ON THE NIGHT of his 2021 debut for the Limerick hurlers, Cathal O’Neill received a message from teammate Darragh O’Donovan.
He was offering words of comfort after what had been a chastening experience. And for the young cub who was still in secondary school at the time, the gesture was very much appreciated.
“It meant a lot,” O’Neill would later go on to say to the GAA website in 2023 about that unfortunate memory. “It isn’t massive on him, but it means an awful lot to a young fella at the time.”
The Crecora/Manister player had been given his shot in Pearse Stadium, starting in the full-forward line alongside experienced shooters Séamus Flanagan and Peter Casey.
But by half-time, O’Neill was making way for Aaron Gillane as Galway completed a six-point victory to hand Limerick their first defeat in two years. The result was a temporary setback, of course, as John Kiely’s men went on to defend their All-Ireland title later that season.
O’Neill was included in their success, but didn’t bank any championship time as his involvement was restricted to league appearances. The breakthrough would come soon enough though.
Despite that false start, O’Neill went on to serve a lengthy apprenticeship as an impact sub before later evolving into a regular starter. Two more All-Ireland medals and three additional Munster championships have been achieved in that period.
And for this weekend’s league final against Cork, O’Neill will occupy a leadership role in Limerick’s attack. His rise has been built on several other progressive acts in between, including time served across the half-back line.
Cathal O'Neill pictured with John Kiely after winning the 2021 All-Ireland final. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
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The resilience he showed to recover from that debut appearance was first forged with his local side, Crecora/Manister. Club secretary, Ger Riordan, has a son of similar age to O’Neill. And from that vantage point, he saw the first flashes of that quality during those formative years.
“While he felt the disappointment, you could see the determination in his face, even after a loss at an underage game. He was going to try and help the team as much as he could to come back stronger for the next game. And that might only be an U14 league game.”
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Crecora/Manister is a dual club based just outside Limerick city. Their hurlers compete at the Premier Junior A grade while the footballers have been in the intermediate division since achieving promotion in 2020. The feeling is that senior football is beyond their reach at the moment but they’re closing in on a hurling county title.
“We’ve been knocking on the door for the last three or four years,” says Riordan who has been appointed as the club’s hurling manager this season. “We’ve been installed as favourites to win out the county. We’ve reached quarter-final stages on one or two occasions, but just haven’t been able to get over the line.”
O’Neill lines out for both teams. Hurling is his first code but his natural athleticism makes him a major asset for the footballers. There was soccer and rugby in his younger days too. He threw the oval ball until he was around 12 or 13, playing for the Old Crescent club which is home to former Ireland scrum-half Eoin Reddan.
O’Neill was a standout hurler from the beginning, and quickly became a dominant presence at midfield for the club. His talent was well known locally but back-to-back minor All-Stars with Limerick in 2018 and 2019 led to widespread recognition of his abilities.
O’Neill was the second-highest scorer in the 2018 championship, checking out with a total of 1-54 as Limerick lost the Munster final to Tipperary. He scored 0-10 when the sides met in the provincial opener and added six points from play when they collided again in the decider.
O'Neill as a Limerick minor in 2018. Tommy Dickson / INPHO
Tommy Dickson / INPHO / INPHO
O’Neill’s final tally in 2019 was 1-52 as Limerick won the Munster championship, posting 0-9 in the final against Clare. Current Limerick seniors Adam English, Colin Coughlan and Aidan O’Connor were part of that team too.
He was also involved with the U20s who won the 2022 Munster championship before eventually losing the All-Ireland final to Kilkenny. But since he also featured in the senior championship that year, he was then ruled out of selection for the remainder of the U20s campaign.
O’Neill was still attending Ardscoil Rís when he made his senior bow for Limerick in 2021, and was part of the team who won the school’s last Dr Harty Cup in 2018. Along with Clare senior Diarmuid Ryan, they both hit 1-3 each in the final against Cork’s Midleton CBS.
But being his club’s first representative on the Limerick senior hurling panel is a distinction that belongs entirely to O’Neill.
“We’re extremely proud,” says Riordan.
“I’ve been secretary of the club now for the last five years and the amount of phone calls and requests for interviews that have come through me to contact Cathal to see if he’ll allow his phone number to be passed on.
“It really raises the profile of our club having someone on the Limerick senior hurling panel. Crecora-Manister wasn’t really known up to the point where Cathal got on the senior panel.”
Playing for Limerick is O’Neill’s priority at this time of the year but when he can spare the time, he’s an important presence around the club.
“We’re playing league games at the moment and if Cathal is free, he’ll be up on the sideline helping out the lads,” Riordan continues.
“And with younger players within the club, they all look up to him. He’ll pop down when the U6s are training and just go down and speak to the kids for 10 minutes, and that’s massive to them, because they see him as this television star.
“It’s huge for them to see him walking down onto the pitch. There’s no airs or graces about Cathal. He’s the most level-headed, and most approachable player that I’ve come across in a long time.”
