Barry Nash pictured with the Liam McCarthy Cup at Croke Park. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
By Cian O'Connell
Remaining ice cool under pressure is what Limerick continue to do.
So Barry Nash was satisfied to secure another All-Ireland SHC title at Croke Park on Sunday
Kilkenny edged 2-10 to 0-11 ahead in the 42nd minute, but Limerick finished with a real flourish to eventually win in convincing fashion by nine points.
“Look, we’re cool, calm and collected," Nash reflected after the game. "We’re a very composed team. I suppose we didn’t really get into much of a flow in the first half, but I know the men that were on the field with us there and the boys who came off the bench.
"And I know what we can do, those guys – you could see it in the second half, there was scores going over from everywhere. Once we get into that flow, into that rhythm, it takes some team to stop us."
Limerick recovered impressively following Paddy Deegan's goal for Kilkenny seven minutes after half-time.
"We really had to get going then," Nash says. "You look up at the scoreboard, you’re five or six points down ‘Okay, lads, come on, we’ve got to tune in.’
"We got the first few scores in the second half; they get a goal, a real momentum killer.
Martin Keoghan, Kilkenny, and Barry Nash, Limerick, in All-Ireland SHC Final action at Croke Park. Photo by Daire Brennan/Sportsfile
“Like I said, the boys in that dressing-room, we all stand up. There’s so many leaders on the field, so many leaders coming off the bench.
"It’s just fellas stand up and we’re well able to do it. It will be a different man every day we go out to play, and then everyone just rows in behind them. That’s the way we are.”
Nash's respect for Kilkenny runs deep so to win a fourth All-Ireland on the spin matters deeply.
“We looked up to a lot of those Kilkenny hurlers growing up," Nash remarked. "They would have been the guys at the top at the time.
"It hasn’t really sunk in that we’re getting to that level – but to beat Kilkenny any day of the week is a phenomenal achievement. The tradition in that county, the hurlers that they have, yeah, it’s a great achievement.”
Even with Kilkenny posing stern questions John Kiely's charges stayed focused at the interval.
“John just knew we needed to get going," Nash replied. "Paul (Kinnerk) was the same. We all knew it.
"We knew we just needed to get into our flow; like I said earlier, we needed to just get into our rhythm. Once we got into our rhythm, we could get the game into our hands and we could control the pace of the game and drive on from there.”