Afternoon all and welcome along to our coverage from Páirc Uí Chaoimh of the latest Cork-Limerick hurling instalment.

Three weeks after the teams met in the league final at the Gaelic Grounds where Limerick enjoyed an emphatic 1-27 to 1-21 success, they renew acquaintances.

Limerick have been playing the waiting game since then, today’s Round 2 encounter is their opening Munster championship assignment.

Cork are in a better place in the wake of last Sunday’s opening provincial win, impressing in Thurles as they took down reigning All-Ireland champions Tipperary by 0-29 to 1-21.

Throw-in here is 2pm.

Here are the teams named to start, we’ll let you know of any late changes. No Aaron Gillane in the Limerick ranks, the Patrickswell man who starred in the league final is out through injury.

*****

Cork

1. Patrick Collins (Ballinhassig)

2. Niall O’Leary (Castlelyons), 3. Ciarán Joyce (Castlemartyr), 4. Seán O’Donoghue (Inniscarra)

5. Eoin Downey (Glen Rovers), 6. Robert Downey (Glen Rovers), 7. Mark Coleman (Blarney)

8. Tim O’Mahony (Newtownshandrum), 9. Tommy O’Connell (Midleton)

10. Darragh Fitzgibbon (Charleville), 11. Shane Barrett (Blarney), 12. Barry Walsh (Killeagh)

13. Alan Connolly (Blackrock), 14. William Buckley (St Finbarr’s), 15. Brian Hayes (St Finbarr’s)

*****

Limerick

1. Nickie Quaid (Effin)

2. Seán Finn (Bruff), 3. Mike Casey (Na Piarsaigh), 4. Barry Nash (South Liberties)

5. Diarmaid Byrnes (Patrickswell), 6. William O’Donoghue (Na Piarsaigh), 7. Kyle Hayes (Kildimo-Pallaskenry)

8. Adam English (Doon), 9. Cian Lynch (Patrickswell)

10. Gearóid Hegarty (St Patrick’s), 11. Aidan O’Connor (Ballybrown), 12. Cathal O’Neill (Crecora-Manister)

13. Peter Casey (Na Piarsaigh), 14. Shane O’Brien (Kilmallock), 15. David Reidy (Dromin/Athlacca)

The referee today is Wexford’s James Owens.

The teams are out on the field, as a minute’s silence is held in memory of the late Darragh King of Carrigaline GAA. 

Amhrán na bhFiann will follow, and then it’s showtime.

THROW-IN - We’re underway!

Limerick 0-1 Cork 0-0

1 min - First blood Limerick, Diarmaid Byrnes from range after 15 seconds.

Limerick 0-2 Cork 0-0 

2 mins - Gearoid Hegarty arrows over after a quick sideline.

Two shots, two scores for the Treaty.

Limerick 0-2 Cork 0-0 

3 mins – David Reidy with Limerick’s first wide amidst a fast a furious start.

Concern for Cork as Ciarán Joyce is down injured. 

Limerick 0-2 Cork 0-0 

5 mins – Cork sub: Damien Cahalane replaces Joyce, who is back to his feet but limping gingerly. A disappointing early end to his afternoon.

Limerick 0-3 Cork 0-0 

6 mins – Adam English the latest Limerick scorer, he drives through the middle unmarked and untracked.

Shane Barrett with a wide at the other end.

Limerick 0-4 Cork 0-0 

7 mins – Cathal O’Neill is the latest Limerick player in on the scoring act.

Just before that, another Cork effort drops short through Brian Hayes.

Limerick 0-5 Cork 0-0 

9 mins - Shane O’Brien angles over inside as Limerick roar on. 

It could be a point more, Peter Casey shot wide just beforehand.

Limerick 0-5 Cork 0-1 

10 mins - Hayes with Cork’s first score from a tight angle near the sideline, Ben O’Connor will hope that will settle them.

Limerick 0-5 Cork 0-2

10 mins - Darragh Fitzgibbon from downtown! Cork are up and running.

Limerick 0-6 Cork 0-2

11 mins - O’Brien with another brilliant score as Limerick turn defence to attack, a big Byrnes hook turning Cork over and sending them on their way.

Limerick 0-7 Cork 0-2

13 mins - Aidan O’Connor splits the posts with the first free of the game.

Limerick 0-8 Cork 0-2

14 mins - O’Connor adds another from play out on the sideline, another superb strike.

Limerick 0-9 Cork 0-2

15 mins - Three in a row for O’Connor. Limerick are humming.

Limerick 0-9 Cork 0-3

16 mins – Tim O’Mahony nails his first free from way out as Cork break the latest sequence of Limerick scoring.

Limerick 0-10 Cork 0-3

17 mins – Adam English fires over as John Kiely’s men hit double digits in just over 16 minutes. 