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Injuries have disrupted O’Neill’s flow in the Limerick senior squad. He sprained his ankle during his first championship start against Tipperary in 2022, coming off in the second half after scoring two points from play.
O’Neill came on in the All-Ireland final and scored one point as Limerick dispatched Kilkenny to become three-in-a-row champions. That marked a promotion from his role of unused substitute in 2021.
O'Neill after a point against Kilkenny in the 2022 All-Ireland final. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
It was a case of rinse and repeat when the sides met again on hurling’s biggest day the following year. Again, O’Neill proved to be a powerful reinforcement as he scored two points off the bench after replacing Tom Morrissey in the second half.
But O’Neill was felled by injury again at the end of 2024, when he suffered a torn hamstring while on Fitzgibbon Cup duty for UL.
That impacted his 2025 season as he returned to his impact sub role for much of the championship, making just one start in the Munster round-robin against Clare.
But 2026 is already looking promising for O’Neill. He scooped the man-of-the-match award in the Fitzgibbon Cup final, scoring seven points from play as UL retained their title with a 4-31 to 3-21 win over MICL.
He has a stacked highlights reel in the league so far too. His current haul of 3-11 includes this brilliant goal against Cork.
After controlling a Cian Lynch pass with some brilliant stickwork, he drills the ball through a difficult angle for a goal to push Limerick into a five-point lead in the second half. From there, Limerick pushed on for an eight-point win.
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His goal against Galway was even more impressive. O’Neill showed his awareness to pounce on a loose sideline cut which landed in the centre of the field. After sprinting through the clear space, he launched a bullet which flew past two Galway defenders into the back of the net.
There was another man-of-the-match award for him that evening after scoring 1-6 to help Limerick secure their place in the Division 1A final.
There is a noticeable shift in the cast of Limerick’s core players. Their longstanding captain Declan Hannon has retired, experienced forward Séamus Flanagan is not part of the squad this season, and Darragh O’Donovan is in today’s matchday panel as he returns from a shoulder injury.
Players like Aidan O’Connor, Shane O’Brien and Adam English have stepped into that void, headlining a wave of new leaders for Limerick. O’Neill is solidifying his place in that group too. Another big performance in a league final would strengthen his case even more.
The ultimate recovery from a regrettable first impression. The stage awaits at the
“He seems to have matured a little bit over the last year or two,” says Riordan in conclusion.
“The younger players that have been knocking on the door for the last number of years, have really stepped up in the league. They’ve played Cathal at wing forward for the last number of games and I can’t see anyone taking that jersey off him at the moment.
“These guys have basically turned around and said to John Kiely and Paul Kinnock, ‘We’ve shown you we’re going to be starting this year.’”
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The rising star making history for his club despite a difficult Limerick debut
ON THE NIGHT of his 2021 debut for the Limerick hurlers, Cathal O’Neill received a message from teammate Darragh O’Donovan.
He was offering words of comfort after what had been a chastening experience. And for the young cub who was still in secondary school at the time, the gesture was very much appreciated.
“It meant a lot,” O’Neill would later go on to say to the GAA website in 2023 about that unfortunate memory. “It isn’t massive on him, but it means an awful lot to a young fella at the time.”
The Crecora/Manister player had been given his shot in Pearse Stadium, starting in the full-forward line alongside experienced shooters Séamus Flanagan and Peter Casey.
But by half-time, O’Neill was making way for Aaron Gillane as Galway completed a six-point victory to hand Limerick their first defeat in two years. The result was a temporary setback, of course, as John Kiely’s men went on to defend their All-Ireland title later that season.
O’Neill was included in their success, but didn’t bank any championship time as his involvement was restricted to league appearances. The breakthrough would come soon enough though.
Despite that false start, O’Neill went on to serve a lengthy apprenticeship as an impact sub before later evolving into a regular starter. Two more All-Ireland medals and three additional Munster championships have been achieved in that period.
And for this weekend’s league final against Cork, O’Neill will occupy a leadership role in Limerick’s attack. His rise has been built on several other progressive acts in between, including time served across the half-back line.
****
The resilience he showed to recover from that debut appearance was first forged with his local side, Crecora/Manister. Club secretary, Ger Riordan, has a son of similar age to O’Neill. And from that vantage point, he saw the first flashes of that quality during those formative years.
“While he felt the disappointment, you could see the determination in his face, even after a loss at an underage game. He was going to try and help the team as much as he could to come back stronger for the next game. And that might only be an U14 league game.”
Crecora/Manister is a dual club based just outside Limerick city. Their hurlers compete at the Premier Junior A grade while the footballers have been in the intermediate division since achieving promotion in 2020. The feeling is that senior football is beyond their reach at the moment but they’re closing in on a hurling county title.
“We’ve been knocking on the door for the last three or four years,” says Riordan who has been appointed as the club’s hurling manager this season. “We’ve been installed as favourites to win out the county. We’ve reached quarter-final stages on one or two occasions, but just haven’t been able to get over the line.”
