Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Dublin’s Ronan Hayes with Huw Lawlor and goalkeeper Eoin Murphy of Kilkenny.James Crombie/INPHO Analysiseastern promise What's the key question facing each Leinster team in the hurling championship? The round-robin action begins this Saturday. 8.07pm, 17 Apr 2025 Share options Compiled by Sinéad Farrell and Stephen Barry Saturday 19 April Leinster senior hurling Round 1 Wexford v Antrim, Chadwicks Wexford Park, 2pm. Kilkenny v Galway, UPMC Nowlan Park, 3.45pm – RTÉ. Dublin v Offaly, Parnell Park, 6pm. 1. Can Antrim score heavily enough to make a dent in Leinster? Davy Fitzgerald’s first impression of Antrim was that major fitness gains were needed. His remodelling of their hurling system will take some time too. Waterford struggled for scores in Fitzgerald’s first year back at the helm, going five consecutive games without a goal and averaging 20 points per championship outing. A freer style of play upped that over 28 points per game last year. Since his appointment, the Saffrons played three League games against Liam MacCarthy opposition and returned 0-14 against Dublin, 0-17 against Offaly, and 0-11 against the Déise in a series of double-digit defeats. Conal Cunning’s cruciate injury was a particularly heavy blow in that regard but if Antrim are to survive at the top level, they need to compensate. That’s why the 4-22 against relegated Laois last time out was more encouraging. Can they now trouble the bigger teams for goals or is more time required? Antrim manager Davy Fitzgerald.Leah Scholes / INPHO Leah Scholes / INPHO / INPHO 2. Will Dublin bounce back from missing out on league promotion? After falling short in their Division 1B promotion bid, how Dublin respond to that setback will have a major bearing on their championship ambitions. Dublin started the league as favourites to reach the final in their division and return to hurling’s top tier, with Niall Ó Ceallacháin taking over as manager after achieving All-Ireland libu success with Na Fianna. Advertisement They were ultimately denied after losses to the other frontrunners Waterford and Offaly by two points and one point respectively. They were four points up heading into the final 10 minutes against Offaly, and were five clear of Waterford in the closing stages before losing out. Dublin have been easing their Na Fianna contingent back into action throughout the league. The likes of Donal Burke, Kevin Burke and Colin Currie from that All-Ireland winning crew could now have a major bearing on Dublin’s championship showing. 3. How will Galway recover from not emerging from Leinster last year? Qualifying out of Leinster will be the key goal for Galway after falling short last year. Can they also a seven-year gap since their last provincial title? It’s surely a target for Micheál Donoghue, who has tested out 40 players in the league in his second term as manager. Galway started that campaign in potential relegation trouble after a 12-point defeat to Tipperary. Three wins in a row over Kilkenny, Clare and Wexford placed them in league final contention before heavy defeats to Limerick (12 points) and Cork (12 points) pushed them into a third-place finish and a poor scoring difference of -24. They also conceded 10 goals in the league, the highest in Division 1A. That mixed run of results puts some doubts over their championship prospects but the emergence of Anthony Burns, and the return of Cathal Mannion from injury could be important in their quest to get back on track in Leinster. Galway's Cathal Mannion.James Lawlor / INPHO James Lawlor / INPHO / INPHO 4. Have Kilkenny found the necessary improvements? Kilkenny’s Leinster stranglehold has extended to five Bob O’Keeffe Cup triumphs in a row. They are eternally in the shake-up for All-Ireland honours having made three of the past six finals. They certainly could have added another final appearance last year only for Clare’s stirring comeback. They will be nursing severe regrets from that second-half collapse. In finals, they pushed Limerick closer in 2022 than anyone had managed since the Treaty breakthrough. They aren’t far away. But have they got any closer? The sense is that Kilkenny will be relying on much the same crop this term. The centre-back and midfield conversations have yet to be decisively settled. In attack, they require the returns of Adrian Mullen and Eoin Cody to get back their bite. Similarly, John Donnelly and TJ Reid were major additions at the end of a lukewarm League. The biggest positive in that regard was Martin Keoghan stepping up his consistency to finish as the league’s highest scorer from play. Can he be the difference-maker? Related Reads Lee Chin: 'It does remind you at times, ‘Jesus, am I next?' Shane O'Donnell aiming to play some part for Clare in this year's hurling championship 'It’s been a lovely life, I wouldn’t change it for the world' - Hannon's Limerick ambition 5. Offaly hurling is on the rise, but can they cope with these tougher tests? Last June, Offaly enjoyed a golden week