Bon Secours Limerick SHC Final

Na Piarsaigh 3-23 Kilmallock 2-15

By Tom Clancy at TUS Gaelic Grounds.

Na Piarsaigh secured a 7th Limerick Senior Hurling Championship title with a richly deserved 11-point winners over defending champions, Kilmallock.

These sides have now contested three county finals, with the Caherdavin men winning twice. They regain their crown which they won in 2020, and now have a remarkable seven since they first won the Daly Cup in 2011.

Manager Kieran Bermingham was captain on that day and has now won his second in charge of the 2016 All-Ireland winners.

His side were superb for the vast majority of this contest and but for the concession of two late goals, the margin could have been greater.

Fintan O’Connor’s Kilmallock never got into their stride and when Breen found the net on six minutes, Na Piarsaigh found their first notable lead. Breen would end the match as man-of-the-match for a typically fine display.

Breen was assisted by Daíthí Dempsey and Peter Casey, with the latter landing seven from play over the course of the hour.

Graeme Mulcahy was keeping Kilmallock in touch and landed three first half points, but their key threats in Oisin O’Reilly and Shane O’Brien were well shackled by a strong Na Piarsaigh defence. 

The accuracy on display was superb from both sides with just one wide from either side in the opening half. Kilmallock’s radar was off more in the second half and this stat ended with nine for the men in green.

The last act of the first half saw Breen collect a Casey delivery and turn beyond Arron Costello and fire, one handed, to the net. The half-time score read Na Piarsaigh 2-13, Kilmallock 0-12.

Kilmallock failed to score in the opening ten minutes of the second stanza. This third quarter saw Casey land four as the margin swelled to 2-18 to 0-13.

The Balbec ran the bench with Kevin O’Donnell, Conor Hanley Clarke and Robbie Egan all in for an improbable rescue mission. Their in-ability to halt the Na Piarsaigh momentum was illustrated their failure to put back-to-back scores together in the second half.

They did fire home two late goals, with Hanley Clarke, son of the great Dave, powering home a 20 meter-free. Daithi Dempsey immediately whipped this out, racing clear and blasting beyond Barry Hennessy to remove any doubt about the result.

Another sub, Killian Hayes netted entering stoppage time for another consolation.

The Limerick champions now enter Munster club action in November, with Kilruane McDonaghs or Ballygunner providing the opposition.

Scorers for Na Piarsaigh: Adrian Breen 2-3; Peter Casey 0-7, Kevin Downes 0-7 (6 frees) each, Daíthí Dempsey 1-1; Ronan Lynch 0-2 (frees), Mike Foley, Keith Dempsey, William Henn, 0-1 each.

Scorers for Kilmallock: Michael Houlihan (frees), Graeme Mulcahy 0-4 each; Conor Hanley Clarke (frees) 1-1; Killian Hayes, David Woulfe, Robbie Hanley 0-2 each; Paudie O’Brien, Paddy O’Loughlin.

NA PIARSAIGH: Evan Condon; Seán Long, Mike Casey, Cathall King; Mike Foley, Ronan Lynch, Emmet McEvoy; William O’Donoghue ©, Keith Dempsey; Conor Boylan, Peter Casey, Kevin Downes; Daithi Dempsey, Adrian Breen, William Henn.

Subs: Evan Gilvarry for K Dempsey (56), Gearoid Synnott for King (59), Tommie Grimes for Lynch (60).

KILMALLOCK: Barry Hennessey; Mark O’Loughlin, Aaron Costello, Dan Joy; Paudie O’Brien, Gavin O’Mahony, Paddy O’Loughlin; Robbie Hanley, Philip O’Loughlin; Michael Houlihan, Graeme Mulcahy, Phelim O’Reilly; Oisin O’Reilly, Shane O’Brien, David Woulfe.

Subs: Kevin O’Donnell for Phillip O’Loughlin (37), Robbie Egan for Houlihan (42), Conor Hanley Clarke for Woulfe (42), Killian Hayes for P O’Reilly (59).

REFEREE: Johnny Murphy (Ballylanders).