Kilkenny yet to beat Dublin
Kilkenny have yet to beat Dublin this season. The Dubs beat the Cats in the Walsh Cup and Allianz League finals and the two teams finished level in the Division 1 group game.
This will be the second time in three years that these two teams have played each other in the Leinster final. Kilkenny won the 2009 final by 2 - 18 to 0 - 18. Last year they met in the semi-final with the black and amber coming out on top 4 - 19 to 0 - 12.
Dublin will be bidding to end a 50 year wait to lift the Bob O’Keeffe Cup when they take on Kilkenny next Sunday. They last beat Wexford in the decider and went on to lose the All-Ireland final to Tipperary.
Dublin second in the Leinster roll of honour
Dublin are second to Kilkenny in the Leinster Championship roll of honour with 23 titles. Kilkenny have 67 titles and the Noresiders have won 31 provincial titles since Dublin last tasted success in 1961.
Dublin’s last Leinster final victory over Kilkenny was in 1942 when they won 4-8 to 1-4.
Kilkenny have not conceded a goal to Dublin in their last five championship meetings over the past decade.
The reigning Leinster champions have scored 16 goals and 91 points while Dublin have replied with a total of 58 points.
This Sunday in Croke Park, Kilkenny will be bidding to win a record 13th Leinster title in 14 seasons, 2004 being the only blank year in the province, when they sensationally lost to Wexford in the semi-final.
Spare a thought for PJ Delaney
PJ Delaney must be one of the unluckiest players in the country with injuries. Each time the powerful Johnstown man appears to be on the brink of making a breakthrough onto the starting 15 injury seems to intervene. The tough tackling defender has been sidelined in recent weeks by a hip injury which has ruled him out of the Kilkenny panel for Sunday’s clash with Dublin.
Lar Outside... Causing a Stir
The Rubber Bandits hit Horse Outside has been re-recorded with Lar Corbett replacing the horse.
Tipperary rapper Johnny B and his Boogie Men have re-written the song. The new Youtube hit is sung with gusto on a video which was shot at Munster’s temple of hurling, Semple Stadium in Thurles, with the blessing of the Tipperary county board.
It seems the song has been adapted to glorify the achievements of the Tipperary hurlers and Hurler of the Year, Lar Corbett, with a few expletive references to our own king Henry Shefflin.
The new version of the song has brought some interesting debate on the Kilkenny hurling website KilkennyCats.com, as posters express their opinion on the latest musical offering to glorify the All Ireland champions.
Johnny B hails from Cahir and he had a hit in his native county last year with his All Ireland song The Premier Rap,which he sang on Up for the Match on the eve of last year’s decider.
