Kilkenny for the four-in-a-row and their 32nd title or Tipperary for their first title since 2001 and their 26th in all? The answer will emerge in Croke Park on Sunday when Kilkenny and Tipperary meet in the GAA All-Ireland senior hurling final. It will be their first meeting in the final since 1991 when Tipperary won by four points. Throw-in will be at 3.30 and the game will be preceded at 1.15 by the minor final between Galway and Kilkenny. Kilkenny are bidding to become the first county to win the senior four-in-a-row since Cork triumphed in 1941-42-43-44. Paths to the final Kilkenny Kilkenny 2-20 Galway 3-13 (Leinster semi-final) Kilkenny 2-18 Dublin 0-18 (Leinster final) Kilkenny 2-23 Waterford 3-15 (All-Ireland semi-final) Kilkenny Scorers Henry Shefflin.........1-30 (0-19 frees, 0-2 '65') Martin Comerford...2-4 Eoin Larkin.............0-9 Eddie Brennan........2-3 Aidan Fogarty.........1-5 Derek Lyng.............0-3 Michael Rice..........0-2 TJ Reid...................0-1 Tommy Walsh.......0-1 'Cha' Fitzpatrick...0-1 Richie Power.........0-1 Richie Hogan.........0-1 Tipperary Tipperary 1-19 Cork 0-19 (Munster quarter-final) Tipperary 3-18 Clare 1-22 (Munster semi-final) Tipperary 4-14 Waterford 2-16 (Munster final) Tipperary 6-19 Limerick 2-7 (All-Ireland semi-final) Tipperary Scorers Lar Corbett...................6-7 Eoin Kelly.....................2-17 (0-15 frees) Noel McGrath...............1-15 (0-2 frees, 0-1 line ball) Seamus Callinan...........3-7 Pat Kerwick..................1-7 John O'Brien................1-5 Conor O'Mahony.........0-4 (3 frees, 1'65') Benny Dunne................0-3 Shane McGrath............0-3 (0-1 line ball) James Woodlock..........0-1 Declan Fanning............0-1 CHAMPIONSHIP 2009: TOP SCORERS Players.....................................Total...............Placed balls*......Open play............Games Joe Canning (Galway)...........3-45 (54 pts).........1-37...................2-8..........................5 Eoin Kelly (Waterford...........2-47 (53pts)..........2-42...................0-5.........................5 Alan McCrabbe (Dublin).......1-39 (42 pts)........0-32...................1-7.........................4 Henry Shefflin (Kilkenny).....1-30 (33pts).........0-20...................1-13.......................3 Lar Corbett (Tipperary)........6-7 (25pts).............0-0.....................6-7..........................4 Ben O'Connor (Cork).............0-24 (24pts)........0-19...................0-5.........................3 Niall Healy (Galway)...............5-9 (24pts).........0-3.....................5-6.........................5 Eoin Kelly (Tipperary)............2-17 (23pts)........0-15...................2-2........................4 A O'Shaughnessy (Limerick)..1-20 (23pts).......1-13..................0-7.........................6 Willie Hyland (Laois)...............0-21 (21pts)......0-13..................0-8.........................3 *Includes frees, penalties, '65s' and line balls. Leading scorers in single games Henry Shefflin (Kilkenny)...........1-14 v Waterford Joe Canning (Galway).................2-9 v Kilkenny Niall Healy (Galway)...................3-5 v Laois Diarmuid Lyng (Wexford)..........1-11 v Clare Joe Canning (Galway).................1-10 v Laois Niall Gilligan (Clare)...................1-10 v Wexford Eoin Kelly (Waterford)................1-10 v Kilkenny Eoin Kelly (Waterford)................0-12 v Limerick (replay) Colin Ryan (Clare)........................0-12 v Tipperary Alan McCrabbe (Dublin).............0-12 v Kilkenny Eoin Kelly (Waterford)................0-12 v Galway Brian Carroll (Offaly).................0-12 v Antrim Last Clash...National League Final, 3 May, 2009 (Thurles) Kilkenny......2-26 Tipperary....4-17 (After extra-time) Level at the end of normal time (Kilkenny 2-17 Tipperary 3-14), Kilkenny led by a point at half-time in extra-time. A Noel McGrath goal gave Tipperary a