Limerick 0-10 Cork 0-4

18 mins – Alan Connolly gets his first of the day from a free. The Cork defence smother Kyle Hayes at the other end.

Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

GOAL! Cork 1-4 Limerick 0-10 (Barrett 21)

Shane Barrett smashes home to lift Cork, after Alan Connolly picks William O’Donoghue’s pocket and sends him through. 

Limerick 0-10 Cork 1-5

22 mins - Well, Cork needed that! Connolly further sparks them to life with a free, making it 1-2 without reply and yielding chants of ‘Rebels, Rebels’.

Limerick 0-10 Cork 1-6

23 mins – And there’s Connolly from play, the gap trimmed to one.

Limerick 0-10 Cork 1-7

24 mins – William Buckley levels matters!

Hayes miscued just beforehand.

Limerick 0-12 Cork 1-7

26 mins – Hegarty hits back instantly with Limerick’s first score in nine minutes to nudge them back in front. 

O’Connor’s latest free stretches the lead to two.

Here’s a look at Shane Barrett’s goal for Cork:

GOAL 🚨

It's a crucial goal for @OfficialCorkGAA finished by Shane Barrett 🔥

Game on! pic.twitter.com/TEMT5SX9bY

— The GAA (@officialgaa) April 26, 2026

Limerick 0-12 Cork 1-9

28 mins - Cork respond. Another Connolly free, before Fitzgibbon launches another monstrous effort to level the game once more.

Limerick 0-13 Cork 1-9

30 mins - O’Connor edges Limerick in front by the minimum again.

Limerick 0-13 Cork 1-9 

31 mins - Two wides in a row, Connolly from a free with Cork’s fourth, before O’Connor follows suit from play. 

Hayes with a huge block on Buckley, but he concedes a free while continuing the pursuit.

Limerick 0-13 Cork 1-10 

32 mins – Connolly regains his composure by nailing his latest free, the sides level for the fourth time. 

Limerick 0-14 Cork 1-10 

34 mins – Peter Casey with a hard-earned point for Limerick, it’s ferocious out there!

Comes after a poor O’Connor miss.

Limerick 0-15 Cork 1-11

35 mins – Hayes with a brilliant score, he does really well to keep a miscued shot in play and carves out a chance for himself. 

Shane O’Brien gets the better of Cahalane at the other end to fire over.

Two minutes added on.

Limerick 0-16 Cork 1-11

36 mins – O’Neill from range to give Limerick some breathing space as half-time approaches.

HALF-TIME: Limerick 0-16 Cork 1-11

Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

Time to draw breath!

Limerick lead by two at the break after a helter-skelter first half.

John Kiely’s side came out all guns blazing and had 0-5 on the board before Cork got off the mark in the 10th minute. They led by as much as seven points, hitting double digits in just over 16 minutes, before Shane Barrett’s goal brought Cork back into it at 0-10 to 1-4.

It’s been level pegging since, but Limerick have kept the upper-hand and lead 0-16 to 1-11 at halfway. 

A big second half ahead, stay with us to see how it all unfolds!

Fintan O’Toole is at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh for us today…

Ten starting forwards have scored so far, relentless pace to the match. Limerick utterly dominant in first quarter, just like league final, Cork have clawed way back into it, gained foothold on Limerick puckouts in 2nd quarter.

— Fintan O'Toole (@fotoole13) April 26, 2026

SECOND-HALF - We’re back. No half-time changes.

Limerick 0-16 Cork 1-12 

36 mins - Barrett with the first score of the second half. 

Cork follow up with a goal chance, Nickie Quaid producing a huge save to stop them!

Limerick 0-17 Cork 1-12

37 mins - Casey with a point for Limerick.

Another huge save at the other end, Collins denying Casey. Some start to the second half!

Limerick 0-18 Cork 1-12

39 mins – O’Connor nails the first ’65 of the afternoon. 

Rob Downey is back on the field after receiving treatment. 

Limerick 0-18 Cork 1-13

41 mins - Fitzgibbon fields brilliantly and draws a free, which Connolly duly converts.

It comes after wides at either end: first Buckley, then O’Brien. 

The attendance has been announced as 43,369.

Limerick 0-18 Cork 1-13

43 mins - O’Neill is disappointed with himself after back to back wides from range.

Limerick 0-18 Cork 1-14

44 mins – Buckley makes no mistake to bring Cork within one point.

Limerick 0-18 Cork 1-14

44 mins - Hegarty registers Limerick’s third successive wide, their ninth in total to Cork’s five.

GOAL! Cork 2-14 Limerick 0-18 (Connolly 45)

The Rebels raise their second green flag, Alan Connolly doing the business this time around to move them into the ascendency.

