Senior Hurling Team Report: 23rd May 2025

In advance of Dublin’s preliminary quarter final this coming weekend, Senior Hurling Manager Niall Ó Ceallacháin readily admits that he is looking forward to the All-Ireland series. “The Leinster Championship is now closed and behind us”, he said, “And well done to Galway and Kilkenny for making the final and well done to Kilkenny for making it seven Leinster titles in a row, but all our eyes are now on the All-Ireland Championship and particularly on this coming Saturday”.

Niall continued, “We’re in no doubt as to the challenge we’re going to face. Kildare have been by far the best team in the Joe McDonagh competition all year. They should have won the first day against Kerry and have comprehensively won since, including last weekend’s final. They are potentially the best team that has come out and won Joe McDonagh and they won’t look out of place at all in next year’s Leinster Championship. So we’re very aware of that challenge”.

Niall added, “It’s an away game for us in Newbridge which will be a double header with their footballers playing after. So they’ll undoubtedly have really strong home support. They’re on the crest of a wave after last weekend and we’re in doubt as to the level of the challenge that they’re going to bring”.

“However, that said”, said Niall, “We’ve had a couple of weeks and we’re very much focussed on ourselves to be right for this Saturday and we feel we’re in a good place in that regard. We were very disappointed with how the last game of the Round Robin against Galway went, but there were plenty of positives to take from the Round Robin which now sees us in the All-Ireland series starting this weekend”.

Niall is also hoping for more of the same level of support that Dublin has enjoyed so far this year. “We’re looking forward to great support in Newbridge on Saturday,” said Niall, “The lads really appreciate the numbers we had right throughout the opening series. We feel we know where we’re at, we feel we’re in a good place and we’re looking forward to Saturday’s game”.