Top 5 moments in this year's Hurling and Camogie championships

Hurling

1. Limerick fans flood the Gaelic Grounds pitch

Limerick’s Gavin O’Mahony is carried from the field by fans. Pic: INPHO/James Crombie

Limerick may not be there this Sunday to play for the Liam MacCarthy Cup again, but these images will be front and centre when Reeling in the Years 2013 is produced in a decade’s time.

The Treaty hadn’t won a provincial title since the heady summer of 1996 but arrived into the Munster decider with the Rebels having stunned Tipperary first time out on Shannonside.

The Rebels’ talismanic forward Pat Horgan was controversially sent off for striking out on his marker and Cork native, John Allen made sure his side took advantage. Limerick ended the long wait for hurling glory on a scoreline of 0-24 to 0-15 and then all hell broke loose.

Some 42, 730 people were said to be in the stands on one of those heat-wave Sundays; it seemed the majority were in green and on the field afterwards to congratulate their heroes. A magical afternoon.

2. Waterford’s comeback against the Cats

Kilkenny's Brian Cody celebrates a Kilkenny point in extra time . Pic: INPHO/Lorraine O'Sulliva

This wasn't the Brian Cody team of old. But they proved to be the team they couldn't hang in Thurles against their neighbours in the south-east.

Golfers say there's no room on a scorecard for commentary; the bald facts of this game will be recorded as Kilkenny 1-22 to Waterford's 2-16 after extra time at Semple Stadium. But that doesn't tell the whole story.

Like its predecessor, this tie required extra-time as referee James Owens found himself in the eye of a storm.

The Wexford official disallowed what looked like a winning point for Matthew Ruth with time elapsed. An error by Shane Fives allowed Ruth fire the ball over the bar but as Waterford players sunk to their knees, it emerged that Owens had whistled up for full-time after Fives allowed the sliotar to slip under his hurley as he tried to control it.

Kilkenny ultimately had matchwinners in Fennelly, Richie Power and Richie Hogan in attack but unfortunately, Henry Shefflin lasted just half an hour after he was introduced as a substitute. Would he face Cork next time out?

3. Henry Shefflin and Kilkenny's ovation before the Tipperary game

A section of the large crowd watch Henry Shefflin in action. Pic: INPHO/Morgan Treacy

This was one of those special summer Saturday nights. Thanks to Limerick's win over Tipp and Kilkenny's defeat in Leinster, the All-Ireland championship was -- as we heard over and over -- thrown wide open. Ultimately, two of the sides who dominated the game over the past decade met in a loser-leaves-town showdown in Nowlan Park. And the place was rocking.

Two of the loudest cheers of the night were reserved for hometown favourite, Henry Shefflin. The roof almost came off the stands in the famous old ground when he was announced as a late addition to the subs' list while his late cameo on the pitch was greeted with another massive roar.

The man they know as The King on Noreside helped the vulnerable-looking Cats over the line, as he laid off a pass for Richie Power to float over a late score. Shefflin revealed afterwards that he ignored his surgeon’s advice to play a part but Kilkenny were certainly glad to have him back.

4. Nash's stunning penalty save as Cats' summer ends

All summer, hurling people whispered that the Kilkenny team we knew and feared was on its last legs. Their class and nous got them past the likes of the Deise and Tipp but Cork in Thurles the following weekend proved a bridge too far; 0-19 to 0-14 to the Rebels.

Again, a sending off scarred a super game; King Henry abdicating late in the first half. The Ballyhale man fouled Jamie Coughlan, earning a second yellow. Horgan typically tapped over a free either side of that event to leave Cork with an 0-11 to 0-06 advantage at half-time.

In the second period, a Kilkenny penalty had to be retaken when Tommy Walsh inexplicably prematurely ran into the square. Richie Power's second effort was saved by Nash and eventually cleared by his team-mates. There was no way back for Kilkenny who headed home to be comforted by Bruce Springsteen in Nowlan Park that night.

GIF credit: Balls

5. First-half of Cork and Dublin's semi-final shoot-out

Jimmy Barry Murphy will lead his side out against Clare on Sunday to face Davy Fitz's Clare; but he's already had to deal with another of the Banner's 1990s Mount Rushmore: Anthony Daly.

Cork and Dublin met in a novel last-four pairing last time out and they delivered a game worthy of a classic championship. The sides were level an incredible 15 times over the course of a breathless hour and trotted in having shared a goal and 26 points.

Ryle O'Dwyer's dismissal and this second-half goal from Pat Horgan ultimately swung the pendulum south however. File under: epic.

YouTube: Paddy O'Paddy

Honourable mentions: Davy Fitz's interview death start on Ger Canning, Ger Loughnane's description of Dublin-Wexford as constipated hurling, Laois almost catching Galway.

Camogie

1. Kildare progress

Kildare's 5-11 to 1-13 semi-final win over Down at the end of last month in Ashbourne was a seismic moment. Not for the scale of the victory but more for what it meant for the Lilywhites camogie team.

Success propels them to a Premier junior camogie final in Croke Park on 15 September. And it will be the first time a Kildare side has featured in Croke Park since 1990 in an All-Ireland camogie final.

2. JJ Doyle's return

Wexford Manager JJ Doyle. Pic: INPHO/Ryan Byrne

After steering Wexford to a third successive All-Ireland senior camogie title last year, JJ Doyle called time on his reign with the Model County last year. Yet in June when manager Martin Lynch quit his position, Wexford turn to Doyle to return to the hotseat.

There was no fairytale return yet despite suffering two defeats in the group stages, Doyle did manage to guide Wexford back to the semi-final stage where they lost out to Galway.

3. Kilkenny semi final drama

Aisling Dunphy of Kilkenny celebrates at the final whistle. Pic: INPHO/Ryan Byrne

It's 19 years since Kilkenny last won an All-Ireland senior camogie title. They'll get a chance to end that barren spell in Sunday week's final and that's thanks to a dramatic recent semi-final win over Cork.

Conceding two goals in the opening eight minutes and falling five points behind in the second-half were some of the setbacks Kilkenny had to endure. Yet with Katie Power firing 1-6 from play, Kilkenny won out by 2-12 to 2-11.

4. Galway's attacking power

Galway's Niamh Kilkenny celebrates scoring the first goal of the game. Pic: INPHO/Ryan Byrne

For a team who haven't lifted an All-Ireland senior camogie crown since 1996, Galway's form in the knock-out stages of late has been hugely impressive.

They crushed Tipperary by 16 points in the quarter-final (2-19 to 0-9) and Wexford by nine points in the semi-final (1-12 to 0-6). That's evidence of the serious scoring power they possess out west.

5. A Rebel legend departs

Cork's semi-final loss to Kilkenny heralded the end of the career of attacker Jenny O'Leary. The Barryroe woman announced her retirement as she is moving to Armagh to live with her fiancé ahead of their wedding next year.

She leaves behind a treasure trove of memories as she won three All-Ireland senior medals with Cork teams and displayed her individual prowess in accumulating six Allstar awards.

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