He finishes off with a brave flick past Quaid, but he seems to have injured himself in the process and leaves the field temporarily. Quaid sees yellow.

Cork 2-14 Limerick 0-19

48 mins - Casey angles over from a tight spot as Limerick hit back.

It’s Alan Walsh who has come in for Connolly, by the way.

Here’s Alan Connolly’s goal that has Cork in front:

🚨 GOAL@OfficialCorkGAA have taken the lead as Alan Connolly finds the back of the net 🔥#CORvLIM pic.twitter.com/23tQvC0MtG

— The GAA (@officialgaa) April 26, 2026

RED CARD! Limerick’s Cian Lynch is sent off.

It seems to be for an off the ball incident, jabbing backwards, whether intentional or not. Would need to see it back. Lynch looks distraught as he takes his seat in the stand.

Cork 2-16 Limerick 0-19 

53 mins - Fitzgibbon scores the subsequent free.

Quaid with a big save as Cork go for the jugular. Free awarded for what appears to be lying on the ball, and Fitzgibbon converts.

Cork 2-16 Limerick 0-19

54 mins – Connolly is back on after receiving treatment, while Diarmuid Healy has replaced Buckley and Darragh O’Donovan comes in for David Reidy.

Cork 2-17 Limerick 0-20

57 mins - Eoin Downey with the latest score amidst a frantic and frayed few minutes.

Cork 2-17 Limerick 0-21

58 mins - O’Connor with a Limerick free to reduce the deficit to two. 

Cork’s Seán O'Donoghue and Tim O'Mahony with Adam English of Limerick. Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

Cork 2-17 Limerick 0-21

60 mins – Wides at both ends: O’Brien again, then O’Mahony from a free from distance.

Cork 2-17 Limerick 0-22

60 mins - O’Brien with a big score after a series of misses. Great resilience! Great resilience from ‘The Bull’!

Cork 2-18 Limerick 0-23

62 mins - Barrett and Byrnes trade scores. Tit for tat.

Cork 2-19 Limerick 0-23

62 mins - Tommy O’Connell fires over for Cork.

Limerick sub, Tom Morrissey has replaced Peter Casey.

Cork 2-19 Limerick 0-23

65 mins - Limerick have a close-range free with the chance to get within a point.

O’Donovan won the free by going direct.

Bodies sprawled all over the field, hurleys broken, you can’t take your eyes off this!

Cork 2-19 Limerick 0-23

67 mins - Flashpoint there between O’Donoghue and O’Brien, yellows flashed to both.

The Limerick free is moved in, Byrnes comes up to take it… 

GOAL! Limerick 1-23 Cork 2-19 (Byrnes 68)

BYRNES SCORES FROM THE FREE AND LIMERICK LEAD BY ONE!!!

Limerick 1-23 Cork 2-20

70 mins – Connolly free squares it up.

Comes after a yellow card for Mike Casey for a challenge on Fitzgibbon. 

Five minutes added on…

Cork 2-21 Limerick 1-23 

72 mins - Connolly with a huge free to hand Cork the lead.

Cork 2-21 Limerick 1-23

73 mins – Downey wide for Cork, as Robbie O’Flynn replaces Barry Walsh. 

Cork 2-22 Limerick 1-23

74 mins – Fitzgibbon puts Cork two clear with the game in its final minute…

Cork 2-22 Limerick 1-23

75 mins – O’Donovan drops in a Limerick free… Cork hold firm. But the referee has to stop the game with too many players on the pitch.

Rob Downey is on the ground…. confusion, but he’s off the field and the free will be retaken.

FULL-TIME: Cork 2-22 Limerick 1-23

Cork beat 14-man Limerick by two points.

Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

What a game, and what a win for Cork as they make it two from two in the Munster senior hurling championship.

Scenes of joy as the hosts celebrate and Darragh Fitzgibbon is named Man of the Match.

“These are the best days of our lives,” he tells RTÉ.

Ben O’Connor’s side showed huge heart to recover from a slow start, with goals from Shane Barrett and Alan Connolly key. So too was the Cian Lynch red card, and while Limerick rallied, they fell just short.

Another epic encounter between two heavyweights, bring on the rest of the summer!

That’s all for our live coverage this afternoon, but Fintan O’Toole’s match report will be on The 42 imminently, with plenty of reaction, colour and analysis to follow from SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Cork just about edge it, game turned on Alan Connolly goal and Cian Lynch red card for Limerick.

Given first quarter struggles, eight points down after 16 mins, huge turnaround for Cork.

Connolly with 1-8, Darragh Fitzgibbon 0-5 and Shane Barrett 1-2 also hit key scores.

— Fintan O'Toole (@fotoole13) April 26, 2026

Attention now turns to Waterford versus Tipperary, which Gavin Cooney is live-blogging for us. 

Thanks for reading. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!