All-Ireland SHC Quarter-finals/Kilkenny 2-22 Galway 3-14: The train journey south entailed plenty of absorbing encounters. I sat beside a Newtownshandrum man whose love affair with hurling spanned 77 years, a UCG graduate with Tipperary blood and an Irish-speaking Aran Islander who bemoaned the absence of a western corridor to provide a direct link to hurling's epicentre.

Ominously, people garbed in black and amber grouped together and were largely silent.

This was an untamed revenge mission. And the wrath of Kilkenny laid waste Galway aspirations in an opening bombardment inspired by the promptings of hurling's brightest gem, Henry Shefflin. But all the big attacking names shone.

Galway enlivened last year's championship with a remarkable 5-18 in the All-Ireland semi-final defeat of Brian Cody's men that ultimately precluded a straight shoot-out between the game's elite.

But if they assumed a seat at the top table was theirs by right, they were mistaken.

In an inspiring curtain-raiser to this game, Limerick had pushed the All-Ireland champions, Cork, to the brink of oblivion.

Passions ran high, especially with the middle-aged Limerick man who invaded the field just before the second half started to jostle Jerry O'Connor.

That ugly episode was soon followed by thrilling stick play. Cork survived a cataclysmic shock.

Brian Cody's first task in dispensing with Galway was to tame their lethal full-forward line.

The Kilkenny full backs Michael Kavanagh, James Ryall and John Tennyson had been shredded in last season's game as Niall Healy bagged a hat trick and Ger Farragher and Damien Hayes inflicted severe damage.

Such embarrassment is unlikely to recur - at least on Cody's watch. He dropped one corner back - his son Donnacha - during the week and selected Ryall and Tennyson farther out the field.

JJ Delaney and Noel Hickey provided ironclad resolve on the inside. Hickey was back in his All Star slot of full back. Kavanagh tracked Healy with relish.

It was Cody's first dummy team in memory. All changed.

The huge potential of James "Cha" Fitzpatrick was allowed to develop from midfield. Larkin went to the wing, while Eddie Brennan, Martin Comerford and Shefflin rotated to devastating effect.

The defensive vigilance of Tony Óg Regan and Ger Mahon proved in vain as Shefflin ran riot - the master craftsman racking up seven first-half points - and by half-time 13 points separated the sides.

Shefflin finished with 11 points, including four memorable strikes from play.

Galway kept pace for 10 minutes until Fitzpatrick dropped a free from distance that Galway goalkeeper and captain Liam Donoghue carried over the goal-line.

Many of the 34,202 visitors to Semple Stadium began their homeward trek when Aidan Fogarty exposed a recently rejigged Galway defence to race through for a second goal in the 26th minute.

Three more Shefflin strikes and another from Fitzpatrick pushed the margin out to 16 early in the second half. The 19-point demolition Kilkenny inflicted on the same opposition in 2004 looked set to be overshadowed.

Galway manager Conor Hayes was hardly uninvolved; before the interval he unleashed David Tierney, Richie Murray and the sometime outcast Eugene Cloonan in a bid to stem the tide. Mahon, a late starter for the injured David Collins, Cathal Connolly and a groggy Fergal Healy made way.

The three replacements contributed 2-3 in an impressive comeback. Niall Healy claimed a second goal. A low-struck penalty from Cloonan, after another sub, Kerill Wade, was fouled, reduced arrears to five points with three minutes of normal time remaining.

Kilkenny were down a man for the final quarter after Derek Lyng received a second yellow card for needlessly pulling across Murray after the two tangled near midfield.

Comerford replied with his third point to keep Kilkenny six clear as Galway's revival ran out of steam.

There were glimpses here of Kilkenny's determination to reclaim the summit.

Cork showed sparks too but for different reasons.

Who holds the ultimate edge? Shefflin may provide that answer.

KILKENNY: 1. J McGarry; 2. M Kavanagh, 4. N Hickey, 3. JJ Delaney; 5. J Ryall, 6. J Tennyson, 7. T Walsh; 9. D Lyng (0-1), 11. J Fitzpatrick (1-2, two frees); 10. E Brennan (0-1), 14. M Comerford (0-3), 8. E Larkin (0-4); 13. E McCormack, 15. H Shefflin (0-11, five frees, two 65s), 12. A Fogarty (1-0). Substitutes: 21. M Fennelly for E McCormack (58 mins), 22. M Rice for A Fogarty (67 mins).

GALWAY: 1. L Donoghue; 2. D Joyce, 3. T Óg Regan, 4. O Canning; 5. D Hardiman, 6. S Kavanagh, 17. G Mahon; 8. F Healy, 9. C Dervan (0-1, 65); 10. C Connolly, 11. D Forde, 12. A Kerins (0-2); 13. D Hayes (0-2), 14. G Farragher (0-5, two frees, 65), 15. N Healy (1-1). Substitutes: 19. D Tierney (1-2) for F Healy, 22. E Cloonan (1-0, pen) for C Connolly, 18. R Murray (0-1) for G Mahon (all 35 mins), 20. E Lynch for D Forde (60 mins), 27. K Wade for G Farragher (64 mins).

Referee: D Kirwan (Cork).