Dublin earn famous win over Limerick to book All-Ireland SHC semi-final spot
Dublin have pulled off a win for the ages at Croke Park, dumping All-Ireland SHC favourites Limerick out of the Championship with a performance just about nobody predicted.
Two goals midway through the second-half, which arrived within seconds of each other, from substitute John Hetherton and Cian O'Sullivan, put the Dubs in a winning position.
And the 12/1 long shots held on for a famous win, their biggest since the 2013 Championship when they won the Leinster title and went on to contest their last All-Ireland semi-final.
The win was all the more unlikely because Niall Ó Ceallacháin's side lost captain Chris Crummey after just 15 minutes for a high tackle on Gearóid Hegarty that drew a straight red card.
Powerful Hetherton's half-time introduction was certainly significant as he scored a goal and played a big role in the other one.
But Dublin had heroes all around from the field, from Man of the Match Conor Burke, who sniped five points after being recalled to the team, to free-taker Seán Currie who scored nine points to brothers Ronan and Brian Hayes, as well as former football star Conor McHugh.
Dublin will play Cork or Kilkenny in an All-Ireland semi-final but Limerick's season is over, their exit from the Championship one of the great shocks of modern Championship hurling.
The red card looked like a game changer but it ultimately threw Limerick off their stride far more than Dublin.
Limerick were 0-07 to 0-05 ahead when Crummey drove hard across Hegarty and appeared to catch him with an arm across the faceguard.
Hegarty's head certainly shot back as if clear contact had been made and referee Liam Gordon was certain it was a straight red card offence.
At half-time, Dublin manager Ó Ceallacháin argued the toss with Gordon while the teams were heading in and was booked for his protests.
Still, Dublin were in a surprisingly healthy position at that stage, leading by 0-15 to 0-12 despite the reduced personnel.
Dublin scored four of the next five points immediately after the red card, Currie with four of those, including two from frees as Limerick got a little ragged and cynical.
Aidan O'Connor and Aaron Gillane scored two excellent points for Dublin in the first-half. O'Connor used his skill to jink away from the Dublin defence for his score and Gillane snatched an arrowed Cian Lynch pass from the air for his one.
But the genius moments were fleeting from a generational team who struggled to muster the same energy and intensity as 14-man Dublin.
The beaten Munster finalists looked a little weary and fatigued, despite Dublin having played just last weekend, and were glad that the Dubs blasted nine first-half wides and dropped two more attempts short.
Bringing on Hetherton at half-time was a clear move by the Dublin management to offer a new dimension in attack.
The St Vincent's man immediately made his mark, using his hulking frame and aerial prowess to snatch a ball from the air. It came to nothing but it was a forewarning for Limerick.
The Shannonsiders, to their credit, dominated the first 15 minutes of the second-half with Adam English and O'Connor sniping some excellent scores.
They led by a point in the 51st minute, 0-19 to 0-18, but then came those two Dublin goals.
Hetherton displayed his full skill set for the first of them, swivelling after a lay-off by O'Sullivan and blasting to the far top corner of Nickie Quaid's net.
A minute later, Hetherton rose up for a high ball and the ball broke kindly off for him for O'Sullivan to sweep up and slam to the net.
Limerick looked stunned. So did the Dublin supporters who were streaming in early for the Dublin footballers' clash with Cork later on.
Leading now by 2-18 to 0-19, it was Dublin's game to lose. Many probably still thought they would and Limerick certainly threw the kitchen sink at it late on, bringing on Peter Casey and Shane O'Brien to try to wrestle the game back in their direction.
Gillane finished up with nine points and there were late scores from Casey and the industrious English but Dublin picked off enough scores to remain just about in the clear.
There was late drama when, with three in it, Diarmaid Byrnes went for goal with a free but the shot was blocked by a scrum of Dublin defenders and Hetherton, who else, came thundering out with the ball in his hand.
Dublin: Seán Brennan; John Bellew, Paddy Smyth, Conor McHugh; Paddy Doyle, Chris Crummey (0-01), Andrew Dunphy; Conor Burke (0-05), Brian Hayes (0-02); Rian McBride (0-02), Fergal Whitely (0-01), Cian O'Sullivan (1-01); Seán Currie (0-09, 0-05f), Ronan Hayes (0-03), Diarmaid O'Dulaing.
Subs: John Hetherton (1-00) for O Dulaing h/t, Darragh power for Whitely 52, Donal Burke for McBride 64, Colin Currie for Ronan Hayes 69, David Lucey for McHugh 75.