two point lead early in the second period but Kilkenny scored 0-6 to Tipperary's 0-1 from there to the finish. Tipperary led by 2-7 to 0-8 at half-time in normal time and went eight points clear two minutes into the second half before Kilkenny clawed their way back. Scorers: Kilkenny: R Hogan 1-10 (0-7 frees), A Fogarty 1-5, H Shefflin 0-4 (0-1 free, 0-1 '65'), TJ Reid 0-4 (0-1 line ball), E Brennan 0-2, E Larkin 0-1. Tipperary: S Callanan 1-7 (0-6 frees, 0-1 '65'), N McGrath 1-5 (0-1 free), J O'Brien 1-1, J Woodlock 1-1, S McGrath 0-2, B Cummins 0-1 (free). Kilkenny: PJ Ryan; M Kavanagh, JJ Delaney, J Tyrrell; T Walsh, B Hogan, J Ryall; J Tennyson, M Rice; R Hogan, H Shefflin, E Larkin; E Brennan, TJ Reid, A Fogarty. Subs: M Comerford for Brian Hogan, M Grace for Comerford (yellow card), 'Cha' Fitzpatrick for Shefflin (yellow card), S Cummins for Kavanagh (yellow card). Tipperary: B Cummins; P Stapleton, P Curran, C O'Brien; D Fanning, Padraic Maher, S Maher; T Stapleton, S McGrath; J Woodlock, S Callanan, J O'Brien; N McGrath, M Webster, L Corbett. Subs: B Maher for Fanning (yellow card), H Maloney for S Maher, B Dunne for Maloney, S Hennessy for Woodlock, D Fitzgerald for T Stapleton, Patrick Maher for Webster, E Buckley for Padraic Maher. Previous Kilkenny-Tipperary All-Ireland final clashes 1991: Tipperary 1-16 Kilkenny 0-15 1971: Tipperary 5-17 Kilkenny 5-14 1967: Kilkenny 3-8 Tipperary 2-7 1964: Tipperary 5-13 Kilkenny 2-8 1950: Tipperary 1-9 Kilkenny 1-8 1945: Tipperary 5-6 Kilkenny 3-6 1937: Tipperary 3-11 Kilkenny 0-3 1922: Kilkenny 4-2 Tipperary 2-6 1916: Tipperary 5-4 Kilkenny 3-2 1913: Kilkenny 2-4 Tipperary 1-2 1911: Kilkenny 3-3 Tipperary 2-1* 1909: Kilkenny 4-6 Tipperary 0-12 1898: Tipperary 7-13 Kilkenny 3-10 1895: Tipperary 6-8 Kilkenny 1-0 *Munster champions, Limerick refused to play Kilkenny in the final due to a dispute over the venue. Kilkenny were awarded the title. Tipperary were nominated to replace Limerick and lost to Kilkenny in a substitute final. ALL-IRELAND HONOURS TABLE 31: 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- 2003-2006-2007-2008). 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). 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 31 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 2007 - Kilkenny 2-19 Limerick 1-15 2008 - Kilkenny 3-30 Waterford 1-13 HOW TIPPERARY WON THEIR 25 ALL-IRELAND TITLES 1887 - Tipperary 1-1 Galway 0-0 1895 - Tipperary 6-8 Kilkenny 1-0 1896 - Tipperary 8-14 Dublin 0-4 1898 - Tipperary 7-13 Kilkenny 3-10 1899 - Tipperary 3-12 Wexford 1-4 1900 - Tipperary 2-5 London 0-6 1906 - Tipperary 3-16 Dublin 3-8 1908 - Tipperary 3-15 Dublin 1-5 (replay) 1908 - Tipperary 2-5 Dublin 1-8 (draw) 1916 - Tipperary 5-4 Kilkenny 3-2 1925 - Tipperary 5-6 Galway 1-5 1930 - Tipperary 2-7 Dublin 1-3 1937 - Tipperary 3-11 Kilkenny 0-3 1945 - Tipperary 5-6 Kilkenny 3-6 1949 - Tipperary 3-11 Laois 0-3 1950 - Tipperary 1-9 Kilkenny 1-8 1951 - Tipperary 7-7 Wexford 3-9 1958 - Tipperary 4-9 Galway 2-5 1961 - Tipperary 0-16 Dublin 1-12 1962 - Tipperary 3-10 Wexford 2-11 1964 - Tipperary 5-13 Kilkenny 2-8 1965 - Tipperary 2-16 Wexford 0-10 1971 - Tipperary 5-17 Kilkenny 5-14 1989 - Tipperary 4-24 Antrim 3-9 1991 - Tipperary 1-16 Kilkenny 0-15 2001 - Tipperary 2-18 Galway 2-15 ALL-IRELAND FINAL SHORTS *Kilkenny have remained unbeaten in the championship since losing to Galway in the 2005 All-Ireland semi-final. They have won 17 games since then. *Tipperary are unbeaten in this year's championship and lost just two games in the League, both to Kilkenny. Kilkenny won by 5-17 to 1-12 in Nowlan Park in March and by 2-26 to 4-17 (after extra-time) in the final in Thurles in early May. Kilkenny's only defeat this year came against Waterford (2-17 to 1-16) in the League in Walsh Park in early March. *Brian Cody is managing Kilkenny into an All-Ireland final for the 9th time. Kilkenny won it