After last weekend’s Senior Hurling Championship ties, the focus now switches to the Bord Gais Energy Leinster Under 21 Hurling Championship, with four quarter-finals scheduled for this Wednesday evening, 31^st May, as follows:

St Conleth’s Park, Newbridge: Kildare v Carlow (7.30pm)

Innovate Wexford Park: Wexford v Offaly (7.30pm)

TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar: Westmeath v Laois (7.30pm)

Nowlan Park, Kilkenny: Kilkenny v Dublin (7.30pm)

Reigning champions Dublin travel to Nowlan Park for what could be the tie of the round, as Kilkenny are under pressure to make amends for last year’s shock defeat to Westmeath at this grade.

Indeed, Kilkenny haven’t won the Leinster U-21 Hurling Championship since 2012 so will be eager to add to their total of 24 titles, especially as they were Minor Champions in 2014.

Wexford won a hat-trick of Leinster U-21 Championships between 2013 and 2015, and have home advantage versus Offaly. Westmeath have most of last year’s team still available and already have one big win under their belts, defeating Meath in the preliminary round last week by 2-20 to 0-10. In the other tie, Kildare and Carlow should be a competitive contest, considering they were evenly-matched at the minor grade three years ago.