Galway’s experience gives them an edge in All-Ireland senior camogie final

Someone’s famine is going to end tomorrow, it’s just a matter of whose. Both counties have had their days in the past but it’s 17 years since Galway’s only All-Ireland title and 19 since the last of Kilkenny’s 12.

There’s an air of novelty around the final, with the two sides never having met at this stage before.

In many ways, it’s a clash of youth and not-so youth. Kilkenny teams have swept all before them at colleges level and underage in recent years but have never come particularly close to lifting the big prize.

By contrast, a fair proportion of this Galway side has been pipped in at least two finals, some of them in more. Therese Maher has played in five and still hasn't won one.

Kilkenny's semi-final display was the more impressive, coming through a heart-stopping finale against raging favourites Cork. They were behind by a couple of points heading into the last 10 minutes but got up in a frantic finish to mug them on the line. That you wouldn't have backed them too heavily had there been another five minutes was moot on the day but probably becomes more relevant now.

More experience
Galway may have beaten an out-of-sorts Wexford side in their semi-final but it was a monkey they had to get off their back and they come in here as the more experienced team.

Kilkenny’s underage success should mean they won’t go much longer without a camogie All-Ireland. The suspicion here though is that they will have to wait another year