EIGHT MINUTES HAD elapsed in the second half of this All-Ireland final when Kyle Hayes stormed out of the Limerick defence in possession.
He sprayed a diagonal delivery towards the Davin End-Cusack Stand corner where Aaron Gillane had moved into space to gather. He turned and fired a reverse pass towards Cathal O’Neill, rushing through in a more central position. O’Neill calmly stepped inside the Galway cover, on to his favoured right side and drilled a low shot that finished in the bottom corner of the net.
The strike was Limerick’s only goal of the afternoon, yet it was a moment that confirmed what had become glaringly clear as the action progressed towards the end of the first half and developed early in the second half. Limerick’s dominance was becoming more pronounced, O’Neill’s goal moving the scoreboard dial to see them 1-18 to 0-10 clear.
Limerick are starting to cruise now. Cathal O'Neill with the first goal of the final to put the Shannonsiders up eleven points.
Over 30 minutes of play unfolded from there until the final whistle was blasted by referee Colm Lyons. But Limerick were not going to relinquish an 11-point advantage and that was the exact position of supremacy they enjoyed on the scoreboard at the close of play.
After a three-year hiatus John Kiely’s side have been crowned Liam MacCarthy Cup victors again, the sixth time they have bagged that tag under his stewardship. This was the type of final display to offer a compelling reminder of their collective greatness.
Ronan Glennon is consoled by manager Micheál Donoghue after being shown a red card. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
They were 10 points clear entering the final quarter when Galway’s woes were compounded by the dismissal of Ronan Glennon, a red card punishment handed out for a high challenge on Peter Casey. The gap had swelled to 14 points in Limerick’s favour entering injury-time when Galway received a consolation cheer, a penalty rammed to the net by Conor Cooney. Time was called seconds later. This game was long done as a contest by then.
The winning scoring load was distributed around the Limerick team. O’Neill supplied the largest tally with 1-4 from play, but free-takers Aidan O’Connor and Diarmaid Byrnes excelled with 0-9 between them, six of those shots from placed balls. Aaron Gillane returned to his customary heights with a quartet of points from play, a tally matched by Peter Casey in the other corner of the attack. Kyle Hayes, Adam English and Cian Lynch evenly shared six points.
Galway struggled badly in comparison. They finished with only eight points knocked over from open play, clipping just two in the opening half. The signs were ominous in that period as they were largely surviving off Jason Rabbitte’s capacity to win frees and Aaron Niland’s ability to convert them. Niland weighed in with seven of Galway’s eight first-half points, while Rabbitte was fouled three times in the first 10 minutes alone by Mike Casey, a chain of events that prompted Limerick to shift Seán Finn onto the Athenry man and Colm Lyons to show a yellow card towards Casey.
Niland and Rabbitte lofted over a point apiece from play, similarly glorious shots from the Hogan Stand side, yet elsewhere Galway struggled to gain a foothold up front. Limerick swallowed up several attacks and mopped up plenty of Darach Fahy’s puckouts.
Limerick’s half-time advantage, 0-13 to 0-8, felt significant. They rattled off the last three scores before the interval courtesy of Cian Lynch, Aidan O’Connor (free), and Gillane. It left them in a strong position, comforted by their five-point cushion.
Advertisement
Limerick's Cathal O'Neill and David Reidy celebrate after the match Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO
Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO / INPHO
The evidence was there in the first half of Limerick’s ability to apply severe pressure to test the Galway rearguard action. They threatened to find the net on three occasions in that opening period. The tone was set early on when Gearoid Hegarty, outstanding throughout, unleashed a bullet that Darach Fahy brilliantly tipped away for a ’65 converted by Byrnes. Three minutes later a replica of that incident unfolded, this time Fahy blocking a Hegarty effort with his leg. Before the half hour mark, Peter Casey got sight of goal after a flowing Limerick team move, yet Cillian Trayers got back to block his strike.
Limerick's Peter Casey takes a shot while challenged by Galway's Cillian Trayers. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Galway were just about hanging in there to contend. Niland slotted over a 37th minute free to get the second-half scoring run going. That trimmed the deficit to four, Limerick would never be as close to the Tribesmen again as they accelerated away in that third quarter.
Peter Casey lofted over a 44th minute point to ensure Limerick had pushed 1-19 to 0-10 clear, and while Galway stitched four uninterrupted points together thereafter – Niland twice from frees, Tom Monaghan and Cathal Mannion all on target – it was a brief deviation from the trend of that second half.
Limerick’s grip soon strengthened and the memories of the setbacks they had endured over the past two summers faded away. Their return to the summit was confirmed, Cian Lynch acquainted with the prized national trophy once more as the successful captain.
Cian Lynch lifts the Liam MacCarthy Cup. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
Scorers for Limerick: Cathal O’Neill 1-4, Aidan O’Connor 0-5 (0-3 frees), Aaron Gillane 0-4, Peter Casey 0-4, Diarmaid Byrnes 0-4 (0-2 frees, 0-1 ’65), Kyle Hayes 0-2, Adam English 0-2, Cian Lynch 0-2, Barry Nash 0-1, David Reidy 0-1.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
50 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
Brilliant Limerick sweep Galway aside to claim All-Ireland hurling title
Limerick 1-29
Galway 1-18
EIGHT MINUTES HAD elapsed in the second half of this All-Ireland final when Kyle Hayes stormed out of the Limerick defence in possession.
He sprayed a diagonal delivery towards the Davin End-Cusack Stand corner where Aaron Gillane had moved into space to gather. He turned and fired a reverse pass towards Cathal O’Neill, rushing through in a more central position. O’Neill calmly stepped inside the Galway cover, on to his favoured right side and drilled a low shot that finished in the bottom corner of the net.
