Having disposed of Wexford at the semi-final stages of the competition on Sunday last, Kilkenny will have home advantage for this year’s Bórd na Móna Walsh Cup final with their Galway encounter booked for Nowlan Park.
Throw in is confirmed for 2pm this Sunday and gives hurling fans a chance to see Kilkenny in action on home soil before their Allianz National Hurling League meeting with Waterford on 12 February.
For those planning on attending the game, both Ardán de Grás and Ardán Breathnach will be open, with a large crowd expected even at this stage of the year. Kilkenny GAA have annoucned a ticket price of €10 for adults, with €5 for students and pensioners while under sixteens will continue with free entrance. Season tickets will not be valid for the Walsh Cup and all proceeds from tickets for the game are going to the Leinster Players Hardship Fund.
An Alan Murphy free and some fine goalkeeping at the death from Richie Reid marked the difference between Kilkenny and Wexford on Sunday, the Cats coming home with a 0-15 to 0-14 victory.
Kilkenny Senior manager Brian Cody was happy with the honesty shown by the players against Wexford and says this pre-season competition is certainly very good preparation for the start of the National League.
“Essentially we have the players who are available at the moment and it’s very very competitive”, says Cody.
“Galway next Sunday and the [National Hurling] League starts the following Sunday so it’s preparation for sure. Obviously, you would have to have serious intent to get out, if you were lacking that you wouldn’t have a hope, so there was great, very, very good honesty in the team I felt and there had to be because it was tough conditions.
But, there was some good hurling as well – obviously – because you still have to try and score and trying to create, and obviously it was very very dogged kind of game but in the circumstances and the conditions and time of year, that’s understandable.”
We’ll have live commentary on air and online this Sunday from 2pm.
