The stunning display by champions Kilkenny will see them face Offaly or Clare in the All-Ireland quarter-final.

Henry Shefflin helped them outpace and outgun Galway 4-20 to 1-10 in front of 21,855 at Semple Stadium, Thurles.

It looked effortless at times for the champions, who saw centre-half forward Shefflin strike 2-11 with Eddie Brennan and substitute John Hoyne claiming late goals.

League champions Galway were a shell of themselves, scoring just once in the final 25 minutes.

Two crisp early frees from 2003 All-star Shefflin answered Eugene Cloonan’s first minute score, which produced a card for Cats’ corner back Tommy Walsh.

A Cloonan burst forward drew an elbow from Noel Hickey and another yellow for the Kilkenny full back line after just seven minutes.

Both sides then went point-for-point for the next six minutes after DJ Carey, in his 50th championship appearance, and Cloonan both tapped over frees.

Kilkenny midfielder Derek Lyng then notched the first point from play, Damien Hayes eluded Walsh to point from the touchline and Martin Comerford drove over Shefflin’s hand pass and Brennan made it 0-06 to 0-03 on 13 minutes.

Three minutes later Kilkenny struck a hammer blow.

Jimmy Coogan hand-passed through a sea of maroon jerseys for the unmarked Shefflin to flick beyond Galway netminder Liam Donoghue for a 12th championship goal of his career.

Cloonan, despite missing two first half frees, grabbed another two to keep Conor Hayes’ men in the hunt and Kevin Broderick and Damien Hayes rallied them back to five points down at the break.

But the first half was all about Kilkenny’s intensity.

Buoyed by Shefflin’s goal, they went in search of another and Eddie Brennan managed to net again on 33 minutes.

However Cork referee Diarmuid Kirwan brought play back as a marginal decision, ruling a foot trip by Brennan on covering Galway skipper Ollie Canning and the goal ruled out.

This provoked stern protests from Brian Cody at the interval.

Skipper Comerford’s second and a late brace of frees from Shefflin had given Cody’s men a 1-09 to 0-7 half time lead, and two more for Ballyhale ace Shefflin sandwiched a Cloonan ’65 after the restart.

For all of Kilkenny’s hard work, Galway were back within two on 45 minutes as Broderick’s jaunt forward saw Damien Hayes goal.

Athenry marksman Cloonan struck another free three minutes later but a 3-10 Kilkenny blitz from then on made a mockery of Galway's defence.

Brennan, Shefflin (0-2, 1f) started the rout before Shefflin bagged a second goal on 53 minutes, as his 20-metre free crept past Damian Joyce at the near post.

That put eight points between the sides and further efforts from Richie Mullaly, U21 star Conor Phelan and Shefflin (two frees) ended it as a contest.

Brennan grabbed a late 1-1, pacing around Canning with six minutes remaining to hammer past O'Donoghue and Hoyne rattled in a fourth for Kilkenny, who now face either Offaly or Clare.

Afterwards Kilkenny boss Brian Cody described it as "a good win".

"It was a good performance and we knew it had to be as there's no second chance around here.

"The players worked very hard and there's no doubting they have the hunger."