Sunday, 2^nd July 2017: Electric Ireland Leinster Minor Hurling Championship Final; Dublin v Kilkenny, Croke Park at 2pm.

Kilkenny and Dublin continue to dominate the quest for glory in the Electric Ireland Leinster Minor Hurling Championship, sharing all the titles between them since Offaly triumphed in the first year of the new millennium.

A hat-trick of victories between 2013-’15 stretched Kilkenny’s lead in the roll of honour, but Dublin hit back last season and are now aiming for back-to-back successes for the second time this decade.

Kilkenny have showed exceptional form in this campaign, recording facile wins over Westmeath and Laois and finishing with 12 points to spare over Wexford.

Dublin’s path to the final has been more challenging, edging past Laois (1-11 to 1-8) and Wexford (0-20 to 1-14).

Adrian Mullen was a star performer for St Kieran’s College this season and has continued his top-class form into the Minor Championship, hitting 1-8 for ‘The Cats’ versus Laois and 1-9 against Wexford.

Among his classmates on the team are Tommy Ronan and Michael Carey who have followed in their fathers’ footsteps by wearing the famous black and amber. Adrian Ronan and DJ Carey became famous forwards, though their sons operate on the full back line.

Another key player, Niall Brassil, was captain of the CBS Kilkenny team defeated by Kieran’s College in the Leinster P.P. Schools’ final.

Dublin have an entirely new starting 15 from last season, with Sean Currie taking up the scoring mantle from his other brother Colin.

Five members of their team which started the semi-final against Wexford featured on the team which defeated Kilkenny in the Leinster Under 17 final last Sunday week at O’Moore Park (Andrew Dunphy, Lee Gannon, Liam Murphy, Mark Grogan and Kevin Desmond), so that should aid their confidence.

The age limit for the Minor Championship is switching from under 18 to under 17 from next year so, in some regards, Sunday’s final marks the end of an era for this grade in Leinster. Dublin and Kilkenny will, no doubt, provide a fitting curtain-raiser to the Wexford v Galway showdown at Croke Park later in the afternoon.

2017 Electric Ireland Leinster Minor Hurling Championship

8th April – Kilkenny 3-22, Westmeath 0-04; Laois 2-22, Offaly 0-14; Kildare 3-17, Carlow 1-15; Meath 4-28, Wicklow 0-23
15th April – Kilkenny 1-20, Wexford 0-11; Dublin 1-11, Laois 1-8; Offaly 1-15, Kildare 1-9; Meath 2-18, Westmeath 0-6
29th April – Laois 1-19, Meath 1-14; Wexford 2-17, Offaly 1-13
13th May – Dublin 0-20, Wexford 1-14; Kilkenny 6-21, Laois 0-9

Leinster Minor Hurling Championship Roll Of Honour