Limerick: Nickie Quaid; Sean Finn, Dan Morrissey, Mike Casey; Diarmaid Byrnes, Kyle Hayes, Barry Nash (0-01); Adam English (0-05), William O'Donoghue; Gearóid Hegarty (0-04), Cian Lynch (0-02), Tom Morrissey (0-02); Aaron Gillane (0-09, 0-06f, 0-01 65), Aidan O'Connor (0-03), David Reidy.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Paddy Small stars as Dublin down Cork gears to reach All-Ireland SFC quarter-final
DESSIE Farrell says it's 'foot on the throttle' time now after steering Dublin through to the Championship's last eight. Advertisement 2 Dublin came good with a strong finish to see off Cork to seal a spot in the quarters 2 Paddy Smalls was man of the match in the win over Cork on Saturday They played in 'fits and starts', as boss Farrell said, and chugged along at times like a side powered by dirty petrol. With no Con O'Callaghan, it was left to Paddy Small to provide the inspiration and he took the Man of the Match award. Ballymun man Small blasted four points while free-taker Cormac Costello and the ultra reliable Sean Bugler split 10 points evenly between them. John Small was excellent at centre-back in just his third start of the season too, scoring a point and setting one up for sibling Paddy. Advertisement READ MORE ON GAA But it was more Renault than Rolls Royce overall and Farrell will be hoping that's the end of the misfiring with an All-Ireland quarter-final to come. That's the stage that Dublin bowed out of last year's Championship at, to Galway, and Farrell is desperate to drive on. He said: "It's foot on the throttle time now at this stage of the season and senior players come into their own. Everyone ups their game at this time of the year and it's a great learning environment for our young fellas to be operating in. "To be fair, I think the senior lads are loving the energy that they're bringing and the enthusiasm they're bringing as well. Advertisement Most read in GAA Football Exclusive "But we all know ourselves, we're far from the finished article. There's so much more room for improvement in our performance. "But I still think there's more potential within us to be realised and that's the challenge for us between now and next weekend, seeing can we tap into that." 'Just in time for Father's Day' - Dublin GAA legends welcome the birth of precious baby daughter Dublin trailed at half-time and were still a point back with 15 minutes to go despite a terrific Brian Howard goal in the 45th minute. But a Cork side that has stuttered and stumbled through another season under John Cleary couldn't sustain that effort. Advertisement Full-forward trio Chris Og Jones, Mark Cronin and Brian Hurley notched 1-10 between them for the Rebels. But when the finishing line was in sight, Dublin motored towards it and pinched four of the game's last five points. Farrell said: "It wasn't a classic performance by any stretch but it was one where we needed to show a bit of character and dig deep - and thankfully the lads did that." Farrell reckoned Dublin were 'naive' when they failed to build on their bright start, having hit the game's first four points. Advertisement They only added three more points before Bugler lofted over a two-pointer in almost the last play of the first-half. Cork were far more efficient and seemed to rise to the occasion, just like they did against Kerry in the Munster championship. They led 1-8 to 0-9 at half-time and really turned it on in a period between the ninth and 16th minutes when they reeled off 1-3 without response. Jones blasted the goal, finishing a well worked move off a sideline kick under the Hogan Stand and shooting low across Stephen Cluxton. Advertisement Jones finished with 1-4 and showed plenty of class but Cork have put in too many middle-of-the-performances this year to really trust them to finish the job. They did at least push Dublin all the way and refused to relent even when Howard slammed in his goal. Howard spun away from Sean McDonnell too easily, although his finish high into the corner of Micheal Aodh Martin's goal had a Lamborghini stamp of class about it. Cork could have tossed in the towel but reeled off four points in a row to briefly lead again. Advertisement O'Callaghan's quality, and calmness, was missed in the Dublin attack. They got some punch at least from sub Luke Breathnach who pinched a point and their experienced performers stood up as well. Costello, Paddy Small and Bugler all weighed in with hugely important scores late