LIMERICK……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….1-27
CORK……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….1-21
A masterclass by 2023 Hurler of the Year Aaron Gillane played a big part in Limerick overcoming Cork in the Allianz Hurling League final at TUS Gaelic Grounds on Sunday. The Patrickswell man accounted for 1-7 of his side’s total, his goal and a couple of points just off the charts in quality.
An attendance of 41,678 converged on the Ennis Road venue to witness John Kiely’s men claim a 15th National Hurling League title. It was landmark in the great rivalry between the Munster neighbours that in a first final in 46 years, Limerick registered a first ever win over the Rebels in a League final at a fifth attempt.
The game was exciting with good intensity but it terms of hurling, neither side reached their full potential. Whether it was by accident or design, the feeling is that much more will be seen from both sides when the big prize, the Liam MacCarthy Cup is up for grabs in the coming months.
Limerick hit the ground running registering six unanswered points as it looked as if Cork had not come to the party. A fortuitous goal when a stray pass from Diarmaid Byrnes in the direction of Nickie Quaid was intercepted by a vigilant Brian Hayes and almost apologetically guided to an empty net brought Cork back into the game. Despite playing into the breeze, Cork gradually came more into the game and late in the first half, four unanswered points from frees helped the Rebels reduce what earlier on was a nine point advantage for Limerick back to three by the short whistle.
Cork with the breeze to their backs were looking to drive on in the second half but Limerick were having none of it, and by the 56th minutes had gone six points clear. Cork refused to lay down arms and with seven minutes remaining, Ben O’Connor’s men had pared the deficit back to two points and game on. However, Limerick steadied the ship and saw out the victory.
The Cork attack did not perform to its usual high standard and much of that was due to the Limerick defence. On the day the return from the Cork half forward line was poor just three points from the starting trio.
Limerick flew out of the traps and raced into a 0-6 to 0-0 lead after an Adam English double, Aaron Gillane, Aidan O’Connor from a free and 65 and Diarmaid Byrnes all finding the range.
On nine minutes, Cork’s first score arrived in bizarre circumstances. Diarmaid Byrne tried to deliver the ball across the goal to Nickie Quaid but his effort was intercepted by a vigilant Brian Hayes and steered to the net.
Cathal O’Neill immediately replied for Limerick and after the score was negated by a Séamus Harney strike, two Aidan O’Connor frees and Adam English’s third point of the half saw Limerick go six pints clear. William Buckley knocked over a point for Cork to which Shane O’Brien replied.
On 19 minutes, a moment of magic from Man of the Match Aaron Gillane, he won the ball out on the right, brushed aside a Cork defender before unleashing and unstoppable shot to the Cork net.
Brian Hayes and Aidan O’Connor free swapped pints before Cork stages a mini revival that yielded four Alan Connolly points in a row from frees and one from captain Darragh Fitzgibbon to substantially close the gap. Gearóid Hegarty arrested the Cork scoring run briefly and it immediately resumed with points from Alan Connolly free and Brian Hayes to close the gap to three 1-13 to 1-10 at the change of ends.
Aidan O’Connor from frees swapped points with first Alan Connolly free and then Tommy O’Connell play during a low scoring ten minutes after the restart. Three in a row from Diarmaid Byrnes and Aidan O’Connor frees and Arron Gillane saw Limerick establish a six points lead. Points by Brian Hayes and William Buckley for Cork sandwiching a Cathal O’Neill point from play saw Limerick sitting on a 1-19 to 1-14 lead as the game entered the final quarter.
Aaron Gillane extended the lead back out to six, which was quickly halved by three in a row for Cork from substitute Hugh O’Connor, Tim O’Mahony and William Buckley. Aaron Gillane from a free made it a four points game but his effort was quickly trumped by a Tim O’Mahony free and substitute Mark Coleman from distance to reduce the margin to two with seven minutes remaining.
Diarmaid Byrnes from a 65 and Alan Connolly from a free traded points ahead of Limerick landing four in a row from Aaron Gillane free, Gearóid Hegarty. Aaron Gillane play and David Reidy to open up a five points gap with the game well into time added on.
A late exchange of white flags from Darragh Fitzgibbon and Aaron Gillane free completed the scoring and brought down the curtain on the Allianz Hurling League for 2026.
Scorers: Limerick: Aaron Gillane 1-7, 3fs; Aidan O’Connor 0-8, 7fs, 1-65; Adam English 0-3; Diarmaid Byrnes 0-3, 1f,1-65; Cathal O’Neill, Gearóid Hegarty 0-2 each; Shane O’Brien, David Reidy 0-1 each.
Cork: Alan Connolly 0-7, 7fs; Brian Hayes 1-3; William Buckley 0-3; Darragh Fitzgibbon Tim O’Mahony 1f 0-2 each; Séamus Harnedy, Tommy O’Connell, Hugh O’Connor, Mark Coleman all 0-1
Limerick: Nickie Quaid; Seán Finn, Mike Casey, Barry Nash; Diarmaid Byrnes, William O’Donoghue, Kyle Hayes; Adam English, Cian Lynch; Gearóid Hegarty, Aidan O’Connor, Cathal O’Neill; Aaron Gillane, Shane O’Brien, David Reidy.
Subs: Peter Casey for Shane O’Brien (54), Darragh O’Donovan for Aidan O’Connor (58), Ethan Hurley for Cian Lynch (67), Colin Coughlan for Diarmaid Byrnes (70+3)
Cork: Patrick Collins; Niall O’Leary, Ciarán Joyce, Seán O’Donoghue; Eoin Downey, Robert Downey, Micheál Mullins; Tim O’Mahony, Tommy O’Connell; Séamus Harnedy, Shane Barrett, Darragh Fitzgibbon; William Buckley, Alan Connolly, Brian Hayes.
Subs: Ger Millerick for Seán O’Donoghue (35+1), Mark Coleman for Micheál Mullins (48), Hugh O’Connor for Séamus Harnedy (50), Robbie O’Flynn for Tommy O’Connell (62), Declan Dalton for William Buckley (69), Damien Cahalane for Robert Downey (70+2)
Referee: Shane Hynes, Galway.