The strike was Limerick’s only goal of the afternoon, yet it was a moment that confirmed what had become glaringly clear as the action progressed towards the end of the first half and developed early in the second half. Limerick’s dominance was becoming more pronounced, O’Neill’s goal moving the scoreboard dial to see them 1-18 to 0-10 clear.
Over 30 minutes of play unfolded from there until the final whistle was blasted by referee Colm Lyons. But Limerick were not going to relinquish an 11-point advantage and that was the exact position of supremacy they enjoyed on the scoreboard at the close of play.
After a three-year hiatus John Kiely’s side have been crowned Liam MacCarthy Cup victors again, the sixth time they have bagged that tag under his stewardship. This was the type of final display to offer a compelling reminder of their collective greatness.
They were 10 points clear entering the final quarter when Galway’s woes were compounded by the dismissal of Ronan Glennon, a red card punishment handed out for a high challenge on Peter Casey. The gap had swelled to 14 points in Limerick’s favour entering injury-time when Galway received a consolation cheer, a penalty rammed to the net by Conor Cooney. Time was called seconds later. This game was long done as a contest by then.
The winning scoring load was distributed around the Limerick team. O’Neill supplied the largest tally with 1-4 from play, but free-takers Aidan O’Connor and Diarmaid Byrnes excelled with 0-9 between them, six of those shots from placed balls. Aaron Gillane returned to his customary heights with a quartet of points from play, a tally matched by Peter Casey in the other corner of the attack. Kyle Hayes, Adam English and Cian Lynch evenly shared six points.
Galway struggled badly in comparison. They finished with only eight points knocked over from open play, clipping just two in the opening half. The signs were ominous in that period as they were largely surviving off Jason Rabbitte’s capacity to win frees and Aaron Niland’s ability to convert them. Niland weighed in with seven of Galway’s eight first-half points, while Rabbitte was fouled three times in the first 10 minutes alone by Mike Casey, a chain of events that prompted Limerick to shift Seán Finn onto the Athenry man and Colm Lyons to show a yellow card towards Casey.
Niland and Rabbitte lofted over a point apiece from play, similarly glorious shots from the Hogan Stand side, yet elsewhere Galway struggled to gain a foothold up front. Limerick swallowed up several attacks and mopped up plenty of Darach Fahy’s puckouts.
Limerick’s half-time advantage, 0-13 to 0-8, felt significant. They rattled off the last three scores before the interval courtesy of Cian Lynch, Aidan O’Connor (free), and Gillane. It left them in a strong position, comforted by their five-point cushion.
The evidence was there in the first half of Limerick’s ability to apply severe pressure to test the Galway rearguard action. They threatened to find the net on three occasions in that opening period. The tone was set early on when Gearoid Hegarty, outstanding throughout, unleashed a bullet that Darach Fahy brilliantly tipped away for a ’65 converted by Byrnes. Three minutes later a replica of that incident unfolded, this time Fahy blocking a Hegarty effort with his leg. Before the half hour mark, Peter Casey got sight of goal after a flowing Limerick team move, yet Cillian Trayers got back to block his strike.
Galway were just about hanging in there to contend. Niland slotted over a 37th minute free to get the second-half scoring run going. That trimmed the deficit to four, Limerick would never be as close to the Tribesmen again as they accelerated away in that third quarter.
Peter Casey lofted over a 44th minute point to ensure Limerick had pushed 1-19 to 0-10 clear, and while Galway stitched four uninterrupted points together thereafter – Niland twice from frees, Tom Monaghan and Cathal Mannion all on target – it was a brief deviation from the trend of that second half.
Limerick’s grip soon strengthened and the memories of the setbacks they had endured over the past two summers faded away. Their return to the summit was confirmed, Cian Lynch acquainted with the prized national trophy once more as the successful captain.
Scorers for Limerick: Cathal O’Neill 1-4, Aidan O’Connor 0-5 (0-3 frees), Aaron Gillane 0-4, Peter Casey 0-4, Diarmaid Byrnes 0-4 (0-2 frees, 0-1 ’65), Kyle Hayes 0-2, Adam English 0-2, Cian Lynch 0-2, Barry Nash 0-1, David Reidy 0-1.
Scorers for Galway: Aaron Niland 0-10 (0-8 frees, 0-1 ’65), Conor Cooney 1-2 (1-0 pen, 0-1 free), Thomas Monaghan 0-2, Cathal Mannion 0-1, Darragh Neary 0-1, Jason Rabbitte 0-1, Colm Molloy 0-1.
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. Aaron Gillane (Patrickswell), 14. Shane O’Brien (Kilmallock), 15. Peter Casey (Na Piarsaigh)
Subs:
Galway
1. Darach Fahy (Ardrahan)
2. Joshua Ryan (Clarinbridge), 3. Cillian Trayers (Turloughmore), 4. Darren Morrissey (Sarsfields – captain)
5. Padraic Mannion (Ahascragh-Fohenagh), 6. Daithí Burke (Turloughmore), 7. Ronan Glennon (Mullagh)
8. Tiernan Killeen (Loughrea), 9. Gavin Lee (Clarinbridge)
10. Tom Monaghan (Craughwell), 11. Cathal Mannion (Ahascragh Fohenagh), 12. Darragh Neary (Castlegar),
13. Jason Rabbitte (Athenry), 14. Conor Whelan (Kinvara), 15. Aaron Niland (Clarinbridge)
Subs:
Referee: Colm Lyons (Cork)
*****
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Champions GAA Galway Hurling Hurling Final Limerick