Kilkenny–Waterford hurling rivalry
| Locale |
County Kilkenny County Waterford |
|---|---|
| Teams |
Kilkenny Waterford |
| First meeting |
Kilkenny 4-10 - 3-12 Waterford 1957 All-Ireland final (1 September 1957) |
| Latest meeting |
Kilkenny 1-21 - 0-18 Waterford 2015 All-Ireland Hurling Semi-Final (19 August 2015) |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 11 |
| Most player appearances | Henry Shefflin (5) |
| Top scorer | Henry Shefflin (3-33) |
| All-time series |
Kilkenny 9-1 Waterford (1 draw) |
| Largest victory |
Kilkenny 3-30 - 1-13 Waterford 2008 All-Ireland final (7 September 2008) |
The Kilkenny-Waterford rivalry is a hurling rivalry between Irish inter-county teams Kilkenny and Waterford, who first played each other in 1957. In spite of the infrequent nature of the meetings, it is considered to be one of the most intense rivalry matches in Gaelic games.[1] Kilkenny's home ground is Nowlan Park and Waterford's home ground is Walsh Park, however, all of their championship meetings have been held at neutral venues, usually Croke Park.
While Kilkenny have the highest number of All-Ireland and Leinster titles, Waterford have enjoyed success at sporadic intervals throughout their history winning just two All-Ireland titles.
Roots
History
Kilkenny are one of the most successful teams in the championship, having captured thirty six All-Ireland titles, and together with Cork and Tipperary form hurling's 'Big Three'. Waterford, on the other hand, have had sporadic periods of success throughout championship history resulting in two only All-Ireland titles. After a golden age for the team in the 1950s and 1960s Waterford went into severe decline in subsequent decades.
The Kilkenny - Waterford hurling rivalry first began in 1957 with their first meeting in the All-Ireland Hurling Final. Kilkenny won on a scoreline of 4-10 to 3-12. Two years later, in 1959, the teams played out a draw. Until 2012, this had been the last drawn game in the All-Ireland Hurling Final. The replay saw Waterford win their 2nd, and last to date All-Ireland Hurling Championship. The game was also notable for the Kilkenny debut of Eddie Keher. The two teams also met in the 1963 Final, with Kilkenny winning. This would be the last game between the two teams for 35 years.
During the 1990s and 2000s, Waterford hurling experienced a resurgence after the dark periods of the 1970s and 1980s. Waterford met Kilkenny in two semi-finals in both 1998 and 2004, with Waterford losing in two close battles. Having not played in a final since 1963, Waterford again met Kilkenny in the 2008 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final. Since then, the two teams have met in two Semi-finals and a qualifier. Kilkenny were triumphant on all occasions.
Outside hurling
The intensity of the rivalry has also been stoked outside hurling. The two counties share a border. which is the river Suir. Due to the expansion of Waterford City, numerous areas of south County Kilkenny have been transferred to County Waterford by an Act of the Oireachtas. Future expansion of County Waterford into County Kilkenny has been muted which has heightened the rivalry.
Statistics
| Team | All-Ireland | Provincial | National League | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kilkenny | 36 | 70 | 17 | 123 |
| Waterford | 2 | 9 | 3 | 14 |
| Combined | 38 | 79 | 19 | 136 |
All time results
| Kilkenny win | |
| Waterford win | |
| Draw |
| No. | Date | Winners | S | Runners-up | Venue | Competition | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 1 September 1957 | Kilkenny (1) | 4-10 - 3-12 | Waterford | Croke Park | AISHC final | |
| 2. | 6 September 1959 | Kilkenny | 5-5 - 1-17 | Waterford | Croke Park | AISHC final | |
| 3. | 6 September 1959 | Waterford (1) | 3-12 - 1-10 | Kilkenny | Croke Park | AISHC final replay | |
| 4. | 1 September 1963 | Kilkenny (2) | 4-17 - 6-8 | Waterford | Croke Park | AISHC final | |
| 5. | 16 September 1998 | Kilkenny (3) | 1-11 - 1-10 | Waterford | Croke Park | AISHC semi-final | |
| 6. | 8 September 2004 | Kilkenny (4) | 3-12 - 0-18 | Waterford | Croke Park | AISHC semi-final | |
| 7. | 7 September 2008 | Kilkenny (5) | 3-30 - 1-13 | Waterford | Croke Park | AISHC final | |
| 8. | 9 August 2009 | Kilkenny (6) | 2-23 - 3-15 | Waterford | Croke Park | AISHC semi-final | |
| 9. | 7 August 2011 | Kilkenny (7) | 2-19 - 1-16 | Waterford | Croke Park | AISHC semi-final | |
| 10. | 13 July 2013 | Kilkenny (8) | 1-22 - 2-16 | Waterford | Semple Stadium | AISHC qualifiers | |
| 11. | 9 August 2015 | Kilkenny (9) | 1-21 - 0-18 | Waterford | Croke Park | AISHC semi-final |
Top scorers
| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Opposition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Henry Shefflin | Kilkenny | 3-33 | 42 | 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013 |
| 2 | Eoin Kelly | Waterford | 2-23 | 29 | 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011 |
| 3 | Eddie Brennan | Kilkenny | 4-8 | 20 | 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011 |
| 4 | Richie Hogan | Kilkenny | 2-11 | 17 | 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015 |
| 5 | Eddie Keher | Kilkenny | 0-16 | 16 | 1959 (replay), 1963 |
| Paul Flynn | Waterford | 0-16 | 16 | 1998, 2004, 2008 | |
| Eoin Larkin | Kilkenny | 0-16 | 16 | 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015 | |
| 8 | T.J. Reid | Kilkenny | 0-15 | 15 | 2008, 2011, 2015 |
| Frankie Walsh | Waterford | 0-15 | 15 | 1959, 1959 (replay), 1963 | |
| 10 | Tom Cheasty | Waterford | 2-7 | 13 | 1959, 1959 (replay), 1963 |
| John Mullane | Waterford | 1-10 | 13 | 2008, 2009, 2011 | |
References
- ↑ "Golden era of Waterford-Kilkenny rivalry". The Munster Express. 5 September 2008. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
External links
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