Limerick roar past Cats as all eyes turn to number five
Fitzgerald/sportsfile Limerick's Celebrates With David The Liam Cian Park Cup Maccarthy Picture: Lynch At Croke
It’s an historic four-in-a-row but Limerick will celebrate this sweet All-Ireland hurling title like it’s their first.
Thousands are expected to line the streets of the Treaty City on Monday evening to welcome home their heroes as the golden era under John Kiely continues.
The men in his green machine wrote themselves into the history books on Sunday after an intense and gripping encounter with great rivals Kilkenny before a full-house of 82,000 fans in Croke Park — a repeat of last year’s showdown for the Liam MacCarthy Cup.
The frantic scramble for All-Ireland tickets left many Limerick fans disappointed but Limerick City and County Council and Limerick GAA offered the next best thing by bringing the big match day atmosphere to the streets of the city, which were adorned with extra green and white bunting.
Thousands of fans gathered on Pery Square to watch the game live on a big screen as part of a special family-friendly alcohol-free event.
Thousands more tuned in from oversees, including members of Uganda GAA, while comedian Dara O’Briain urged his 2.5m Twitter followers to watch the ‘finest sport in the world’ on the BBC iPlayer.
Kilkenny scored first inside a minute but Limerick, playing into the wind, began to dominate, with some tough physical tackling keeping the Cats scoreless for eight minutes until Kilkenny’s Eoin Cody set the game alight with a goal in the ninth minute.
The Pery Square crowd felt every puck, pull and hard shoulder as the Cats chased down every breaking ball as the wind played havoc with Limerick’s shooting.
The intense physical encounter saw Limerick pick up two yellow cards within 15 minutes, and they were held scoreless for a 12-minute period as Kilkenny surged seven points ahead by the half-hour mark.
But in the last five minutes before half time, a flurry of Limerick scores, inspired by captain Cian Lynch, saw them go in at the break just three points down — 1-9 to nine points — Cody’s goal the only thing separating the teams.
A net-busting goal from Kilkenny’s Paddy Deegan minutes into the second half stretched their lead but the defending champions showed true grit and responded.
The roar from Pery Square when Aaron Gillane equalised with an inspirational shot from the sideline in the 47th minute was heard on Hill 16 as Kiely’s men began to dominate, with skill, power, and balance on display across the pitch, to win with nine points to spare.
As Limerick captain Cian Lynch, sporting Ken-like blond hairstyle hoisted the Liam MacCarthy Cup, his county became the first to win the four-in-a-row since Kilkenny did it between 2006 and 2009. Ironically, Cats manager Derek Lyng was part of that Kilkenny team.
Limerick has now become just the third county to achieve the incredible four-in-a-row. Cork did it between 1941 and 1944.
The Mayor of Limerick, Cllr Gerald Mitchell, hailed their achievement.
“Under John Kiely, the Limerick team have delivered so many great sporting moments and achieved so much. They owe us nothing and yet they continue to deliver,” he said.
The welcome home will begin on Pery Square at 6pm on Monday, with the team expected to arrive later.
For Kilkenny hurler Cillian Buckley, it was a weekend of highs and lows after he married his partner, Niamh Dowling, on Saturday, with low-key celebrations in the stunning surrounds of the five-star Castle Durrow in Co Laois.
Still, he has a honeymoon to look forward to and another wedding to suit up for next weekend, when his best man and teammate Walter Walsh, ties the knot on July 29.