MUNSTER SHC FINAL
Limerick 1-26
Clare 1-20
It may have been a historic sixth Munster hurling title in a row for Limerick but John Kiely said it “felt like our first”.
It looked like it too as the Treaty partied at Semple Stadium before receiving a guard of honour across the field from their fans.
That proved a fitting tribute after extending their perfect final record to 14 wins out of 14 since Kiely’s appointment between League, Munster, and All-Irelands.
They also became the first side ever to achieve the six-in-a-row Munster feat. To put the difficulty of that achievement into context, they’ve equalled Clare’s all-time total in one burst.
“It felt like our first. That’s all I’ll say to you, it felt like our first,” said Kiely.
“It means a huge amount to the group. We just want to keep going. You can’t stop moving forward.
“The boys have a very clear understanding of the necessity for us to keep moving forward, to get better, hitting the targets that we want to hit in terms of our performance. That’s all that matters to us really.
“Myself and Paul (Kinnerk) said it before the game – you feel that edge and nervousness in the pit of your stomach that you should feel when you’re in Thurles for a Munster final.
“We grew up as children looking in on these occasions, never thinking we’d ever be involved in them. And we need to appreciate every single one of them because you never know the time it’s going to be your last time there.
“I’m just glad we produced a performance worthy of it today.”
Peter Duggan’s major on the stroke of half-time brought these sides level but there was little questioning the Treaty’s superiority in the second half to book their All-Ireland semi-final berth.
A goal from man of the match Gearóid Hegarty was the clinching score to deny the Banner for a third year in a row. They have now suffered seven defeats in deciders since their last success in 1998.
“The completion is finished now. We move on to a new competition. We will try approach it best we can,” said a deflated Brian Lohan.
“We have experience losing to these guys before. The lost time we lost we were able to bounce back.”
After a 30-minute delay due to a power cut at Semple Stadium, full debutant Shane O’Brien almost got in for an early goal. Cathal Malone tracked back to half-hook his shot, Eibhear Quilligan pushed it away, and David Fitzgerald struck a point on the counter.
Tony Kelly, a late addition to the Clare team, was teed up for a brace by Shane O’Donnell. But after John Kiely and Brian Lohan exchanged words on the sideline during an Aidan McCarthy free, Limerick reeled off the next four for a 0-8 to 0-6 lead.
Their half-back line was doing much of the damage with Declan Hannon, Diarmaid Byrnes, and Kyle Hayes each stepping forward for points. Hannon would add another, showing the damage he can do when left free.
In between, Clare almost had a goal but McCarthy’s shot was saved by Nickie Quaid and Byrnes cleared the sliotar before Mark Rodgers could slide in.
David Reidy and frees from Byrnes and Aaron Gillane pushed Limerick four ahead as McCarthy missed a third free of the half.
Clare looked in a spot of bother but struck with 1-1 to equalise. After a huge Fitzgerald point, his third, Kelly launched a long-range free into the square. Duggan’s flick was saved by Quaid but the keeper swiped the ball back to the Clooney-Quin attacker, who rifled home.
It was the last puck of the half, leaving it 1-10 to 0-13 at the break.
Limerick rebuilt their advantage with the first four points of the second half from Gillane, O’Brien, Tom Morrissey, and Cathal O’Neill.
When Conor Cleary was booked for a second off-the-ball foul on Gillane, Lohan rejigged his full-back line, moving Adam Hogan onto the targetman.
In the 46th minute, Limerick leaped six clear as man-of-the-match Hegarty beat Quilligan to Hayes’s long ball and whipped the sliotar to the net. 1-18 to 1-12.
Rodgers mined a couple of goal chances but Quaid saved the first, which was brought back for a free, and the Scariff stickman struck the butt of the post with the second.
Three times Clare got within four points but each time, Limerick replied with the next pair, including huge points from wing-backs Byrnes and Hayes. That line accounted for 0-9 of the winning tally.
LIMERICK:
N Quaid; M Casey, D Morrissey, B Nash; D Byrnes (0-5, 0-3 frees), D Hannon (0-2), K Hayes (0-2); W O’Donoghue, C Lynch; G Hegarty (1-2), C O’Neill (0-1), T Morrissey (0-4, 0-1 free); D Reidy (0-2), A Gillane (0-5, 0-4 frees), S O’Brien (0-2).
Subs: C Boylan for Hegarty (23-24, blood); A English (0-1) for Lynch (53); Boylan for O’Neill (63); D Ó Dálaigh for Gillane (68); A O’Connor for Reidy (69); G Mulcahy for T Morrissey (70+3).
CLARE:
E Quilligan; A Hogan, C Cleary, C Leen; J Conlon, D Ryan, D McInerney; C Malone, D Lohan; D Fitzgerald (0-4), M Rodgers (0-2, 0-2 frees), P Duggan (1-1); T Kelly (0-3), S O’Donnell (0-1), A McCarthy (0-8, 0-6 frees).
Subs: P Donnellan for Malone (29-30, blood); D Reidy for Lohan (62); I Galvin (0-1) for McCarthy (63); Rory Hayes for Cleary (66).
Referee: C Lyons (Cork).