1. Limerick stronger than ever
Two years ago Limerick retained the All-Ireland senior hurling title. It was a milestone for the county, the first time they had completed back-to-back Liam MacCarthy Cup wins. They produced a phenomenal performance to achieve it, blitzing Cork as they scored 3-32. That season saw Limerick display a serious show of strength, winning their four games by an aggregate of 40 points.
At the time that 2021 final felt like a high water-mark for Limerick and yet are they now in a position where their group looks stronger than ever? This season saw them crowned league champions again after a three-year break, winners of five-in-a-row in Munster and yesterday they achieved four-in-a-row on the All-Ireland stage.
Yet it is the manner of their dominance that is so striking. Between 15 May 2022 and 11 June 2023, Limerick played nine senior hurling championship games. They drew two, lost one and their six victories were all by one-score margins, a winning aggregate of 12 points. The gap with the chasing pack appeared to have closed, teams were within touching distance albeit no one could land a knockout punch.
Now look at them. They have stormed to nine-point successes in their last two games, trailing both Galway and Kilkenny at the half-hour mark by six points before unleashing closing displays of such ferocity that it smashed their opponents. Kilkenny were energised by Paddy Deegan’s 42nd minute goal yesterday but lost the remainder of the match by 0-19 to 0-5. Limerick only notched five points in the first half hour but recorded 25 thereafter.
Extraordinary numbers posted by an extraordinary team. Who can stop them?
2. Kilkenny’s final pain
On hurling’s roll of honour Kilkenny remain at the summit. The Brian Cody era propelled them to the top, between 2000 and 2015, they were crowned All-Ireland champions on 11 occasions and only lost two finals. But that sinking feeling after deciders is now becoming too familiar for their liking. Yesterday was their fourth All-Ireland final defeat over the course of the last eight seasons. Three of those have been emphatic as well, beaten by nine points or more.
They were participants in a pivotal game in Limerick’s modern hurling history, losing the 2018 quarter-final by two points. That set the tone for close contests, Kilkenny won the 2019 semi-final by a point and Limerick won the 2022 final by two. But in 2023 the gap has widened and the pain has been heaped on for the Kilkenny camp.
April’s 11-point loss in the league final in Páirc Uí Chaoimh provided food for thought in the Kilkenny camp. They rebounded to collect a fourth successive Leinster title and held their nerve in a thriller with Clare, but with their illustrious history, Kilkenny’s standing is measured on All-Ireland triumphs. If they felt they were in the driving seat at stages in the first half of this final or when they netted seven minutes after the break, Limerick swiftly shredded such thoughts.
Kilkenny were left powerless in the finale to withstand the Limerick waves that kept crashing down on top of them. Their wait for an All-Ireland success rolls into a ninth year.
3. Cian Lynch stars once more
When Limerick were crowned All-Ireland kingpins two years ago, Cian Lynch was emblematic of their brilliance. He was man-of-the-match in that final. In that off-season the accolades piled up at his feet – a third All-Ireland senior medal, a third All-Star award and Hurler of the Year for the second time.
After that his career hit turbulence. Injuries messed up his season last year. He tore his hamstring against Waterford and then damaged his ankle a week out from the final showdown with Kilkenny. He was a spectator as Limerick completed three-in-a-row and that sense of dislocation continued into 2023, missing the Munster final win over Clare.
All those frustrations were wiped away yesterday. The Patrickswell man flying fit again and at his mesmeric best in orchestrating Limerick’s attacking play. His fingerprints were all over Limerick’s first-half play, scoring two points and notably creating two key scores before half-time. As his team-mates rose their performances to match his level in the second half, Limerick hit full speed with Lynch central to their best work.
Afterwards it was he who lifted the Liam MacCarthy Cup, bringing the injured Declan Hannon up with him, a role reversal from twelve months before. Lynch’s speech was delivered with meaning, this win left a deep imprint on him as he showcased his hurling class.
