Preview- Kilkenny all set to kick off new hurling season this afternoon

The Christmas and new year period has barely finished and we are already looking forward to the beginning of the intercounty season with the return of the Walsh Cup on Sunday afternoon.

After a one year absence, the Leinster preseason tournament is back on the agenda with games taking place on a knockout basis in the run up to the start of the Allianz Hurling League which commences at the end of January.

The Cats kick off their 2026 season with an away game against Westmeath as they travel to the Downs GAA Club for a 2.30pm throw-in where experimentation will be the name of the day.

In essence Sunday’s encounter is a quarter-final clash and regardless of the result, both teams will have another game with the defeated side also dropping down to the Walsh Cup Shield, with gametime very much high on the agenda at this early time in the season.

You can expect to see a number of new faces over the next few weeks as Kilkenny boss Derek Lyng throws his eye over the squad and with the beginning of the Fitzgibbon Cup also not too far away, it’s a testing period for county squads all across the country.

It’s also the first time in many seasons that there is no Kilkenny club involved in the latter stages of the All-Ireland championship so the Cats will have access to all of their players in advance of facing Offaly in the opening game of the Allianz League at the end of the month.

Kilkenny will also have to deal with the massive hole that’s left in their squad with both Huw Lawlor and Billy Ryan off on their travels for the upcoming hurling year.

A challenge game with All-Ireland champions Tipperary before Christmas will have blown off a couple of initial cobwebs and while it was a heavy defeat in the end, the Cats had to play the majority of the game with only 14 men after Kilmacow’s James Walsh was sent off for a high challenge in the first half.

Indeed Walsh had already found the net prior to the dismissal and with Tullogher-Rosbercon’s Marty Murphy also goaling for Kilkenny, the visitors to Templetuohy led 2-7 to 0-8 at the break.

The defending Leinster champions would then run out of steam in the second half with Tipperary goals via Oisin O’Donoghue and Paddy Creedon allowing Liam Cahill’s team to run out 2-20 to 2-11 victors in the windup.

Despite the loss, there were notable appearances for the likes of Ed McDermott (James Stephens), Sean Moore (Carrickshock), David Barcoe (Clara), Cillian Hackett (Dicksboro) and Joe Healy (Barrow Rangers) amongst others as they took to the field in a senior jersey for the first time.

This weekend will offer another opportunity for lads to stake a claim as the Kilkenny management looks to unearth a couple of gems ahead of a difficult league campaign which includes tough away trips to the likes of Tipperary, Limerick and Galway as well as home ties against Offaly, Waterford and Cork in a hugely competitive Division 1.