on as Dublin turned the screw. Dublin 1-19 Cork 1-16 Dublin: S Cluxton; E Murchan, S MacMahon, D Byrne; B Howard 1-0, J Small 0-1, L Gannon 0-1; P O Cofaigh Byrne, C Kilkenny 0-1; K McGinnis, N Scully 0-1, S Bugler 0-5, 1 tp; P Small 0-4, L O'Dell, C Costello 0-5, 2f. Advertisement Subs: C Murphy for O'Dell 45, L Breathnach 0-1 for McGinnis 57, T Lahiff for Gannon 59, N Doran for Scully 68. Cork: MA Martin 0-1, 1 45; D O'Mahony, M Shanley, N Lordan; B O'Driscoll, S Brady, M Taylor; I Maguire 0-1, C O'Callaghan 0-2; P Walsh, S Walsh 0-1, S McDonnell; B Hurley 0-2, M Cronin 0-4, 2f, C Og Jones 1-4. Subs: E McSweeney for P Walsh 48, C Cahalane for McDonnell 49-58 blood, C O'Mahony 0-1 for Hurley 55, S Powter for Taylor 58, L Fahy for Lordan 63. Ref: S Hurson (Tyrone). Advertisement
RTÉ News
an hour ago
- RTÉ News
'Croke Park beckons' but Liam Cahill wants more from Tipperary
Tipperary manager Liam Cahill was delighted to see his side carve out a spot in the All-Ireland SHC semi-finals but warned that they have plenty of improving to do despite an eight-point win over Galway in Saturday's quarter-final. The Premier County got the better of Galway by 1-28 to 2-17 at the TuS Gaelic Grounds to set up a last four meeting with Kilkenny on 6 July at Croke Park, which will mark Tipp's first appearance at GAA HQ since the 2019 All-Ireland final. "We're delighted now to be in the last four of the All-Ireland series. Always a pressure game, these games," Cahill told RTÉ Sport after his side's win. "Historically, Tipp and Galway are always difficult for us anyway in Tipperary, so just delighted to get the job done today." While the eight-point winning margin looks comfortable on paper and leaves them "still in the hunt" for honours, Cahill was not best pleased with all aspects of Tipperary's play. "Credit to Galway, to be fair to them, they brought everything that we thought they would early on, could've cut us up open for even two or three goal opportunities there in the first half," he said. "We were very fortunate to be on the better end of that. But we have a lot of aspects to go after our play. Our intensity petered out a lot near the end which would be a concern. "But all in all it's about qualifying, getting the job done and we've plenty to work on for two weeks' time." However, he was impressed by how his side dealt with conceding a goal to Galway early in the second half. Winning Tipperary manager Liam Cahill believes there is plenty of room for improvement from his charges as they look forward to the All-Ireland SHC semi-finals — The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) June 21, 2025 "I'm absolutely delighted with that because it's a trend of this squad of players all year. We've come out of some ferocious battles already - Ennis being an example against the All-Ireland champions," he said. "When our backs were to the wall, and again today when the goal came and brought it back to two points, I think we tacked on two or three as well then to increase that gap. "That's always encouraging when you see that from the lads." Turning his attention to the semi-final against great rivals Kilkenny, he quipped that the match-up would "increase the banter" between the two counties' supporters in the build-up and "renew the rivalry of old". "Massive game for both teams and Croke Park beckons and we're just happy to be back up the N7 after being absent for a number of years and it's exciting times again in Tipperary." Galway manager Micheál Donoghue and his side will now have to regroup after exiting the championship. But he was pleased with how his team started the game and took a longer-term view after year one of his second spell in charge. Galway remain a work in progress, according to manager Micheál Donoghue — The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) June 21, 2025 "I thought in the first half, general play wasn't too bad. I thought we created a good few goal chances and to stay in the game against a top team, you probably have to take a few of those," he said. "I thought the start of the second half, (we) rallied well, got the goal but then Tipp showed the quality, getting two scores after that and maybe we'd a couple of wides after it. "We'll rue a lot of our turnovers and against a team with the quality of Tipp, you know they're going to punish you, but for us it's very much a building project. A lot of learnings from today as cruel as it is but we'll just regroup and go again."