O’Neill lines out for both teams. Hurling is his first code but his natural athleticism makes him a major asset for the footballers. There was soccer and rugby in his younger days too. He threw the oval ball until he was around 12 or 13, playing for the Old Crescent club which is home to former Ireland scrum-half Eoin Reddan.
O’Neill was a standout hurler from the beginning, and quickly became a dominant presence at midfield for the club. His talent was well known locally but back-to-back minor All-Stars with Limerick in 2018 and 2019 led to widespread recognition of his abilities.
O’Neill was the second-highest scorer in the 2018 championship, checking out with a total of 1-54 as Limerick lost the Munster final to Tipperary. He scored 0-10 when the sides met in the provincial opener and added six points from play when they collided again in the decider.
O’Neill’s final tally in 2019 was 1-52 as Limerick won the Munster championship, posting 0-9 in the final against Clare. Current Limerick seniors Adam English, Colin Coughlan and Aidan O’Connor were part of that team too.
He was also involved with the U20s who won the 2022 Munster championship before eventually losing the All-Ireland final to Kilkenny. But since he also featured in the senior championship that year, he was then ruled out of selection for the remainder of the U20s campaign.
O’Neill was still attending Ardscoil Rís when he made his senior bow for Limerick in 2021, and was part of the team who won the school’s last Dr Harty Cup in 2018. Along with Clare senior Diarmuid Ryan, they both hit 1-3 each in the final against Cork’s Midleton CBS.
But being his club’s first representative on the Limerick senior hurling panel is a distinction that belongs entirely to O’Neill.
“We’re extremely proud,” says Riordan.
“I’ve been secretary of the club now for the last five years and the amount of phone calls and requests for interviews that have come through me to contact Cathal to see if he’ll allow his phone number to be passed on.
“It really raises the profile of our club having someone on the Limerick senior hurling panel. Crecora-Manister wasn’t really known up to the point where Cathal got on the senior panel.”
Playing for Limerick is O’Neill’s priority at this time of the year but when he can spare the time, he’s an important presence around the club.
“We’re playing league games at the moment and if Cathal is free, he’ll be up on the sideline helping out the lads,” Riordan continues.
“And with younger players within the club, they all look up to him. He’ll pop down when the U6s are training and just go down and speak to the kids for 10 minutes, and that’s massive to them, because they see him as this television star.
“It’s huge for them to see him walking down onto the pitch. There’s no airs or graces about Cathal. He’s the most level-headed, and most approachable player that I’ve come across in a long time.”
****
Injuries have disrupted O’Neill’s flow in the Limerick senior squad. He sprained his ankle during his first championship start against Tipperary in 2022, coming off in the second half after scoring two points from play.
O’Neill came on in the All-Ireland final and scored one point as Limerick dispatched Kilkenny to become three-in-a-row champions. That marked a promotion from his role of unused substitute in 2021.
It was a case of rinse and repeat when the sides met again on hurling’s biggest day the following year. Again, O’Neill proved to be a powerful reinforcement as he scored two points off the bench after replacing Tom Morrissey in the second half.
But O’Neill was felled by injury again at the end of 2024, when he suffered a torn hamstring while on Fitzgibbon Cup duty for UL.
That impacted his 2025 season as he returned to his impact sub role for much of the championship, making just one start in the Munster round-robin against Clare.
But 2026 is already looking promising for O’Neill. He scooped the man-of-the-match award in the Fitzgibbon Cup final, scoring seven points from play as UL retained their title with a 4-31 to 3-21 win over MICL.
He has a stacked highlights reel in the league so far too. His current haul of 3-11 includes this brilliant goal against Cork.
After controlling a Cian Lynch pass with some brilliant stickwork, he drills the ball through a difficult angle for a goal to push Limerick into a five-point lead in the second half. From there, Limerick pushed on for an eight-point win.
His goal against Galway was even more impressive. O’Neill showed his awareness to pounce on a loose sideline cut which landed in the centre of the field. After sprinting through the clear space, he launched a bullet which flew past two Galway defenders into the back of the net.
There was another man-of-the-match award for him that evening after scoring 1-6 to help Limerick secure their place in the Division 1A final.
****
There is a noticeable shift in the cast of Limerick’s core players. Their longstanding captain Declan Hannon has retired, experienced forward Séamus Flanagan is not part of the squad this season, and Darragh O’Donovan is in today’s matchday panel as he returns from a shoulder injury.
Players like Aidan O’Connor, Shane O’Brien and Adam English have stepped into that void, headlining a wave of new leaders for Limerick. O’Neill is solidifying his place in that group too. Another big performance in a league final would strengthen his case even more.
The ultimate recovery from a regrettable first impression. The stage awaits at the
“He seems to have matured a little bit over the last year or two,” says Riordan in conclusion.
“The younger players that have been knocking on the door for the last number of years, have really stepped up in the league. They’ve played Cathal at wing forward for the last number of games and I can’t see anyone taking that jersey off him at the moment.
“These guys have basically turned around and said to John Kiely and Paul Kinnock, ‘We’ve shown you we’re going to be starting this year.’”
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