Lethal Limerick back at brilliant best as Cork hurling faithful on the outside looking in

Limerick 1-29 Galway 1-18

There's no doubt the current crop of Limerick hurlers are the most talented the county has ever produced.

The Munster trophy might be named after the legendary Mick Mackey but Cian Lynch, Gearóíd Hegarty, Diarmaid Byrnes and co, have taken the Treaty to unparalleled heights. The men for the big occasion, they’ve only lost one final in the John Kiely era and that was on penalties against Cork. Remarkable stuff.

On Sunday, they powered to their sixth All-Ireland in nine seasons to frank their status as an iconic team. Here on Leeside, we’d hoped to get another shot at the dominant force in the modern game but the disastrous second half two weeks ago against Galway put paid to that.

On the evidence in Croker, Cork would have found it extremely hard to avoid a third successive final loss. 

Limerick might not be as slick or clinical as they were at their peak, but they’re not far off it. And their hunger, work-rate and attitude remain enviable.

Their trademark swarm tackling, short puck-out press and movement meant the Galway game-plan that caused so many problems for Cork, and Dublin in the Leinster final, was neutered. Kiely and his coach Paul Kinnerk might have erred in starting Mike Casey at full-back to try and tame Jason Rabbitte, who won three frees in the first 10 minutes, but their set-up was bang on and keeping faith in Aaron Gillane reaped a rich reward.

By the 42nd minute, when the electric Cathal O’Neill rifled the back of the net from a lovely Gillane pass, the number 13, so poor against Cork and Clare, had 0-3 from play and 1-3 in assists. Hegarty was powerful in the air but Lynch, who like Gillane hadn’t been at full tilt up to now, was majestic, running the show at midfield alongside Adam English.

When the game was tight in the first half, Lynch, Byrnes, Gillane and Hegarty were immense.

So few of the Tribe hit the heights they’re capable of. Rabbitte is the banker Young Hurler of the Year, Aaron Niland was consistent on his frees, Tiernan Killeen stuck a lot of ball, and Daithí Burke, Joshua Ryan and Cillian Trayers battled gamely.

Cathal Mannion, the orchestrator of their semi-final dismantling of Cork, was peripheral, Tom Monaghan restricted to 0-2 from play from scraps, and Conor Whelan shut down. They needed that trio to catch fire to have any chance. Nemo ref Colm Lyons awarded them a late penalty that Conor Cooney drove past Nickie Quaid but it was scant consolation.

Limerick had their typical mix of scoring threats, Aidan O’Connor and Peter Casey landing some superb scores. Kyle Hayes had only two points from play in the championship before the final but lanced over two boomers here. By the 52nd minute, they’d 1-21 on the board, the same total that was enough to squeeze past Cork and Clare.

Ronan Glennon got a red for a head-high tackle on Peter Casey and yet Limerick kept snarling and snapping for every break. It helped they could call on Dan and Tom Morrissey, Darragh O’Donovan and David Reidy off the bench, even if they'd an iron grip on the game by the time they were introduced. 

Gillane curled over his fourth point from play coming down the stretch and it was the best of the lot.

Regrets

It’s neither here nor there now how Cork would have fared on the biggest day of the year against Limerick, but Galway hadn’t met Kiely’s side in championship in three years. It showed. Their veterans have All-Ireland medals already but collectively, they weren’t prepared for Limerick’s fire and fury.

The pity from a Cork perspective is they hadn't torn into Galway like they should have. Clare will no doubt have greater regrets, seeing as they left the All-Ireland semi-final behind them.

Limerick won’t give any of that stuff a second thought. Winners don't have to.

Clean sweep of league, Munster and All-Ireland titles completed 11 months after their shock loss to Dublin. The green machine, they only lost two games all season, their league opener in Waterford and first championship game in the Páirc. 

Some going for a group that had won so much already.

Scorers for Limerick: C O’Neill 1-4, A O’Connor 0-5 (0-3 f), P Casey, A Gillane, D Byrnes (0-2 f, 1 65) 0-4 each, A English, K Hayes, C Lynch 0-2 each, B Nash, D Reidy 0-1 each.

Galway: A Niland 0-10 (0-8 f, 0-1 65), C Cooney 1-2 (1-0 pen, 0-1 f), T Monaghan 0-2, J Rabbitte, C Mannion, D Neary, C Molloy 0-1 each.