Kilkenny out of championship as superb Dublin seal memorable win

Dublin hadn't defeated Kilkenny in the provincial championship since 2013, when they last won the title, but were full value for this Round 5 win in glorious Parnell Park sunshine.

Burke was inspired on the afternoon, blasting 1-11, though it was a wonderful collective effort from a side that have now gone through the round-robin unbeaten.

John Hetherton, the Hayes brothers, Brian and Ronan, along with Conal Ó Riain all starred in an attacking sense though this was a landmark win for the 2025 All-Ireland semi-finalists built on a superb defensive effort.

It's Dublin's first ever win over Kilkenny in the Championship at Parnell Park and their first time to defeat the holders at a Dublin venue since the early 1940s.

But there is still one last hurdle for Dublin to jump with a provincial final against Galway, who they defeated in Salthill in Round 4, now on the horizon on June 6 at Croke Park.

It's the end of the road for Kilkenny in 2026 as Offaly's win over Kildare elsewhere allowed the Faithful to sensationally leapfrog the six-in-a-row champions into third position in the table.

Kilkenny trailed from the 19th minute until full time in sweltering conditions at the north Dublin venue and will feel that they never really got going.

It's only the fourth time this century that Kilkenny haven't qualified for the Leinster final, and the first since 2017, while they'd never previously failed to get out of the provincial group.

Hetherton was a late addition to the Dublin team and with the hosts wind assisted in the first half, it was no surprise to see them launch ball after ball down on top of the powerful St Vincent's man, a tactic that paid off.

Hetherton filled his boots, getting out ahead of his marker Mikey Carey for Dublin's opening score and then literally holding the Kilkenny full-back off as he slotted over another soon after.

Man-mountain Hetherton closed out the first half scoring for Dublin too and displayed his impressive skill-set again as, falling backwards, he got a shot away off his left that split the posts.

Long deliveries to the edge of the square that were aimed at Hetherton also led to first half points for Cian O'Sullivan, John Bellew and Donal Burke.

Dublin mixed it up nicely. By flicking the ball around cleverly in their own half, they created the openings for long-range scores - Brian Hayes and Burke converted a couple of monster scores - or route one deliveries, keeping Kilkenny guessing all the time.

In Dublin's defence, Eoghan O'Donnell and Liam Rushe were initially named to play but were replaced by Conor McHugh, who picked up Martin Keoghan, and Bellew, who tracked Eoin Cody.

TJ Reid was shadowed by Paddy Smyth though after an even first 20 minutes or so, when Kilkenny led 0-7 to 0-6, the scores dried up on a Kilkenny side that put 4-25 on the board against Kilkenny last weekend.

Dublin outscored them by 0-9 to 0-4 in the second quarter to take a deserved 0-15 to 0-11 half time lead.

A couple of moments that went Dublin's way in this period were significant. A Burke block on Killian Doyle got a giant cheer from the crowd. As did another block a couple of minutes later by Paddy Doyle on the same player. Throw in Dublin's 11 first half wides and you get a feel for just how much momentum the Division 1B team were generating.

Kilkenny grabbed a vital foothold after the restart with three points in a row, hinting that for the second weekend running they might come good with a second half onslaught.

But Dublin picked off enough points, from Burke and Conal Ó Riain, to keep their lead and when they caught fire again themselves, they surged seven points clear this time.

It was intoxicating stuff for the Sky Blues faithful as Dublin played with power and purpose and carved chance after chance, reeling off an unanswered 1-3.

Burke nailed a 51st minute penalty for a goal, following a foul on Ronan Hayes, but the quality of the other points was what really caught the eye.

Cian O'Sullivan and Ronan Hayes sniped scores from tight angles out on the left wing, contributing to the day's highlights reel.

Brian Hayes almost grabbed a goal as well when he played a neat one-two with brother Ronan and fired at goal but Eoin Murphy tipped it around the post.

The best Kilkenny could muster in response was three points in a row but they were outfought and out-thought by a ravenous Dublin side desperate to finish the job.

And Ronan Hayes supplied a picture perfect moment right at the death when he claimed the ball out of a ruck of players, pirouetted and volleyed over, punching the air in delight.

Dublin scorers: Donal Burke 1-11 (0-6f, 1-0 pen, 0-2 65), John Hetherton 0-3, Conal Ó Riain 0-3, John Bellew 0-2, Cian O'Sullivan 0-2, Conor Donohoe 0-1, Brian Hayes 0-1, Ronan Hayes 0-2, Diarmaid Ó Dúlaing 0-1.

Kilkenny scorers: TJ Reid 0-7 (0-4f, 0-1 65), Eoin Cody 0-5, Cian Kenny 0-4, Killian Doyle 0-2, Tom Phelan 0-2, Martin Keoghan 0-1, David Blanchfield 0-1.

Dublin: Eddie Gibbons; Paddy Doyle, Paddy Smyth, Conor McHugh; Chris Crummey, John Bellew, Conor Burke; Brian Hayes, Conor Donohoe; Fergal Whitely, Donal Burke, Cian O'Sullivan; David Purcell, John Hetherton, Conal Ó Riain.

Subs: Ronan Hayes for Purcell (40), Darragh Power for Donohoe (50), Diarmaid Ó Dúlaing for for O'Sullivan (51), Paddy Dunleavy for Conor Burke (55-56), Conor Groarke for Whitely (70), Dunleavy for Crummey (73).

Kilkenny: Eoin Murphy; Ivan Bolger, Mikey Carey, Mikey Butler; David Blanchfield, Darragh Corcoran, Paddy Deegan; Killian Doyle, Cian Kenny; Liam Moore, Harry Shine, Tom Phelan; Martin Keoghan, TJ Reid, Eoin Cody.

Subs: John Donnelly for Moore (32), Adrian Mullen for Shine (50), Richie Reid for Bolger (51), Timmy Clifford for Doyle (54), Stephen Donnelly for Keoghan (65).

Referee: Thomas Walsh (Waterford).