which started with a maiden All-Ireland U20 success and ended with a Joe McDonagh triumph to signal a return to the Liam MacCarthy Cup for the first time since 2018. Now that they have secured promotion to Division 1A, the question facing Offaly is whether they can carry that momentum into the Leinster championship. Offaly's Adam Screeney and Oisin Kelly.James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO Adam Screeney’s return from injury gives them an added boost although he is still being eased back into action. He made his first start of the season for the U20s last weekend, scoring seven points against Laois to help book a Leinster quarter-final spot before being withdrawn in the 41st minute. Offaly will be disappointed by their defeat to Waterford in the league final, but will be targeting a top-three spot in Leinster. Key fixtures for them could be their opener against Dublin — who they defeated in the League — and Wexford — who have been relegated — in Round 4. 6. Will Wexford rise to the occasion in championship? Since Covid, Wexford have been perfectly mid-table. Their round-robin record in Leinster reads six wins, evenly apportioned at two per year, three draws, and six losses. They have the capability to rise to the occasion, outgunning Kilkenny to avoid relegation in 2023, or sink to it, failing to beat Westmeath in their last two meetings. That trend re-emerged in the League with their two victories away to champions Clare and Limerick en route to relegation. Wexford hurling manager Keith Rossiter.Lorraine O’Sullivan / INPHO Lorraine O’Sullivan / INPHO / INPHO Keith Rossiter had been dealt a tough hand by injuries and retirements as he rebuilds with a younger nucleus. They still have a significant dependence on Lee Chin to lift them and provide a regular flow of scores. Bar impressive rookie Jack Redmond, their forward line has been chopping and changing throughout the League. After Saturday’s opener against Antrim, their trip to Parnell Park next Saturday could be most revealing of their prospects for the year. Check out the latest episode of The42′s GAA Weekly podcast here Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “What's the key question facing each Leinster team in the hurling championship?”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “What's the key question facing each Leinster team in the hurling championship?”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. Damaging the good reputation of someone, slander, or libel. Racism or Hate speech An attack on an individual or group based on religion, race, gender, or beliefs. Trolling or Off-topic An attempt to derail the discussion. Inappropriate language Profanity, obscenity, vulgarity, or slurs. Advertising, phishing, scamming, bots, or repetitive posts. Please provide additional information Thank you for the feedback Your feedback has been sent to our team for review. Leave a commentcancel Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user View our policy ⚠️ Duplicate comment Post Comment have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion eastern promise Leinster Hurling Championship 'It’s important we get fans watching on TV but also going to games' Shane Lowry seven back after leader Justin Thomas fires stunning 61 at RBC Heritage FreePlan Ahead Here's the fixtures and TV-streaming coverage for the 2025 All-Ireland hurling championship Galway have plenty reasons to be cheerful, but can 2025 provide payback for recent hurt? Micheál Clifford Freedotted line Shelbourne midfielder Kerr McInroy signs new multi-year contract URC chief says 'we haven't been asked to explore a salary cap' Kerry and Finn Harps' appeals rejected over null and void fixture Sexton joins Farrell's Lions staff and will go full-time with Ireland TG4 to become only place to watch URC for free in Ireland golf country Why Ireland is the undisputed, pound-for-pound golfing champion familiar face Farrell opens himself to criticism by bringing Sexton on Lions tour Murray Kinsella more from us Investigates Daft.ie Property Magazine Allianz Home Magazine The 42 Sports Magazine Money Diaries The Journal TV Journal Media Advertise With Us About FactCheck Our Network FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition more from us TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Journal Media Advertise With Us Our Network The Journal FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition © 2025 Journal Media Ltd Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition Switch to Desktop Switch to Mobile The 42 supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at https://www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1800 208 080 or email: mailto:info@presscouncil.ie Report an error, omission or problem: Your Email (optional) Create Email Alert Create an email alert based on the current article Email Address One email every morning As soon as new articles come online Sign in or create a free account To continue reading create a free account Or sign into an existing account