Will Kilkenny retain the Guinness All-Ireland hurling crown or will Limerick end a 34-year wait?

The answer to that question will be provided in Croke Park on Sunday (3.30) when the counties clash in the All-Ireland final and, barring a draw, bring down the curtain on what has been an excellent 2007 campaign.

It will be the first time since 1974 that they have met in the final while their last championship meeting was two years ago when Kilkenny won an All-Ireland quarter-final by five points. Kilkenny are chasing their 30th title which would bring them alongside Cork at the top of the honours table. Limerick are hoping to win their 8th title, thereby consolidating their fourth place position on the honours table behind Cork, Kilkenny and
Tipperary.

Kilkenny and Limerick last clashed in a competitive game in the National League last March which Kilkenny won by 2-17 to 0-12.

PATHS TO THE FINAL

KILKENNY
Kilkenny 1-27 Offaly 1-13 (Leinster semi-final)
Kilkenny 2-24 Wexford 1-12 (Leinster final)
Kilkenny 3-22 Galway 1-18 (All-Ireland quarter-final)
Kilkenny 0-23 Wexford 1-10 (All-Ireland semi-final)

Kilkenny Scorers

Henry Shefflin........... 0-43
Eddie Brennan......... 2-5
Martin Comerford... 0-12
Eoin Larkin............ 2-6
Willie O’Dwyer....... 2-5
‘Cha’ Fitzpatrick.... 0-10
Aidan Fogarty........ 0-4
Derek Lyng............. 0-3
Richie Power........... 0-2
Tommy Walsh.......... 0-1
JJ Delaney............... 0-1
Michael Fennelly.... 0-1
Eoin Reid............... 0-1
Brian Hogan........... 0-1
Michael Rice.......... 0-1

LIMERICK
Limerick 1-19 Tipperary 1-19 (Munster semi-final)
Limerick 1-24 Tipperary 2-21 (Replay – After extra-time)
Limerick 0-22 Tipperary 2-13 (2nd replay – After extra-time)
Waterford 3-17 Limerick 1-14 (Munster final)
Limerick 1-23 Clare 1-16 (All-Ireland quarter-final)
Limerick 5-11 Waterford 2-15 (All-Ireland semi-final)

Limerick scorers

Andrew O’Shaughnessy.... 2-39
Michael Fitzgerald............... 1-14
Ollie Moran........................... 0-16
Donie Ryan........................... 3-2
Niall Moran.......................... 0-10
Kevin Tobin.......................... 0-8
Brian Begley......................... 2-2
Brian Geary.......................... 0-5
Patrick Tobin....................... 1-2
Mike O’Brien....................... 0-4
James O’Brien..................... 0-4
Barry Foley......................... 0-3
Donal O’Grady.................. 0-3
Mark Foley.......................... 0-1


PREVIOUS KILKENNY v LIMERICK CHAMPIONSHIP CLASHES

The counties have clashes eight times in the championship with each winning
four games.

1897: Limerick 3-4 Kilkenny 2-4 (All-Ireland final)
1933: Kilkenny 1-7 Limerick 0-6 (All-Ireland final)
1935: Kilkenny 2-5 Limerick 2-4 (All-Ireland final)
1936: Limerick 5-6 Kilkenny 1-5 (All-Ireland final)
1940: Limerick 3-7 Kilkenny 1-7 (All-Ireland final)
1973: Limerick 1-21 Kilkenny 1-14 (All-Ireland final)
1974: Kilkenny 3-19 Limerick 1-13 (All-Ireland final)
2005: Kilkenny 0-18 Limerick 0-13 (All-Ireland quarter-final)


ALL-IRELAND HONOURS TABLE

30: Cork
(1890-1892-1893-1894-1902-1903-1919-1926-1928-1929-1931-1941-1942-1943-1944-1946-1952-1953-1954-1966-1970-1976-1977-1978-1984-1986-1990-1999-2004-2005).

29: KILKENNY
(1904-1905-1907-1909-1911-1912-1913-1922-1932-1933-1935-1939-1947-1957-1963-1967-1969-1972-1974-1975-1979-1982-1983-1992-1993-2000-2002-2003-2006)

25: Tipperary
(1887-1895-1896-1898-1899-1900-1906-1908-1916-1925-1930-1937-1945-1949-1950-1951-1958-1961-962-1964-1965-1971-1989-1991-2001)

7: LIMERICK (1897-1918-21-34-36-40-73)

6: Dublin (1889-1917-1920-1924-1927-1938)

6: Wexford (1910-1955-1956-1960-1968-1996)

4: Galway (1923-1980-1987-1988)

4: Offaly (1981-1985-1994-1998)

3: Clare (1914-1995-1997)

2: Waterford (1948-1959)

1: Kerry (1891)

1: Laois (1915)

1: London (1901)

HOW KILKENNY WON THEIR 29 ALL-IRELAND TITLES

1904 – Kilkenny 1-9 Cork 1-8
1905 – Kilkenny 7-7 Cork 2-9
1907 – Kilkenny 3-12 Cork 4-8
1909 – Kilkenny 4-6 Tipperary 0-12
1911 – Kilkenny 3-3 Tipperary 2-1
1912 – Kilkenny 2-1 Cork 1-3
1913 – Kilkenny 2-4 Tipperary 1-2
1922 – Kilkenny 4-2 Tipperary 2-6
1932 – Kilkenny 3-3 Clare 2-3
1933 – Kilkenny 1-7 Limerick 0-6
1935 – Kilkenny 2-5 Limerick 2-4
1939 – Kilkenny 2-7 Cork 3-3
1947 – Kilkenny 0-14 Cork 2-7
1957 – Kilkenny 4-10 Waterford 3-12
1963 – Kilkenny 4-17 Waterford 6-8
1967 – Kilkenny 3-8 Tipperary 2-7
1969 – Kilkenny 2-15 Cork 2-9
1972 – Kilkenny 3-24 Cork 5-11
1974 – Kilkenny 3-19 Limerick 1-13
1975 – Kilkenny 2-22 Galway 2-10
1979 – Kilkenny 2-12 Galway 1-8
1982 – Kilkenny 3-18 Cork 1-13
1983 – Kilkenny 2-14 Cork 2-12
1992 – Kilkenny 3-10 Cork 1-12
1993 – Kilkenny 2-17 Galway 1-15
2000 – Kilkenny 5-15 Offaly 1-14
2002 – Kilkenny 2-20 Clare 0-19
2003 – Kilkenny 1-14 Cork 1-11
2006 – Kilkenny 1-16 Cork 1-13

HOW LIMERICK WON THEIR SEVEN ALL-IRELAND TITLES

1897: Limerick 3-4 Kilkenny 2-4
1918: Limerick 9-5 Wexford 1-3
1921: Limerick 8-5 Dublin 3-2
1934: Limerick 5-2Dublin 2-6
1936: Limerick 5-6 Kilkenny 1-5
1940: Limerick 3-7 Kilkenny 1-7
1973: Limerick 1-21 Kilkenny 1-14