Galway manager Micheal Donoghue.
***Saturday May 12
Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
Offaly v Galway, Bord Na Mona O'Connor Park, 7pm
The reigning Leinster and All Ireland champions hit Tullamore eager to replicate the style and substance which was evident throughout 2017.
It was a seriously rewarding year for Galway packed with silverware so Micheal Donoghue's team will be hoping to demonstrate their ability against Offaly, who showed signs of improvement this spring.
Under Kevin Martin's steady stewardship Offaly secured a couple of Division 1B triumphs and troubled Kilkenny at the Quarter-Final stage.
That defiant display supplied a bit of encouragement, but Offaly will be fully aware of the threat Galway carry.
In a provincial semi-final last year Galway hit 0-33 against the Faithful County, who haven't defeated the Tribesmen in the Championship since 1994.
The counties didn't collide again until 2010 when they drew, but Galway won the replay on that occasion and claimed three convincing wins in 2012, 2016, and 2017.
OFFALY: Eoghan Cahill; Tom Spain, Sean Gardiner, Ben Conneely; Damien Egan, Pat Camon, Brendan Murphy; David King, Shane Kinsella; Joe Bergin, Conor Mahon, Oisin Kelly; Dan Currams, Colin Egan, Shane Dooley.
GALWAY: James Skehill; Adrian Tuohy, Daithi Burke, John Hanbury; Padraig Mannion, Gearoid McInerney, Aidan Harte; Johnny Coen, David Burke; Cathal Mannion, Joe Canning, Joseph Cooney; Conor Whelan, Conor Cooney, Brian Concannon.
