Colm Keys

Yeah, I actually think it is the bigger story that Kilkenny are out of the championship.

But wasn't that just that they lost to Dublin?

Defeat puts them out.

Obviously, they haven't been knocked out of the round robin since its inception in 2018.

And you could say that this has been coming, but I still never expected that they would not be one of the top three.

I think Kilkenny have done very well over the last number of years to retain a certain standard.

Right back to the 2022 All-Ireland Final.

You remember in the first half, at halftime in the All-Ireland Final against Limerick, they were ahead.

They were going really well, albeit there was a wind factor there.

But Limerick had to come with what was probably one of their top three or four halves in the John Kylie, one of their best halves of hurling in that second half.

And you remember Dermot Burns, how good he was, but all round good.

Like Limerick really went to a high level in 2023.

And even in 2024, it took Tony Kelly to ignite late on.

And last year there was the confusion over the scoreboard.

They were so close to Tipperary who went on to win an All-Ireland.

So every one of the last four years you've pointed out they've been beaten by the All-Ireland finalists.

But it was always on the premise, on the basis that they had a very, very strong 15th.

And once holes started to appear in that, obviously Hugh Lawler went travelling.

A real pillar of that Kilkenny team at fullback.

Billy Ryan, who had a really strong year last year, he went travelling.