Kilkenny's semi-final track record may face another dent

There was a time when Galway hurlers got a bye straight into an All-Ireland semi-final. They would regularly seized their chance, before often falling somewhat flat on final day. Was it a case of so much being invested by the Tribes in their last-four clash that they couldn't match that effort when Liam MacCarthy handed out?

Wins over Cork in 1975, 79, 85; against Kilkenny in '86 and then over Tipperary in '87 and '93, are semi-final tussles where Galway caused a surprise of sorts. It was only in '87 where they went on to land the big prize. That was then. The Connacht men, now playing out of Leinster, are at the same starting gate as everybody else.

Of course, it is also worth pointing out that prior to 1984, the Leinster and Munster winners, in alternate years, went straight through to an All-Ireland final. Antrim's inclusion in centenary year changed that.

Ahead of this weekend's semis at Croke Park, the standout stat is Kilkenny's impressive return at the penultimate stage under Brian Cody. It's just four losses in 20 appearances up to now, those came against Galway in 2001 and 2005, Waterford in 2020 and Cork in 2021.

The Cats often had a five or six-week gap from winning the Bob O'Keeffe Cup to making their bow in the All-Ireland series, a break that did not seem to bother them. From 2005-07, provincial winners did play at the All-Ireland quarter-final stage, so the gap wasn't as long. The straight route to the semis was restored in 2008. The only years that a Cody team did not make the last four were in 2013 (quarter-final loss to Cork); 2017 (qualifier defeat against Waterford) and in 2018 (another quarter-final defeat, this time to Limerick)

Since Kilkenny's last All-Ireland win in 2015, Cody's semi-final record is