All the protagonists for this year’s All-Ireland have dipped their toes in the water at this stage.

A thundering start to the second half in O’Moore Park sent Kilkenny on their way to a third straight Leinster final.

No disrespect to Wexford, but I always regard our win against Galway in the 2011 Leinster semi-final as Dublin’s first big victory, our first real championship breakthrough.

Na Piarsaigh duo Kevin Downes and Shane Dowling proved their worth to Limerick with 1-8 between them as the Shannonsiders secured a first Allianz hurling league semi-final place in a decade.

They’ve come a fair way since the start. Back when the NHL began Dublin turned in a disappointing opening performance against Tipperary in Thurles and looked favourites for relegation.

Liam Rushe has revealed he took Dónal Óg Cusack to task about his claim last year that Dublin have failed to find new players.

Second-half goals from Darren O’Reilly and Ryan Basquel helped secure a 2-13 to 1-11 win for Ballyboden St Enda’s over St Brigid’s in Saturday’s Dublin SFC quarter-final at Parnell Park.

Dublin 2-20 Galway 0-26 (after extra-time)

Peter Kelly and Paul Ryan have returned from injury to take their places in the Dublin team to face Galway in Sunday's Allianz Hurling League Division 1A relegation play-off.

ANTHONY DALY has revealed Conal Keaney and Tomás Brady will play no part in Dublin’s defence of the Allianz Hurling League title.

THERE are clear parallels that can be drawn between this evening’s Bord Gáis Energy All-Ireland U21HC final between Dublin and Galway in Semple Stadium and the minor decider between the same counties last Sunday afternoon.

IT has been a season of incremental progress for Dublin hurling yet the true barometer at the season’s end will be the amount of silverware that rests on the sideboard.

Dublin sauntered into the Bord Gais Energy All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling final with 26 points to spare over a hapless Antrim at Pairc Esler in Newry.

Having ended their long wait for an Allianz Hurling League title earlier in the season, Dublin are eyeing up another historic feat in Thurles this weekend.

Dublin 1-18 Wexford 0-11

Diarmuid Connolly's young brother Thomas will start for Dublin in tomorrow's Bord Gáis Energy Leinster U-21 Hurling Championship final at Wexford Park (throw-in 7.30pm).

Kilkenny 4-17 Dublin 1-15

Joey Boland will make his first appearance of the summer for Dublin in tomorrow's Leinster SHC final against Kilkenny at Croke Park (throw-in 4pm).

As expected, Tomás Brady has been restored to the Dublin defence for tomorrow night's Leinster SHC semi-final showdown with Galway in Tullamore (throw-in 7pm).

CONOR O’MAHONY returns to the Tipperary lineup for Sunday’s Munster SHC semi-final against Clare in the Gaelic Grounds in the only change from the side that defeated Cork last month. O’Mahony is named at centre-back with Padraic Maher moving to half-back and John O’Keeffe to the full-back line in place of Paddy Stapleton.

DUBLIN begin the defence of their Bord Gáis Energy Leinster U21HC crown when they travel to Dr Cullen Park tonight to face Carlow in the quarter-final stage at 7.30pm.

IN the same weekend the movie The Hangover II was released, it was fitting Dublin’s hurlers were presented with the possibility of having their party crashed for the second time in 10 months.

Dublin 2-21 Offaly 1-20, Croke Park

Defenders Maurice O'Brien and Oisin Gough will start for Dublin in tomorrow's Leinster SHC quarter-final against Offaly at Croke Park (throw-in 2pm).

Ryan O'Dwyer, a recent Allianz Hurling League winner with Dublin, will start against his native Tipperary in a challenge match in Athy on Sunday (throw-in 7pm).

IT WASN’T pretty, it wasn’t very competitive — in fact, truth be told, this was an ugly beast of an Allianz Hurling League Division 1 final in Croke Park yesterday, a one-sided affair that never got off the ground.

Dublin 0-22 Kilkenny 1-7

IT’S almost unfortunate Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh isn’t commentating on Sunday’s Allianz HL Division 1 final. He would have been in his element reciting the native counties of the Dublin players’ parents.

DUBLIN have made it to a first league final since 1946, and while they needed a couple of other results to fall their way, beating Cork in sunny Páirc Uí Chaoimh was a fitting end to a successful campaign for the light blues.

REGIME change in hurling?

Cork 1-14 Dublin 1-15

Paul Schutte and Conor McCormack will line out for Dublin in their Allianz Hurling League Division 1 clash with Cork at Pairc Ui Chaoimh tomorrow (throw-in 2.30pm).

A FULL-BLOODED Allianz Hurling League encounter in Croke Park on Saturday evening, two honest and whole-hearted teams giving their all in conditions made treacherous by the ferocious hailstone showers that fell before the half time whistle.

EANNA RYAN showed the type of poaching prowess his namesake and uncle was famous for in the late ‘80s to keep Galway’s ambitions of retaining their Allianz Division 1 title.

Dublin 0-14 Galway 2-11

DAVID O’CALLAGHAN came in as a late replacement but proved his value to Dublin with two first-half goals setting his side up for a nine-point victory over a battling Wexford outfit at Wexford Park yesterday.

“I’M delighted with the win. We got a good beating here last year and the relegation end of things has been put to bed at least,” enthused Dublin manager Anthony Daly after his charges defeated 14-man Offaly in O’Connor Park, Tullamore yesterday and preserved their impressive unbeaten start to the Allianz Hurling League.

Offaly 1-13 Dublin 2-23, Tullamore

EVEN the second-half introduction of some of the heavy artillery failed to help Kilkenny outgun Dublin in a cracking Walsh Cup final at Parnell Park yesterday.

Dublin 2-17 Kilkenny 2-13

Martin Quilty who comes in at left back for his debut in the Walsh Cup final on Sunday against Kilkenny on Sunday.

DUBLIN boss Richie Stakelum has drafted David Quinn and Ciaran Brennan into his team for tomorrow’s Bord Gais Energy All-Ireland U21HC semi-final against Galway in Tullamore.

TWO second-half goals helped Dublin claim their fourth provincial U21 hurling title after a six-point victory over Wexford in the Bord Gáis Energy Leinster final at Parnell Park yesterday evening.

Dublin 2-15 Wexford 0-15, Parnell Park

THERE will be new Leinster Under 21 hurling champions this season after Dublin’s sensational win over hat-trick seeking Kilkenny in last night’s semi-final at Nowlan Park.