to overtake either Dowling or Shefflin.

The top ten are:
Shane Dowling (Limerick)..............4-37 (49)
Patrick Horgan (Cork)....................1-42 (45)
Henry Shefflin (Kilkenny)..............3-35 (44)
Joe Canning (Galway)....................1-32 (35)
Pa Bourke (Tipperary)....................2-29 (35)
Shane Dooley (Offaly)...................4-21 (33)
Willie Hyland (Laois).....................1-26 (29)
Diarmuid Lyng (Wexford).............1-25 (28)
Niall O'Brien (Westmeath)............2-20 (26)
Maurice Shanahan (Waterford)......0-24 (24)

GAA HURLING ALL-IRELAND SENIOR FINAL SHORTS
* Brian Cody is managing Kilkenny into an All-Ireland final for the 12th time. Kilkenny won it under his guidance in 2000-2002-2003-2006-2007-2008-2009- 2011 and lost in 1999- 2004-2010.
* Galway have had six managers in the same period as Brian Cody have been in charge of Kilkenny. They are: Mattie Murphy, Noel Lane, Conor Hayes, Ger Loughnane, John McIntyre and Anthony Cunningham, who is in his first year at the helm.
* Anthony Cunningham and Brian Cody each won All-Ireland minor, U-21 and senior medals as players. Cunningham has already guided Galway to U-21 success (last year) and is now trying to add a senior title to his managerial CV.
* This is the first year since 2000 (Kilkenny v Offaly) that Munster will have no representation in the senior final.
* Kilkenny are bidding to emulate Offaly (1998), Cork (2004) and Tipperary (2010) by winning the All-Ireland after losing in the provincial championships.
* Barry Kelly (Westmeath) will be refereeing the senior final for the third time having previously taken charge of Cork v Kilkenny in 2006 and Kilkenny v Waterford in 2008.
* What odds a draw? The last All-Ireland hurling final to end level was all of 53 years ago in 1959 when Kilkenny and Waterford finished all square (5-5 to 1-17). Waterford won the replay by 3-12 to 1-10.

ELECTRIC IRELAND GAA HURLING ALL-IRELAND MINOR FINAL
Dublin and Tipperary meet in the minor final for the first time since 1954, when Dublin won. It will be their sixth meeting overall in finals with Dublin leading 3-2 from their previous five clashes. Both teams arrive in the final as provincial champions and with Dublin seeking their first All-Ireland title since 1965 while Tipperary last won the crown in 2007. Dublin are in the final for a second successive year, having lost to Galway last year.

Paths to the final
Dublin 4-24 Carlow 0-3 (Leinster quarter-final)
Dublin 1-12 Kilkenny 0-10 (Leinster semi-final)
Dublin 2-15 Wexford 1-14 (Leinster final)
Dublin 4-14 Clare 2-17 (All-Ireland semi-final)
Average For: 3-16; Average Against: 1-11
****
Tipperary 6-21 Kerry 0-11 (Munster quarter-final)
Tipperary 2-25 Waterford 0-12 (Munster semi-final)
Tipperary 1-16 Clare 1-12 (Munster final)
Tipperary 2-16 Galway 1-14 (All-Ireland semi-final)
Average For: 3-19; Average Against 1-11

Previous Dublin -Tipperary Minor finals
1954: Dublin 2-7 Tipperary 2-3
1953: Tipperary 8-6 Dublin 3-6
1952: Tipperary 9-9 Dublin 3-2
1946: Dublin 1-6 Tipperary 0-7
1945: Dublin 3-14 Tipperary 4-6

All-Ireland Minor Hurling - Roll of Honour
20 - Kilkenny (1931-35-36-50-60-61-62-72-73-75-77-81-88-90-91-93-2002-2003-2008-2010)
18 - Cork (1928-37-38-39-41-51-64-67-69-70-71-74-78-79-85-95-98-2001)
18 - TIPPERARY (1930-32-33-34-47-49-52-53-55-56-57-59-76-80-82-96-2006-2007)
9 - Galway (1983-92-94-99-2000-2004-2005-2009-2011)
4 - DUBLIN (1945-46-54-65)
3 - Wexford (1963-66-68)
3 - Limerick (1940-58-84)
3 - Offaly (1986-87-89)
2 - Waterford (1929-48)
1 - Clare (1997)

GAA HURLING ALL-IRELAND SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS 2012
LEINSTER
May 19: Preliminary Round: Westmeath 0-14 Antrim 0-12, Mullingar; Laois 0- 20 Carlow 0-13, Dr. Cullen Park.
June 2: Quarter-finals: Offaly 2-12 Wexford 1-13, Tullamore; Dublin 3-23 Laois 1-7, Tullamore.
June 3: Quarter-final: Galway 5-19 Westmeath 4-12, Mullingar.
June 17: Semi-final: Galway 5-23 Offaly 3-15, Portlaoise.
June 23: Semi-final: Kilkenny 2-21 Dublin 0-9, Portlaoise.
July 8: Final, Galway 2-21 Kilkenny 2-11, Croke Park.

MUNSTER
May 27: Quarter-final: Tipperary 2-20 Limerick 1-19, Thurles.
June 17: Semi-final: Waterford 2-17 Clare 1-18, Thurles.
June 24: Semi-final: Tipperary 1-22 Cork 0-24, Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
July 15: Final: Tipperary 2-17 Waterford 0-16, Páirc Uí Chaoimh

ALL-IRELAND QUALIFIERS
June 23: Preliminary phase: Wexford 3-22 Westmeath 2-9, Wexford Park; Limerick 6-21 Laois 1-11, Gaelic Grounds.
June 30: Phase 1: Wexford 4-12 Carlow 0-14, Wexford Park; Limerick 8-26 Antrim 1-15, Gaelic Grounds
July 7: Phase 2: Cork 1-26 Offaly 2-16; Clare 1-16 Dublin 0-16.
July 14: Phase 3: Cork 3-24 Wexford 2-17, Thurles; Limerick 3-18 Clare 1-20, Thurles.
July 28/29: All-Ireland quarter-finals: Cork 1-19 Waterford 0-19, Thurles; Kilkenny 4-16 Limerick 1-16, Thurles.
August 12: Semi-final: Galway 0-22 Cork 0-17, Croke Park.
August 19: Semi-final: Kilkenny 4-24 Tipperary 1-15, Croke Park.
Next Sunday: Final: Galway v Kilkenny, Croke Park, 3.30. Tweet

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