Cork hurlers reveal team to face Limerick at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh

Cork have stuck with the starting 15 that got their Munster Hurling Championship campaign off to a winning start for Sunday’s battle with Limerick, 2pm in SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Alan Connolly will wear the number 13 geansái with William Buckley at 14 but the line-up is the same as last weekend when Ben O’Connor’s side beat the All-Ireland champions Tipperary with a third-quarter push in Thurles. 

They'll hope to carry that momentum into the sold-out game on home turf but John Kiely’s charges were by far the better team in the league final on Easter Sunday. They also defeated Cork in preseason and during the regular league, though all three of those ties were on Shannonside.

There are no changes to the bench, despite a case for the pace of Shane Kingston and the free-taking of Declan Dalton to be included. Full-back Daire O'Leary returned to training after injury this week but Damien Cahalane, Ger Millerick and Cormac O'Brien are entrusted as back-up defenders.

There will be speculation between here and throw-in about the match-ups, given Cork did so well in that regard against Tipp when they brought corner-back Niall O'Leary out to the number six berth to tag Andrew Ormond with Robert Downey marking Stefan Tobin. 

O'Leary switched back when Darragh McCarthy was introduced at half-time while Downey had a stormer in the second half and Cork will need to be adaptable again.

Ciarán Joyce was on Shane O'Brien in the league final when Aaron Gillane caused Séan O'Donoghue a lot of problems. Cork could swap those pairings for the Páirc.

Limerick will be eager to drag Cork's half-back line out of position so might redeploy Cian Lynch to centre-forward.

Cork's half-forward line was electric in Thurles, Barry Walsh, Shane Barrett and Darragh Fitzgibbon each hitting four points from play. That was in stark contrast to the Gaelic Grounds, where Barrett, Fitzgibbon and Seamus Harnedy were restricted to a combined for just 0-2 and struggled in the air as well.

Newcomer William Buckley was Man of the Match last weekend but Cork only got 0-3 from play from Alan Connolly and Brian Hayes, who were starved of possession, especially in the opening period when the bulk of Patrick Collins' puck-outs were worked short.

Cork haven't lost in league or championship at home since the clash with Clare in April 2024.

This is the fourth Munster round-robin meeting in the Páirc. Limerick beat the Rebels on Leeside in 2022 and lost two years ago while the 2018 tie was a draw.

CORK (Munster SHC v Limerick): 

Patrick Collins (Ballinhassig); 

Niall O'Leary (Castlelyons), Ciarán Joyce (Castlemartyr), Seán O'Donoghue (Inniscarra); 

Eoin Downey (Glen Rovers), Robert Downey (Glen Rovers), Mark Coleman (Blarney); 

Tim O'Mahony (Newtownshandrum), Tommy O'Connell (Midleton); 

Darragh Fitzgibbon (Charleville, c), Shane Barrett (Blarney), Barry Walsh (Killeagh); 

Alan Connolly (Blackrock), William Buckley (St Finbarr's), Brian Hayes (St Finbarr's).

Subs: Paudie O'Sullivan (Fr O'Neill's), Damien Cahalane (St Finbarr's), Ger Millerick (Fr O'Neill's), Cormac O'Brien (Newtownshandrum), Ethan Twomey (St Finbarr's), Hugh O'Connor (Newmarket), Diarmuid Healy (Lisgoold), Robbie O'Flynn (Erin's Own), Séamus Harnedy (St Ita's), Paudie Power (Blarney), Alan Walsh (Kanturk).