under his guidance in 2000-2002-2003-2006-2007-2008 and lost in 1999 and 2004. *What odds a draw? The last All-Ireland hurling final to end level was all of 50 years ago in 1959 when Kilkenny and Waterford who finished all square (5-5 to 1-17). Waterford won the replay by 3-12 to 1-10. GAA ALL-IRELAND MINOR HURLING FINAL Kilkenny and Galway will open the proceedings in Croke Park on Sunday when they clash in the minor hurling final for a second successive year. Kilkenny will be bidding to extend their lead at the top of the honours table by winning the title for the 20th time while Galway will be bidding to win their 8th title. Paths to the final Galway 4-23 Antrim 0-10 Galway 2-22 Waterford 1-18 (All-Ireland semi-final) Galway's Top Scorers Niall Burke............1-16 Richie Cummins....2-5 Ronan Badger........2-2 Kilkenny Kilkenny 4-18 Offaly 1-8 Kilkenny 2-19 Westmeath 0-6 Kilkenny 1-19 Wexford 0-11 (Leinster final) Kilkenny 1-21 Tipperary 2-16 (All-Ireland semi-final) Kilkenny's Top Scorers Sean Kehoe...........1-23 Walter Walsh.....2-9 Ger Aylward........3-4 Previous All-Ireland final clashes This will be the 9th (including one replay) All-Ireland minor final clash between Galway and Kilkenny. Kilkenny have won six to Galway's one while there was one draw from the previous eight. Kilkenny beat Galway by two points in last year's final while Galway's sole win against the black-and-amber in a final was in 2004 when they won a replay. 2008: Kilkenny 3-6 Galway 0-13 2004: Galway 0-16 Kilkenny 1-12 (Replay) 2004: Galway 3-12 Kilkenny 1-18 (Draw) 2003: Kilkenny 2-16 Galway 2-15 1993: Kilkenny 1-17 Galway 1-12 1981: Kilkenny 1-20 Galway 3-9 1973: Kilkenny 4-5 Galway 3-7 1931: Kilkenny 4-7 Galway 2-3 All-Ireland Minor Hurling - Roll of Honour 19 - KILKENNY (1931-35-36-50-60-61-62-72-73-75-77-81-88-90-91-93-2002-2003- 2008) 18 - Cork (1928-37-38-39-41-51-64-67-69-70-71-74-78-79-85-95-98-2001) 18 - Tipperary (1930-32-33-34-47-49-52-53-55-56-57-59-76-80-82-96-2006-2007) 7 - GALWAY (1983-92-94-99-2000-2004-2005) 4 - Dublin (1945-46-54-65) 3 - Wexford (1963-66-68) 3 - Limerick (1940-58-84) 3 - Offaly (1986-87-89) 2 - Waterford (1929-48) 1 - Clare (1997) 2009 GAA HURLING CHAMPIONSHIPS Leinster May 30: First round: Wexford 2-17 Offaly 0-16, Wexford Park. May 31: First Round: Galway 5-29 Laois 0-17, Portlaoise. June 7: First Round: Dublin 2-16 Antrim 0-12, Croke Park. June 20: Semi-final: Kilkenny 2-20 Galway 3-13, Tullamore. June 21: Dublin 0-18 Wexford 1-13, Nowlan Park. July 5: Final: Kilkenny 2-18 Dublin 0-18, Croke Park. Munster May 31: First round: Tipperary 1-19 Cork 0-19, Thurles. June 14: Semi-final: Limerick 1-8 Waterford 0-11, Semple Stadium. June 20: Semi-final replay: Waterford 0-25 Limerick 0-17, Semple Stadium. June 21: Semi-final: Tipperary 3-18 Clare 1-22, Limerick. July 12: Final: Tipperary 4-14 Waterford 2-16, Thurles. Ulster May 9: First round: Fermanagh 0-13 Cavan 1-9, Enniskillen; Armagh 1-22 Monaghan 1-8, Armagh; Donegal 1-21 Tyrone 0-6, Letterkenny. May 17: Second Round: Armagh 3-24 Donegal 2-12. May 23: London 1-23 Fermanagh 0-7, Ruislip. May 31: Quarter-finals: Derry 4-10 London 3-12; Down 5-21 Armagh 0-13. (Both in Casement Park). June 14: Semi-final: Down 2-17 Derry 1-15, Casement Park. June 28: Final: Antrim 3-20 Down 4-15, Casement Park. All-Ireland Qualifiers July 4: Phase One: Cork 3-19 Offaly 1-12, Tullamore; Laois 0-18 Antrim 1-12, Portlaoise. July 11: Galway 2-18 Clare 1-11, Ennis; Limerick 1-13 Wexford 0-14, Wexford Park. July 18: Phase Three: Galway 1-19 Cork 0-15, Thurles; Limerick 0-20 Laois 1-14, Thurles. All-Ireland Quarter-finals July 26: Limerick 2-18 Dublin 1-17, Thurles; Waterford 1-16 Galway 0-18, Thurles. All-Ireland Semi-finals August 9: Kilkenny 2-23 Waterford 3-15, Croke Park. Next Sunday: Tipperary 6-19 Limerick 2-7, Croke Park. Final Next Sunday: Kilkenny v Tipperary, Croke Park. Tweet

Most Read Stories