KEVIN DOWNES WAS watching on as the Limerick hurlers set out on the trail for 2016.
He had good reason to be on the sidelines.
Club commitments with Na Piarsaigh consumed the attacker, who has picked up with Limerick a Munster U21 medal in 2011 and a Munster senior medal in 2013.
On St Patrick’s Day, Na Piarsaigh finally made the breakthrough they had desperately craved.
They cruised past Antrim’s Cushendall to become the first Limerick club to be crowned All-Ireland senior hurling champions, Downes striking 1-2 as they triumphed.
It helped erase the heartbreak of their All-Ireland club semi-final losses to Loughgiel Shamrocks in 2012 and Portumna in 2014.
“A dream moment,” recalls Downes.
“Even starting out, you wouldn’t dare to dream of that moment. To get there and be at the top of the pile is brilliant. It’s an unbelievable feeling.”
Downes and his Na Piarsaigh teammates savoured the feeling of All-Ireland glory but with eight of them on the Limerick senior panel, they were glad to get back assisting their county.
“It was a super couple of weeks with the club,” says Downes.
“We’d great craic after but you can only do that for so long as well. Genuinely it is brilliant coming back in to the (Limerick) panel.
“To be back in amongst the lads, having the craic again. The lads accepted us fairly warmly.”
Downes made his mark when he returned. He fired 1-2 in Limerick’s league quarter-final win over Dublin earlier this month on the same night that teammate Shane Dowling struck 0-6 and Ronan Lynch – on his inter county debut – shone in the sweeper role.
The victory helped ease the disappointment of Limerick’s loss to Clare in the Division 1B promotion showdown and now Waterford loom large at the semi-final stage next Sunday.
“The Clare game was obviously disappointing,” admits Downes.
“The mission was to get a win over Dublin and to get that was brilliant. It was tough watching the league, obviously you’re not involved with the group.
“All the Na Piarsaigh lads, we’re delighted to be back. It’s great preparation for championship, we’re out on the 19th of June. Competitive games, you can’t beat them.”
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