ASK JOHN KIELY WHERE he and Limerick manage to find the reservoirs of hunger and drive to keep this remarkable team going, season after season, and he admits after the Munster final the elemental feeling behind it all.
“Myself and Paul (Kinnerk) each before the game – you feel that edge and, I suppose, nervousness in the pit of your stomach that you should feel when you’re in Thurles for a Munster final,” he says.
“We grew up as children looking in on these occasions, never thinking we’d ever be involved in them. And we need to remind ourselves, from time to time, that these are just incredible occasions to be a part of. Once, let alone any other number of times after that. And we need to appreciate every single one of them, because you never know the time it’s going to be your last time there.”
In breaking all these records, this Limerick team are already out in front in Munster. Soon, the individual records will fall if they keep this level of consistency going.
At the heart of it is a humility to keep pushing on, to park the victories. Kiely mentioned that this win feels every bit as sweet as the very first one.
“We understand, and we appreciate, that this is an incredible piece of sport to be a part of. An occasion of sport to be a part of. I’m just glad we produced a performance worthy of it today,” he said.
“It means a lot to the group. It means a huge amount to the group. We just want to keep going. You can’t stop moving forward. The boys have a very clear understanding of the necessity for us to keep moving forward, to get better, hitting the targets that we want to hit in terms of our performance. That’s all that matters to us really.”
As the tension was building inside the stadium, a sudden power outage only ramped up some of the tension. As both sides went through their warm ups, it was announced that the game would be delayed by 30 minutes.
Afterwards, captain Declan Hannon made mention that Limerick have backroom staff that numbers 53. It might have been a throwaway remark. It might be taking in county board figures.
Who knows? But either way, there is a significant apparatus around the team and such an event is sure to set some of them on edge. Kiely admitted it was unsettling.
“Of course it is. You want to start. You have your routine, you want to go through it. All you can do is reset and go again,” he said.
“I think the players absorbed it and handled it well. It was clearly something you’d rather not go through. But you have to overcome adversity in sport. If that’s as big a piece of adversity we’ll meet this year, we’ll get over it.
“There’s far worse things that can happen you, an injury during a warm-up is far more unsettling and disruptive. To be told you have to reset and go again in half an hour, so be it.”
When you break records in your backyard, the only thing to do is to take the tour national. The five in a row. It’s part of the mainstream chat now. They cannot ignore it.
“Ah listen, the conversation has been there a long time. They’re numbers at the end of the day. They weren’t important coming in today; they’re not going to be important after today,” said Kiely.
“What’s important for us is what we go after ourselves. We know that. Internally, those are the drivers, those are the motivating factors. They’re the things that we’re relentless to go after, and we’ll keep going after those relentlessly.
“We’re thrilled to have won it. It’s the end of that chapter for 2024, the Munster championship. We’re thrilled to have come out the right side of it. It means a huge amount to us. But we now know that we’re after opening another chapter, and now we have to embrace that and we have to go after that, and it will mean continued work, continued hard work, chasing even greater targets.
“Greater challenges coming at us from the opposition. And embracing that challenge that lies ahead.”
Croke Park awaits.
One of the greatest managers the game has ever seen.
@Aidan Farrell: The greatest team the game has ever seen…..Imo.
@Ray Ridge: it’s impossible to compare teams of different eras
@Aidan Farrell: it’s a stated fact that he does not know the names of half of the backroom team that’s employed by JP.
@Mikey Walsh: my goodness Mikey, give it a rest boi, how bitter are you about this, chirping away all day, chipping away, you must be sickened.
@Michael Kennedy: your raving BOY
53 backroom staff??ffs I bet pep doesn’t even have half of that with city.madness..limerick are great to watch a different animal and when they get to croke Park cannot see them been stopped..
@Paully kells: always enjoy your input Paul, why madness? Most of them are voluntary.
Paul Kinnerk is the brains
@liam hehir: ya but Paul Kinnerk has openly stated that he could not do the job that John Kiely does so it appears they are a formidable management team who compliment each other’s strengths and weaknesses perfectly
Were Clare too conservative? It appeared that when they continuously drove the ball long that it was a 3 V 1 in the full forward line or a 4 v 2 always in Limericks favour. You have to carry the ball through the lines of that’s the case. Maybe Clare don’t have the pace to do that and if that’s the case I can see them struggling with a Cork or Kilkenny in future
@anthony davoren: definitely the difference today was Limerick nearly always chose the right pass or shot, where as Clare nearly always chose the wrong option..in fairness when Clare did choose the correct option they looked really good.. Limerick are the standard bearer’s.
@Matthew Delaney: well said..clare have theirselves to blame with a few clumsy mistakes they are a very good team no doubt but make them mistakes against a machine like limerick expect to be punished..very unlucky to hit the post near the end would been two points in it then and god knows then what could happening?the banner will be still there or there abouts..
@Paully kells: I’d also say that a factor today was the two goalkeepers..puck outs cost Clare, not all quilligans fault.
@Matthew Delaney: definitely Matthew…quaid nearly always finds he’s man..quilligans puck outs were very good unfortunately for the banner limerick were out in front to get get to frw them first..clare will be back lohan will have them fired up for the next day no doubt about it..