KILKENNY legend Eddie Keher believes the Cats are poised to end a ten-year All-Ireland drought. Derek Lyng’s side will face neighbours Tipperary in Sunday week’s SHC semi-final. And while Keher believes Dublin can ‘shove it up to Cork’ in the other last-four clash, he expects the Rebels to contest the July 20 decider. Kilkenny and Tipp are preparing to face each other in the Championship for the first time since the Premier won the 2019 final. Keher said: “There’s a great rivalry there but a great admiration for both teams as well. I think it’ll be a solid battle. “We were looking at Tipperary early on during the league and we felt they might be there this year. Tipp are going to be a big hurdle to get across. “If we do, we could be coming up against a tremendous Cork team. Of course, there’s great rivalry there as well over the years. “But it’ll be all to play for and it’ll be all on the day. Hopefully our lads will get over it.” While Kilkenny have not claimed the Liam MacCarthy Cup since 2015, Keher has been encouraged by the performances of a side who have now won six Leinster titles in a row. He said: “They’re a fine team, Kilkenny. I think they’ll make a good run of it and that they’ll do well. “It’s very hard to call any game between Kilkenny and Tipp. It’ll depend on who turns up most on the day. “But I’m very happy with the Kilkenny team that will probably be starting against Tipp.” Keher insisted that ‘the game is beautiful’ when asked for his thoughts on the state of modern hurling. Short passing in the defensive half of the field is a bugbear for the Rower-Inistioge man, who won six All-Ireland medals before retiring in 1977. But he said: “As someone who has played in the forwards, I’d be telling them that the faster you get the ball up there before the defence is set, the better.” EDDIE KEHER is an ambassador for 24th annual Circet All-Ireland GAA Golf Challenge. This year’s event, in aid of GAA-related charities, takes place at Killarney Golf and Fishing Resort on October 16 and 17.