Cats begin treble hunt in style

KILKENNY’S pursuit of three All-Ireland hurling crowns in the space of eight days got off to a successful start in Semple Stadium on Saturday night.

The intermediate grade may not possess the same lustre as its senior counterpart but this triumph in the All-Ireland IHC final was still celebrated on Noreside.

Kilkenny exacted revenge for their defeat to Cork at the same juncture 12 months ago with a commanding closing quarter display at the core of their victory in front of an attendance of 1,580. The fact that they outscored their opponents by 1-9 to 1-2 in that spell illustrated the power of their finish to the game.