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Jack O'Connor says Croke Park return will lift pressure after David Clifford hat-trick sinks Cavan
JACK O'CONNOR expects next weekend's return to Croke Park to ease the pressure on his Kerry side after they held off a second-half resurgence from Cavan to take their place in the last eight of the Sam Maguire race. David Clifford bagged a hat-trick in Killarney as the hosts put themselves on a quarter-final collision course with All-Ireland champions Armagh. Advertisement 2 Kerry manager Jack O'Connor is in confident form after Kerry's win over Cavan 2 David Clifford bagged a hat-trick in the win over Cavan If Donegal and Galway advance from today's meetings with Louth and Down respectively, Kerry will face the Orchard in a repeat of last year's semi-final. Although the Kingdom kept Cavan at arm's length, their wastefulness in attack kept the door ajar for the visitors to reduce the gap to four points with 12 minutes remaining. In the context of their shock defeat to Meath seven days earlier, O'Connor cited intensity and tackling as areas where his team showed improvement. However, he also felt they 'got a bit frantic at times and made poor decisions with the ball' as they allowed Cavan to chip away at the ten-point half-time buffer. Advertisement read more on gaa O'Connor admitted: "There's a lot of pressure on Kerry players from the supporters. That was a difficult environment for the lads to play football in today. After their performance last week, there was huge pressure on them to perform and that can be a difficult environment. 'Often it's easier to go to Croke Park, away from home, and actually express yourself and play without fear and play with a bit of abandon. That's what we're planning on next weekend." Having played with the breeze, Kerry looked comfortable as they led by 2-12 to 0-8 at the interval. Clifford netted twice inside the opening 19 minutes and Cavan were also handicapped by a black card to Niall Carolan. But the Munster champions were repeatedly guilty of butchering goal chances. Gavin White struck the post in the first half when he sought to raise a green flag. Dylan Geaney also gathered a rebound to tap over a point after Clifford's first attempt to claim his hat-trick was kept out by Liam Brady, who made a string of fine saves. Advertisement Most read in GAA Football Exclusive Clifford left two more goal chances go to waste in the third quarter. Conor Geaney also had a couple thwarted and Graham O'Sullivan squandered one too. At the other end, the Cavan charge was spearheaded by Paddy Lynch, whose final tally of 0-12 included four two-pointers. 'Just in time for Father's Day' - Dublin GAA legends welcome the birth of precious baby daughter When he landed a huge effort from nearly 50 metres out, the natives briefly grew restless at the sight of the 2-16 to 1-15 scoreline. Evan Crowe had punched home a 51st-minute goal for Cavan which kickstarted a spell that saw them outscore the opposition by 1-6 to 0-1. Advertisement Clifford then gave Kerry more breathing room by finally claiming his third goal, having been teed up by Killian Spillane after Joe O'Connor saw another opportunity for his side foiled by Brady. Cavan responded with a Lynch two-pointer but Kerry saw out the game by firing 0-5 without reply. That included a point for Leaving Cert student Tomás Kennedy, who came off the bench for his senior debut. Injury-hit Kerry can now look forward to a first Croker date since their National League final win over Mayo. O'Connor said: 'It's a great footballer's pitch. It's a huge pitch and there's space there and that's why you want to play football. Advertisement 'This is a good pitch here in Fitzgerald Stadium as well. I just thought there were times today when it looked like the pressure got to the lads a bit and they didn't express themselves the way they could have." The Kerry boss lamented the latest injury setback to namesake Diarmuid O'Connor, who was forced off after injuring his shoulder in the throw-in. He joins Mike Breen, Tony Brosnan, Paul Geaney and Barry Dan O'Sullivan on the sidelines. Kingdom chief O'Connor also responded to comments from Darragh Ó Sé, who claimed 'the mood isn't great' in Kerry and that Armagh will bring their season to an end next time out. O'Connor said: "Darragh would be as well off now to go away and do a bit of coaching himself." Advertisement KERRY: S Ryan 0-3, 1tpf, 1 '45; P Murphy, J Foley, T O'Sullivan; B Ó Beaglaioch, T Morley, G White; D O'Connor, S O'Brien; J O'Connor, G O'Sullivan 0-1, S O'Shea 0-4, 1tp, 1f; C Geaney 0-1, D Clifford 3-7, 2tp, 1f, D Geaney 0-2. Subs: M O'Shea for D O'Connor 3 mins, D Casey for Morley 43, P Clifford for C Geaney 56, K Spillane 0-1 for D Geaney 56, E Looney for G O'Sullivan (temp) 61-ft, T Kennedy 0-1 for Ó Beaglaioch CAVAN: L Brady; C Reilly, N Carolan, B O'Connell; J McLoughlin 0-1, C Brady, P Faulkner 0-1; E Crowe 1-0, O Kiernan 0-2, 1tp; D McVeety, G Smith, O Brady; S McEvoy, P Lynch 0-12, 2tp, 2tpf, 4f, C O'Reilly. Subs: L Fortune for Reilly 8 mins, C Madden for McEvoy 43, R O'Neill 0-1 for O Brady 56, R Donohoe for McLoughlin 60, K Brady for O'Connell (temp) 64-66. REFEREE: J Henry (Mayo) Advertisement
