Aidan O'Connor, Limerick, and Mikey Butler, Kilkenny, in Allianz Hurling League action. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
Allianz Hurling League Division 1A
Kilkenny 0-29 Limerick 0-20
By Tom Clancy at UPMC Nowlan Park
Kilkenny collected a valuable victory to close their 2025 National Hurling League, seeing off Limerick by nine points on home soil. The win, which was built on the foundation of a superb first half, ensures Kilkenny’s place in Division 1A for next season.
It also means that Clare and Wexford are relegated to Division 1B. Limerick are now out of the running for a League final, while Tipperary are assured of a final spot where they will face Cork or Galway, who meet next weekend.
Limerick are to conclude their league campaign next weekend, against Wexford, while Kilkenny won’t be seen in action until their Leinster championship opener, in mid-April.
It is a first win at UPMC Nowlan Park in 2025, after defeats to both Galway and Tipperary in recent weeks.
Martin Keoghan’s seven points were among a plethora of top class scores from the Cats, who opened up a 0-18 to 0-7 interval lead. Billy Ryan thought he had found the net, only for a flying Shane Dowling to push his drilled shot over the crossbar for a point.
The Na Piarsaigh goalkeeper has yet to concede a goal - this was his third appearance – and he was smartly down to stop a drilled effort from TJ Reid after just six minutes.
Limerick, for all their struggles in the opening half, had some nice attacking moments. Tom Morrissey was accurate with two while David Reidy was accurate with all bar one of his placed balls.
Defender Tommy Walsh was on had to finish out a very accurate half, where Derek Lyng’s men only hit three wides.
The second half was quite even for the opening period, however, John Kiely’s experimental line-up found their stride when hitting four in a row to move marginally closer. Paddy O’Donovan, Colin Coughlan and Reidy all helping to give their side some momentum.
After Keoghan restored a nine point advantage, Limerick hit five more without reply. This brought them to within four points, but they were unable to score in the closing ten minutes.
Instead, Reid, from free and play, John Donnelly and star man Keoghan carried them to victory. A Reid free in stoppage time was their only wide in the second half.
Meanwhile Paddy Deegan was dismissed for a second yellow card, this time for a challenge on Ethan Hurley.
Scorers for Kilkenny: TJ Reid 0-10 (8fs), Martin Keoghan 0-7, Fionán Mackessy 0-3 (1f), Billy Ryan, John Donnelly, Cian Kenny 0-2 each, Paddy Deegan, Jordan Molloy, Tommy Walsh 0-1 each.Scorers for Limerick: David Reidy 0-8 (7fs), Tom Morrissey, Colin Coughlan, Aidan O’Connor 0-2 each, Patrick O’Donovan, Adam English, Ethan Hurley, Shane O’Brien, Donnacha Ó Dálaigh, Barry Nash 0-1 each each.Kilkenny: Eoin Murphy; Mikey Butler, Huw Lawlor, Tommy Walsh; Shane Murphy, Richie Reid, Paddy Deegan; Cian Kenny, Jordan Molloy; John Donnelly, Billy Ryan, Fionan Mackessy; Luke Hogan, TJ Reid, Martin Keoghan.
Subs: Killian Doyle for Molloy (blood – 47 – 49); Killian Doyle for Kenny (inj – 57); Harry Shine for Hogan (59); Eoghan Lyng for Mackessy (67); Peter McDonald for Molloy, Gearóid Dunne for Reid (both 73).Limerick: Shane Dowling; Seán Finn, Mike Casey, Barry Nash; Colin Coughlan, William O’Donoghue, Ethan Hurley; Adam English, Cian Lynch; Tom Morrissey, David Reidy, Cathal O’Neill; Shane O’Brien, Seamus Flanagan, Aidan O’Connor.Subs: Patrick O’Donovan for O’Neill (inj - 33); Donnacha Ó Dálaigh for Flanagan (53); Michael Houlihan for English, Eddie Stokes for Morrissey, Oisin O’Farrell for O’Brien (70).
Referee: Colm Lyons (Cork).
