Has Galway's arrival to shake up Leinster aided Dublin most?

A clear beneficiary of Galway's switch to the Leinster SHC is Dublin.

MUTUAL BENEFIT: Dublin's Brian Hayes in action against Gavin Lee of Galway during the 2024 Leinster SHC clash at Pearse Stadium. Photo by John Sheridan/Sportsfile

Fri, 23 May, 2025 - 20:45

John Fallon

If Galway triumph in Parnell Park on Sunday, aside from reaching their 11th Leinster final, they will also secure their first ever championship win over Dublin at a venue in the capital city.

A Dublin win, apart from extending their unbeaten home run against the Tribesmen to nine games in 15 championship meetings, will secure them a seventh Leinster final appearance since Galway started participating in the Leinster championship in 2009.

There were many arguments and counter-arguments put forward two decades ago when Galway’s move to Leinster was first mooted. There was opposition in Leinster and also in Galway but in the end the passage was cleared.

Two of the main points put forward by those pushing the move was that it would give Galway more meaningful games and make them stronger, while also making Leinster much more competitive.

One All-Ireland crown and three Leinster titles is adequate proof that it has been a good move for Galway. But the other clear beneficiary from their arrival is Dublin. They had only been in two Leinster finals in the preceding 45 years but since the Tribesmen moved Dublin lifted their first provincial crown since 1961 and have appeared in five other finals.

Maybe Galway’s arrival is just a coincidence in the upturn in Dublin’s fortunes. Maybe the work being done at grassroots level in the capital would have paid dividends but Galway, who have appeared in ten Leinster finals in their 16 years to date there, have clearly shaken up the province.

And it’s not hard to find the biggest loser. In the 16 years prior to Galway’s arrival Wexford had been in 12 Leinster finals, winning three of them. Since Galway landed they have only been in two finals, winning one and losing one.

Offaly’s fall to the third tier probably had little to do with Galway’s arrival. Aside from Kilkenny, Galway, Dublin and Wexford, eight other teams — Antrim, Westmeath, Offaly, Laois, Carlow, London, Kerry and Meath — have participated in the Leinster championship since the arrival of the Tribesmen but none have made an impression and usually end up in the relegation scrap.

And what of Kilkenny since Galway landed on their doorstep? In the 16 years prior to Galway’s arrival they won 11 Leinster titles and were runners-up twice. In the 16 years since Galway arrived Kilkenny have won 11 provincial crowns and been runners-up three times. They might not have won an All-Ireland since 2015 — equalling their longest barren spell which ended in 1957 — but nothing has changed on their own patch. They remain top cats in Leinster and are already in the final awaiting the outcome of Dublin’s clash with Galway.

This will be the 15th championship meeting between Dublin and Galway. Dublin have won eight, Galway four and there have been two draws.

All four Galway victories, two in Pearse Stadium and two in Tullamore, have been in the Leinster championship.

The three meetings between the counties prior to Galway’s provincial move, saw Dublin win All-Ireland semi-finals in 1920 and 1941, and the All-Ireland final in 1924 when they dethroned the Tribesmen.

Championship meetings between Dublin and Galway

2024: Dublin 2-27 Galway 1-24, Leinster SHC, Salthill

2023: Dublin 2-22 Galway 1-25, Leinster SHC, Croke Park

2022: Galway 0-27 Dublin 0-21, Leinster SHC, Salthill

2021: Dublin 1-18 Galway 1-14, Leinster SHC, Croke Park

2019: Dublin 3-19 Galway 0-24, Leinster SHC, Parnell Park

2018: Galway 0-26 Dublin 2-19, Leinster SHC, Salthill

2017: Galway 2-28 Dublin 1-17, Leinster SHC QF, Tullamore

2015: Galway 5-19 Dublin 1-18, Leinster SHC QF replay, Tullamore

2015: Dublin 0-20 Galway 1-17, Leinster SHC QF, Croke Park

2013: Dublin 2-25 Galway 2-13, Leinster final, Croke Park

2011: Dublin 0-19 Galway 2-7, Leinster semi-final, Tullamore