Limerick captain Declan Hannon lifts the Mick Mackey Cup after his side's victory in the Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship final match between Clare and Limerick at FBD Semple Stadium in Thurles, Tipperary. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile.
Munster SHC final
Limerick 1-26 Clare 1-20
By Stephen Barry, FBD Semple Stadium
Limerick extended their perfect final record to become the first side ever to claim six Munster hurling titles in a row, with Gearóid Hegarty’s goal the clinching score.
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.
This Munster final trilogy has gone unanimously in Limerick’s favour as the Banner have now suffered seven defeats in deciders since their last success in 1998
Kiely, meanwhile, remains undefeated in the 14 finals contested since his appointment between League, Munster, and All-Irelands.
Throw-in was delayed by 30 minutes due to a power cut at FBD Semple Stadium, with both teams returning to their dressing rooms before re-emerging for a second warm-up.
There was a huge cheer from the Clare crowd when Tony Kelly was announced to start among two late changes to the published team. Conor Leen resumed his place at corner-back as Rory Hayes and David Reidy dropped out.
It was a big stage for Shane O’Brien to make his first senior championship start and he got in behind for an early goal chance. Cathal Malone tracked back to half-hook his shot, Eibhear Quilligan pushed it away, and David Fitzgerald struck a point on the counter.
Kelly 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.
Scorers for Limerick: Gearóid Hegarty 1-2; Diarmaid Byrnes (3f), Aaron Gillane (4f) 0-5 each; Tom Morrissey 0-4 (1f); Declan Hannon, Kyle Hayes, David Reidy, Shane O’Brien 0-2 each; Cathal O’Neill, Adam English 0-1 each.
Scorers for Clare: Aidan McCarthy 0-8 (6f); Peter Duggan 1-1; David Fitzgerald 0-4; Tony Kelly 0-3; Mark Rodgers 0-2 (2f); Shane O’Donnell, Ian Galvin 0-1 each.
LIMERICK: Nickie Quaid; Mike Casey, Dan Morrissey, Barry Nash; Diarmaid Byrnes, Declan Hannon, Kyle Hayes; William O’Donoghue, Cian Lynch; Gearóid Hegarty, Cathal O’Neill, Tom Morrissey; David Reidy, Aaron Gillane, Shane O’Brien. Subs: Conor Boylan for Hegarty (23-24, blood), Adam English for Lynch (53), Boylan for O’Neill (63), Donnacha Ó Dálaigh for Gillane (68), Aidan O’Connor for Reidy (69), Graeme Mulcahy for T Morrissey (70+3).
CLARE: Eibhear Quilligan; Adam Hogan, Conor Cleary, Conor Leen; John Conlon, Diarmuid Ryan, David McInerney; Cathal Malone, Darragh Lohan; David Fitzgerald, Mark Rodgers, Peter Duggan; Tony Kelly, Shane O’Donnell, Aidan McCarthy. Subs: Paddy Donnellan for Malone (29-30, blood), David Reidy for Lohan (62), Ian Galvin for McCarthy (63), Rory Hayes for Cleary (66).
Referee: Colm Lyons (Cork).
